Birds and the city

Urban biodiversity, land use, and socioeconomics

authored by: Michael W. Strohbach, Dagmar Haase, Nadja Kabisch
Abstract: We examined bird diversity in relation to land use and socioeconomic indicators in Leipzig, Germany. We used neighborhood diversity (ND) and bivariate correlation to show that the potential to experience biodiversity in a city is associated with population density, household income, unemployment, and urban green space. People living in urban districts with high socioeconomic status experience the highest species richness around their homes, whereas lower social status increases the chance of living in species-poor neighborhoods. High-status districts are located along forests, parks, and rivers that have a high quantity and quality of green space. However, green space in general does not guarantee high bird diversity. We conclude that bird diversity mirrors land use and socioeconomic patterns within the compact European city of Leipzig. Therefore, urban planning should focus on decreasing these patterns and protecting the remaining species-rich green spaces.
External Organisation(s): Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Type: Article
Journal: Ecology and society
Volume: 14
ISSN: 1708-3087
Publication date: 12.2009
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Ecology
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03141-140231 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{c4a5f2e066a14d3aa9a6557cc85b1040,
title = "Birds and the city: Urban biodiversity, land use, and socioeconomics",
abstract = "We examined bird diversity in relation to land use and socioeconomic indicators in Leipzig, Germany. We used neighborhood diversity (ND) and bivariate correlation to show that the potential to experience biodiversity in a city is associated with population density, household income, unemployment, and urban green space. People living in urban districts with high socioeconomic status experience the highest species richness around their homes, whereas lower social status increases the chance of living in species-poor neighborhoods. High-status districts are located along forests, parks, and rivers that have a high quantity and quality of green space. However, green space in general does not guarantee high bird diversity. We conclude that bird diversity mirrors land use and socioeconomic patterns within the compact European city of Leipzig. Therefore, urban planning should focus on decreasing these patterns and protecting the remaining species-rich green spaces.",
keywords = "Biodiversity, Human-environment interaction, Neighborhood diversity, Urban ecology",
author = "Strohbach, {Michael W.} and Dagmar Haase and Nadja Kabisch",
year = "2009",
month = dec,
doi = "10.5751/ES-03141-140231",
language = "English",
volume = "14",
journal = "Ecology and society",
issn = "1708-3087",
publisher = "The Resilience Alliance",
number = "2",
}