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A global analysis of the impacts of urbanization on bird and plant diversity reveals key anthropogenic drivers
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2014 (English)In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, ISSN 0962-8452, E-ISSN 1471-2954, Vol. 281, no 1780, p. 20133330-Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Urbanization contributes to the loss of the world's biodiversity and the homogenization of its biota. However, comparative studies of urban biodiversity leading to robust generalities of the status and drivers of biodiversity in cities at the global scale are lacking. Here, we compiled the largest global dataset to date of two diverse taxa in cities: birds (54 cities) and plants (110 cities). We found that the majority of urban bird and plant species are native in the world's cities. Few plants and birds are cosmopolitan, the most common being Columba livia and Poa annua. The density of bird and plant species (the number of species per km2) has declined substantially: only 8% of native bird and 25% of native plant species are currently present compared with estimates of non-urban density of species. The current density of species in cities and the loss in density of species was best explained by anthropogenic features (landcover, city age) rather than by non-anthropogenic factors (geography, climate, topography). As urbanization continues to expand, efforts directed towards the conservation of intact vegetation within urban landscapes could support higher concentrations of both bird and plant species. Despite declines in the density of species, cities still retain endemic native species, thus providing opportunities for regional and global biodiversity conservation, restoration and education.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2014. Vol. 281, no 1780, p. 20133330-
Keywords [en]
Anthropogenic activities, Density of species, Global biodiversity, Native species, Urbanization
National Category
Environmental Sciences Ecology
Research subject
Land and Water Resources Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-142029DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3330ISI: 000332383100023PubMedID: 24523278Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84893711703OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-142029DiVA, id: diva2:699582
Note

QC 20140313

Available from: 2014-02-27 Created: 2014-02-27 Last updated: 2022-06-23Bibliographically approved

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Publisher's full textPubMedScopushttp://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.3330

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Mörtberg, Ulla

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
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  • de-DE
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  • nn-NO
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Output format
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