Plant species diversity and vegetation in urban grasslands depending on disturbance levels
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Plant species diversity and vegetation in urban grasslands depending on disturbance levels Behlül Güler 1 Received: 20 September 2019 / Accepted: 26 March 2020 # Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences 2020
Abstract Over the last few decades, maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions in urban areas has become a challenge. In this study, I investigated the grassland vegetation of three urban habitat types, namely, peri-urban areas, urban roadsides and vacant lots in the city of Izmir (Western Turkey). I used 50 sampling plots for each habitat type resulting in 150 plots in total for the analysis. I tested (1) whether different disturbance levels affect species richness/diversity and composition along urban-rural gradient, and (2) whether biotic homogenisation strongly occurs in disturbed habitats. I found that the species richness/diversity and composition were strongly affected by different disturbance levels in urban areas. Urban roadsides (which were in intermediate position along the urban-rural gradient) showed the lowest species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity, while vacant lots and periurban grasslands had higher species richness and diversity. These results contradict the urban-rural gradient hypothesis which predicted the lowest species richness at the urban end of the gradient. Few alien species were found with only slightly increasing abundances due to disturbances. Considerable biotic homogenisation did not occur. The study system was probably relatively resistant to disturbances. The Mediterranean climate and long history of human influence in the study area have been a reason for such resistance. Urban grasslands play important role in urban biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, therefore they are important for human well-being. Keywords Disturbance . homogenisation . species diversity . urban-rural gradient . urban grassland . urban vegetation
Introduction Urbanisation is growing with a rapid increase in human population (Seto et al. 2012). Maintaining benefits from natural ecosystems in urban surfaces for the well-being of societies is one of the most fundamental challenges in today’s world (Kowarik 2011). Since urban areas are characterised by pollution and limited resource availability, as well as intense human population (McKinney 2002), the composition of natural habitats and ecosystem functioning has drastically changed over the last millennium (McKinney 2008; Lososová et al. 2011). Urbanisation causes important changes in abiotic Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-020-00484-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Behlül Güler [email protected] 1
Biology Education, Dokuz Eylul University, Uğur Mumcu Str. 135. No:5, 35380 Buca, Izmir, Turkey
conditions (i.e. soil, climatic, water availability; Kühn and Klotz 2006) resulting in substantial environmental isolation and habitat loss (McKinney 2006). Besides, destroyed or fragmen
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