5 Best Ways to Improve Biodiversity in Urban Areas

Introduction

There is a need to improve Biodiversity in urban landscapes because urban areas have been predicted to triple in size by 2030, and natural habitats are continually declining. If urbanites value ecology and do not want environmental robustness to fall, biodiversity must be included in urban landscapes.

Biodiversity relates to many plant and animal species cohabiting in a particular region. As the term implies, “bio‑diversity” refers to the diversity of life in an area, ecosystem, or habitat. Biodiversity has more meaning than the presence of a few butterflies or a flight of birds.

Biodiversity covers the active presence of various plants, bacteria, insects, mammals, birds, and more. It describes the harmonious existence of all these species in a habitat. Healthy biodiversity impacts everything in an ecosystem; the number of pollinating birds and bees, compost-eating bacteria recycling nutrients, and enough bats to consume a measure of crop-eating insects.

also read: Biodiversity Hotspots in Africa

With biodiversity, a system can withstand pressure and stress and be made more robust. Here, biodiversity has some layers: 

  • the number of different species in an ecosystem,
  • the number of individuals within a species, and
  • the genetic variation within the species.

Ways of Improving Biodiversity in Urban Landscapes

Ways of Improving Biodiversity in Urban Landscapes

It’s easier to support these species even long after estuaries have been dredged and rivers straightened because of the pre-existing relationship with the land. Since the native ecosystem still somehow lives on with its bones buried under concrete, it’s not difficult to bring those bones back to life and make them live again.

Generally, the best way to support a habitat’s wildlife is by planting natives. This is so because bugs and birds have been naturally created to eat and use them. So, selecting location-appropriate plants is one of the fundamentals of good planting design. This does not mean that planting just natives will increase biodiversity and boost biodiversity to its fullest potential; however, it goes a long way toward impacting biodiversity.

One needs to be aware of the number of species and the kinds of species that the ecosystem can support. It’s also important to know how many advantages a plant provides for the ecosystem. For instance, a tree ranking conducted by the University of Delaware discovered that native oaks offer support for over 500 different insect species. In contrast, Gingko, a common street tree, provides support for just three species.

Provide Wildlife Pathways and Links Between Green Spaces.

One of the things essential to improving biodiversity in urban areas is providing wildlife to travel and search for food, water, and mates. For instance, the hedgerow in England has been a significant part of the English garden beauty for hundreds of years. The hedge provides a physical obstacle for larger animals and even people. Still, it gives small animals a pathway to pass under or through the roots of the hedgerow going from garden to garden. This pathway is essential as it fosters biodiversity in ways more than one.

“Soft Engineering” techniques, such as bioswales and rain gardens, help handle stormwater and provide wildlife corridors. Native shrubs, grasses, and trees are more likely to survive in rain gardens, usually barrier-free. They also offer accommodation for wildlife and keep them out of the streets.

Pay Attention to Non-Native Predators

Non-Native predators are highly dangerous to local wildlife, mainly because they are usually overlooked and not paid attention to. Just housecats have been responsible for about 1.4 to 3.7 billion songbird deaths annually. This shouldn’t be ignored as it affects biodiversity to a significant degree.

When designing residential neighbourhoods,  pay attention to the problems local wildlife face in terms of food and habitat but pay closer attention to the likelihood of them becoming food for non-native predators. Wildlife becomes your client when you’re designing for biodiversity, and their needs are your priorities. This means that it is up to you to ensure that you’re not creating a space that lures them to their deaths but rather an area that provides protection and comfort.

Biodiversity has to do with us deciding to make our urban spaces more supportive of different kinds of life instead of grudgingly taking in only the most adaptable species. You need to begin to think of the life you would like to see in urban landscapes and how it would affect the way urbanity is planned. These little things go a long way in preserving our ecosystem.

Make Use of Organic Maintenance Methods to Cut Back on Lawns

To improve biodiversity, Avoiding chemical pesticides that cannot differentiate between good and bad bugs and fertilisers provides undeniable support for urban biodiversity. Some edible insects which are particularly sensitive to pesticides, both chemical and organic, would not be able to survive in an environment frequently visited by these pesticides. A shorn lawn hardly provides food or shelter for wildlife. Even wildlife at the bacterial level can scarcely survive if pesticides are liberally applied.

Make Use of Available Green Space Connections

To improve biodiversity, utilising existing wetlands, forests, and water retention ponds within a site or a nearby space that probably already provides support for wildlife is a fantastic starting point for knowing what kind of diversity you should design for. This improves biodiversity as your landscape designs are constructed to fit into existing green spaces.

Conclusion

The importance of biodiversity cannot be overemphasised, as our ecosystem needs it to survive. It is up to us to ensure that we provide adequate support for these diverse species and a system for their survival even within our environment through our landscape designs.

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