Assessing the species diversity and vulnerability of urban tree populations in the London borough of Westminster |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Arboricultural Services, Westminster City Council, London SW1E 6QP, UK;2. Greenspace Department, Myerscough College, Lancashire PR3 0RY, UK;1. Department of Systems Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic;2. Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Kaplanova 1931/1, 148 00 Prague 11-Chodov, Czech Republic;1. Monash Art Design and Architecture, Monash University, Sir John Monash Drive, Caulfield, Victoria 3161, Australia;2. School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia;1. The Program in Planning and Use of Renewable Resource, Federal University of São Carlos, Sorocaba Campus, João Leme dos Santos Road (SP-264), km 110, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil;2. Department of Ecology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, R. do Matão, 321, São Paulo, SP, Brazil;3. Department of Environmental Science, Federal University of São Carlos, Sorocaba Campus, João Leme dos Santos Road (SP-264), km 110, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil;1. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;2. Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;3. Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;4. Planning Department, Union County, Monroe, NC, USA;5. North Carolina State Extension, USA;1. Ironwood Urban Forestry Consulting Inc., 570 Wardlaw Ave., Winnipeg R3L 0M2, Manitoba, Canada;2. School for Resource and Environmental Studies, 6100 University Ave, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| Abstract: | The level of tree species diversity in urban tree populations can have serious implications for urban forest resilience and has a direct impact on ecosystem functioning at the local level. Few studies have measured the relationship between tree species diversity and vulnerability in UK urban forests. This study analysed the species composition, species diversity and the vulnerability to pests and diseases of 10,149 public trees in the London borough of Westminster across three land use types: housing, parks, and highways. Tree species diversity was significantly different across these land use types (Shannon’s diversity index (H) was 2.47 for housing sites, 1.63 for parks and 0.83 for highways) and we found that higher diversity appears to result in reduced vulnerability, evidenced by negative correlations between tree species diversity and susceptibility to pests and diseases. A stronger negative correlation was found between vulnerability and species richness than between vulnerability and Gini-Simpson’s diversity index. Our study reinforces the role of biodiversity indices in establishing and monitoring baseline levels of UK urban tree diversity. Our findings may inform future tree planting projects, help to ensure that development does not negatively affect urban tree diversity and inform proactive strategies for urban trees to contribute to wider biodiversity conservation. |
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| Keywords: | Biodiversity Biodiversity indices Biosecurity Tree species selection Urban forestry |
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