<
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/22/melbourne-urban-greening-benefits-insect-species>
"The benefits of urban greening initiatives are increasingly well documented:
they can help mitigate the effects of urban heating, and improve physical
health and mental wellbeing. And even small greening actions in cities can
significantly improve local biodiversity, new research suggests.
Increasing the diversity of native plants in a single urban green space
resulted in a sevenfold increase in the number of insect species after three
years, Australian researchers have found.
According to the study’s authors, there had previously been “little empirical
evidence of how specific greening actions may mitigate the detrimental effects
of urbanisation”.
Existing research largely involved observational studies where urban greening
had already taken place and “scientists come after the fact to see what’s
happened”, said the study’s lead author, Dr Luis Mata of the University of
Melbourne and a lead research scientist at Cesar Australia.
The greening initiative was conducted on a small 195 sq m plot of land in
Melbourne, on a site adjacent to a major road.
“It was conducted in a very densely urbanised area, completely surrounded by
streets and relatively tall buildings, and with limited access to surrounding
green space,” Mata said.
Even so, the team found “substantial ecological changes”, he said. “I think we
found a really strong signal given the disadvantages of the site itself.”"
The study:
Large positive ecological changes of small urban greening actions
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2688-8319.12259
Via
The Fixer September 6, 2023
<
http://https//reasonstobecheerful.world/small-urban-spaces-boost-biodiversity-australia/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
