Plant Biodiversity in Urbanized Areas - Couverture souple

Knapp, Sonja

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 3834809233 ISBN 13 : 9783834809230

Editeur : Vieweg and Teubner, 2010

Synopsis

Urbanization is one of the main drivers of global change. It often takes place in areas with high biodiversity, threatening species worldwide. To protect biodiversity not only outside but also right within urban areas, knowledge about the effects of urban land use on species assemblages is essential. Sonja Knapp compares several aspects of plant biodiversity between urban and rural areas in Germany. Using extensive databases and modern statistical methods, she goes beyond species richness: Urban areas are rich in species but plant species in urban areas are closer related to each other than plant species in rural areas, respectively. The urban environment, characterized by high temperatures and frequent disturbances, changes the functional composition of the flora. It promotes e.g. short-lived species with leaves adapted to drought but threatens insect-pollinated or wind-dispersed species. The author claims that the protection of biodiversity should not only focus on species richness but also on functional and phylogenetic diversity, also right within urban areas, to preserve a flora with a high potential for adaptation to changing global conditions.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Dr. Sonja Knapp completed her doctoral thesis at the Department of Community Ecology at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Halle and at the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Diversity at Frankfurt University, Germany.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Vieweg and Teubner
• Date d'édition: 2010
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 3834809233
• ISBN 13: 9783834809230
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 180
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH; ProductSafety@springernature.com; ; Europaplatz 3; Heidelberg; 69115; Allemagne