The book is designed to underscore the extent of the research that is happening worldwide. Now that researchers have embraced urban biodiversity as a science, "its vast richness" and the importance of urban biodiversity "for the ecological functioning of cities" as well and innate value of urban species biodiversity for citydwellers, has created more research activity in the field than ever before.
The first essay, a collaboration with the editors and researchers, displays a chart with a rise in the numbers of papers published today containing the words "urban," "animals" "plants" and "biodiversity" in the same piece. It remarks that because of this new spike in research activity, cities are able to derive exciting new data. As a result, these new and more detailed studies cause cities to implement action policies, ensuring that urban biodiversity research does connect to real life practice and change.
The next essay discusses urban soil questions and soil management with many illustrations. The illustrations help describe the natural diversity of soil conditions found in urban settings, and highlights a trend where cities often need better functioning biota.
Chapter six, titled Urban Biological Invasion: When Vertebrates Come to Town was a chapter I found particularly interesting. This essay examined the role of mice and rats historically, the problem of grey squirrel invasions in Europe, and looked at a number of other species invasion trends. The essay presented various concerns as well as offering quite a number of solutions, and in general contained a lot of information in a short piece that was well-composed.
Chapter eight addresses biodiversity and social values and preferences, something that is rarely considered. It seems the public often prefers certain species of urban wildlife over others, and the interconnectedness of species is easily forgotten. The essay discussed challenging these perceptions and preferences, guided by awareness campaigns and integrating social sciences. To address biases that lean in favour of some urban wildlife above others, campaigns are built to encourage conservation appreciation in the broader public.
Chapter nine carries on with the examination of human roles in more depth, addressing biodiversity and psychological well-being. The essay asks how to deliver ecosystem services to people. The essay links biodiversity and wellbeing, presents stress reduction theory and highlights the way that biodiversity evokes an automatic positive effect. In reading this chapter I felt as if they were somewhat using the word "biodiversity" where nature might have simply sufficed in the past. However, it was done well and the intentions were of the highest. The authors also described strategies for enhancing a sense cultural good in cities while ensuring higher wild species diversity longterm. To imprint upon the public imagination the concept that "nature" requires "biodiversity" and that enhanced environmental literacy is worthwhile is an on-going effort that seems to be garnering results. The author also cites studies in this chapter, talking about the restorative emotional effects of biodiversity. Inviting more research, they also highlight gaps in information around biodiversity and its impact on public wellbeing, a topic requiring further study.
The final chapter, Urban Green Spaces: An African Perspective, was especially insightful. The chapter claims there are two ideologies at play in some parts of Africa, one derived from South African studies and universities, and those that intuitively develop close to the immediate bioregion in question. For creating biodiversity-friendly cities, conservation and ecological services, attention is required. The essay emphasizes that active citizen engagement is key, as well as some public acknowledgement that urban ecological studies in Africa still show a clear bias towards South African cities. The essay argues that bias has led planmers to overlook different management practices that might be quite essential for the success of services in places with requirements distinct from the South African model. The authors propose urban green spaces be integrated into the urban green infrastructure in a way that is planned and co-managed by all stakeholders...where both people and nature win."
There were quite a few more excellent essays in this small book and I really enjoyed all of them. The research was well-conducted and extremely well referenced. These are essays by scientists all over the world devoted to taking quite a grassroots approach to urban biodiversity. Their inclusion of so much input from social justice concerns was very encouraging. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the health of the cities in which they live.
Ossola, A., & Niemelä, J. (2018). Urban Biodiversity: From research to practice. Routledge.
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