Abstract

Green spaces are important refuges for biodiversity in urban areas, and lawns are one of the most widespread elements of urban green spaces globally. Chinese cities have adopted the use of lawns relatively lately and are currently experiencing a rapid increase in lawn area. In order to obtain knowledge and develop recommendations related to planning, design, and management of lawns in public parks, this study compared lawns with other three types of herbaceous vegetation in terms of plant and pollinator diversity and composition, using Xi'an City as a case study. Plants and pollinators were inventoried in 72 lawns, 12 perennial meadows, 15 Ophiopogon japonicas groundcovers, and eight Oxalis corymbosa groundcovers. Plant species diversity in lawns was positively associated with proportion of green space around lawns and lawn age, and negatively associated with frequency of use of chemical fertilizers. Proportion of native plant species in lawns was negatively associated with use frequency of chemical fertilizers and mowing frequency, and positively associated with irrigation frequency and lawn size. Pollinator species diversity is positively related to flowering plant species richness in all vegetation types. In order to enhance plant and pollinator species diversity, less mowing and chemical use on lawns are recommended. Future urban planning should also consider preserving and increasing the green area coverage within the city. Based on abundance and attractiveness to pollinators, several native herbaceous plant species have potential when creating alternative green spaces to lawns, but more studies are required to test their performance.

Keywords

Urban biodiversity; Urban green spaces; Native species; Lawn alternatives; Management

Published in

Landscape and Urban Planning
2019, Volume: 185, pages: 117-126
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Yang, Fengping

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Ignatieva, Maria

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Wissman, Jörgen

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Ahrné, Karin

  • SLU Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre


Sustainable Development Goals

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable


UKÄ Subject classification

Landscape Architecture
Ecology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.02.003

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/99646