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Dog walking is a highly popular leisure activity in cities around the globe. It is also a controversial issue for urban conservation and green space management due to presumed ecological impacts of dogs. Yet regulations allowing or prohibiting the presence of dogs in areas of conservation concern are rarely based on demonstrated effects of dogs on urban nature. To unravel the relationships between the presence of dogs at a site and soil features and plant and animal diversity, we selected dry grassland as our study system since this type of ecosystem is of conservation concern in many cities and is frequently used for dog walking. We combined data on the number and movement patterns of dogs and their owners in 52 dry grassland patches in Berlin, Germany, to create a novel index of dog presence and activity. We then analysed the relationship between the index and soil features, species richness of plants and seven invertebrate taxa, and abundances of sand lizards, a species of particular conservation interest. Generalised linear models revealed significant relationships between the dog index and one soil parameter and some biodiversity measures. The dog index was positively related to phosphorus and non-native plant richness but negatively to spider diversity. While dogs may facilitate biological invasions, likely through a combination of eutrophication and disturbance, overall relationships with general species richness or richness of endangered plant or animal species were weak. These results indicate opportunities for reconciling urban nature conservation with moderate dog walking in urban grassland areas. Still, urban policies should consider remaining dog-related risks in other ecosystem types - a promising direction for further urban research.
S. Buchholz; B. Seitz; A. Hiller; M. von der Lippe; I. Kowarik. Impacts of dogs on urban grassland ecosystems. Landscape and Urban Planning 2021, 215, 104201 .
AMA StyleS. Buchholz, B. Seitz, A. Hiller, M. von der Lippe, I. Kowarik. Impacts of dogs on urban grassland ecosystems. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2021; 215 ():104201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Buchholz; B. Seitz; A. Hiller; M. von der Lippe; I. Kowarik. 2021. "Impacts of dogs on urban grassland ecosystems." Landscape and Urban Planning 215, no. : 104201.
Cities are home to both a majority of the world’s human population, and to a diversity of wildlife. Urban wildlife conservation research and policy has importantly furthered ecological understanding and species protection in cities, while also leveraging wildlife conservation to connect people to urban nature. Thus, urban wildlife conservation intersects conservation research, conservation policy, and the general public in cities worldwide. Yet, species that are often framed as “urban wildlife” are often of higher trophic levels, including birds and mammals that serve as “flagship” species for public support. Other forms of urban life including plants and invertebrates are often largely ignored, producing a normative urban wildlife concept that may bias urban wildlife conservation research and policy, and sentiment in the general public. To develop new strategies in urban wildlife conservation for the urban era, we need to move towards a more inclusive and holistic framing of urban wildlife for both research and the public. In this article, we discuss the normative framing of urban wildlife and how this framing may bias urban conservation efforts, and argue for a holistic approach to urban wildlife inclusive of all life forms for future research, publicity and policy interventions.
Monika Egerer; Sascha Buchholz. Reframing urban “wildlife” to promote inclusive conservation science and practice. Biodiversity and Conservation 2021, 30, 2255 -2266.
AMA StyleMonika Egerer, Sascha Buchholz. Reframing urban “wildlife” to promote inclusive conservation science and practice. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2021; 30 (7):2255-2266.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMonika Egerer; Sascha Buchholz. 2021. "Reframing urban “wildlife” to promote inclusive conservation science and practice." Biodiversity and Conservation 30, no. 7: 2255-2266.
The increase in artificial light at night (ALAN) is widely considered as a major driver for the worldwide decline of nocturnal pollinators such as moths. However, the relationship between light and trees as ‘islands of shade’ within urban areas has not yet been fully understood. Here, we studied (1) the effects of three landscape variables, i.e. sources of ALAN (mercury vapour/LED street lamps; overall light pollution), impervious surfaces (e.g. roads, parking lots and buildings), and tree cover on species richness and abundance of two major macro-moth families (Noctuidae and Geometridae) and (2) the potential mitigating effect of trees on macro-moths attracted to ALAN. We undertook a landscape-scale study on 22 open green areas along an urban-rural gradient within Berlin, Germany, using light traps to collect moths. Macro-moths were identified to species level and GLMMs applied with the three landscape variables at different scales (100 m, 500 m and 1000 m). We found a significant negative effect of mercury vapour street lamps on macro-moth species richness, while impervious surfaces showed significant negative effects on abundance (total and Geometridae). We further found significant positive effects of tree cover density on species richness and abundance (total and Geometridae). Effects of tree cover, however, were mostly driven by one site. LED lamps showed no predictive effects. A negative effect of ALAN (MV lamps and overall light) on macro-moths was most prominent in areas with low tree coverage, indicating a mitigating effect of trees on ALAN. We conclude that mercury vapour street lamps should be replaced by ecologically more neutral ALAN, and that in lit and open areas trees could be planted to mitigate the negative effect of ALAN on nocturnal pollinators. In addition, sources of ALAN should be carefully managed, using movement detection technology and other means to ensure that light is only produced when necessary.
Tanja M. Straka; Moritz von der Lippe; Christian C. Voigt; Matthew Gandy; Ingo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz. Light pollution impairs urban nocturnal pollinators but less so in areas with high tree cover. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 778, 146244 .
AMA StyleTanja M. Straka, Moritz von der Lippe, Christian C. Voigt, Matthew Gandy, Ingo Kowarik, Sascha Buchholz. Light pollution impairs urban nocturnal pollinators but less so in areas with high tree cover. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 778 ():146244.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTanja M. Straka; Moritz von der Lippe; Christian C. Voigt; Matthew Gandy; Ingo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz. 2021. "Light pollution impairs urban nocturnal pollinators but less so in areas with high tree cover." Science of The Total Environment 778, no. : 146244.
Near-natural or semi-natural forests such as relatively undisturbed and old deciduous or mixed woodland are considered worth protecting and ecologically valuable habitats for bat conservation. In contrast, mono-specific forest plantations are considered ecologically less valuable; thus, decision-makers recommend these plantations as suitable locations for wind power stations and therefore want to further expand wind turbines in these habitats. This is expected to have a strong negative impact on the landscape because forests would be cleared for wind turbine pads and access roads and wind turbines rise above the trees with adverse impacts for bats. Therefore, we argue that, in light of bat conservation, the suitability of forest plantations for wind energy development is not, per se, warranted and that implications of wind power stations, even in mono-specific forest plantations, should be assessed and evaluated. We conducted long-term bat activity monitoring and recorded bat echolocation calls above the canopies of different forest sites (coniferous monoculture plantations and semi-natural mixed deciduous forests) in Germany and compared different forest types in terms of species richness, total bat activity, activity of the three bat species groups and species composition. Generalised linear models revealed that forest type and the amount of forest biotopes did not enhance bat activity. Ordination showed that species composition was not affected by forest type, location and connectivity. Mono-specific forest plantations can harbour a diverse bat fauna with high species activity and are, therefore, valuable bat habitats just as near-natural or semi-natural woodlands are. Environmental impact assessment and mitigation measures are vital in all forest types before and after planning for wind energy turbines. In particular, future planning and approval processes must consider the importance of mono-specific forest plantations for bat species protection.
Sascha Buchholz; Volker Kelm; Simon J. Ghanem. Mono-specific forest plantations are valuable bat habitats: implications for wind energy development. European Journal of Wildlife Research 2020, 67, 1 -12.
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Volker Kelm, Simon J. Ghanem. Mono-specific forest plantations are valuable bat habitats: implications for wind energy development. European Journal of Wildlife Research. 2020; 67 (1):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Volker Kelm; Simon J. Ghanem. 2020. "Mono-specific forest plantations are valuable bat habitats: implications for wind energy development." European Journal of Wildlife Research 67, no. 1: 1-12.
Near-natural rivers and riparian ecosystems can represent biodiversity hotspots harbouring many highly specialised, rare and endangered species. During the past centuries, these habitats have been heavily degraded by anthropogenic use, and therefore river restoration is one of the most striking fields of action that is legally defined by the European Union Water Framework Directive. Successful restoration depends on realistic and specified targets that should be defined beforehand and founded on status quo surveys. We present a comparison of carabid beetle communities in riparian habitats of natural and managed river sites of the Mulde River in the Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe. This endeavour is part of a unique multi-level revitalisation project. Pitfall trapping in 2016 and 2017 yielded 111 carabid species with many species of conservation concern in natural and managed habitats. However, Simpson diversity and functional diversity were lower in the latter. Both habitats harboured specific species assemblages with characteristic indicator species. Additionally, the trap location on slip-off slopes or cut banks was a significant driver of species composition. Our results indicate high ecological development potentials for the Mulde River, but restoration should consider differences between slip-off slopes and cut-off banks. We postulate that future restoration will foster population increases as well as a wider distribution of rare and endangered riparian habitat specialists.
Claudia Sprößig; Sascha Buchholz; Frank Dziock. Defining the baseline for river restoration: comparing carabid beetle diversity of natural and human-impacted riparian habitats. Journal of Insect Conservation 2020, 24, 1 -16.
AMA StyleClaudia Sprößig, Sascha Buchholz, Frank Dziock. Defining the baseline for river restoration: comparing carabid beetle diversity of natural and human-impacted riparian habitats. Journal of Insect Conservation. 2020; 24 (5):1-16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClaudia Sprößig; Sascha Buchholz; Frank Dziock. 2020. "Defining the baseline for river restoration: comparing carabid beetle diversity of natural and human-impacted riparian habitats." Journal of Insect Conservation 24, no. 5: 1-16.
Anthropogenic changes in climate, land use and disturbance regimes, as well as introductions of non‐native species can lead to the transformation of many ecosystems. The resulting novel ecosystems are usually characterized by species assemblages that have not occurred previously in a given area. Quantifying the ecological novelty of communities (i.e., biotic novelty) would enhance the understanding of environmental change. However, quantification remains challenging since current novelty metrics, such as the number and/or proportion of non‐native species in a community, fall short of considering both functional and evolutionary aspects of biotic novelty. Here, we propose the Biotic Novelty Index (BNI), an intuitive and flexible multidimensional measure that combines (1) functional differences between native and non‐native introduced species with (2) temporal dynamics of species introductions. We show that the BNI is an additive partition of Rao’s quadratic entropy, capturing the novel interaction component of the community’s functional diversity. Simulations show that the index varies predictably with the relative amount of functional novelty added by recently arrived species, and they illustrate the need to provide an additional standardized version of the index. We present a detailed R code and two applications of the BNI by (1) measuring changes of biotic novelty of dry grassland plant communities along an urbanization gradient in a metropolitan region and (2) determining the biotic novelty of plant species assemblages at a national scale. The results illustrate the applicability of the index across scales and its flexibility in the use of data of different quality. Both case studies revealed strong connections between biotic novelty and increasing urbanization, a measure of abiotic novelty. We conclude that the BNI framework may help building a basis for better understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of global change.
Conrad Schittko; Maud Bernard‐Verdier; Tina Heger; Sascha Buchholz; Ingo Kowarik; Moritz Von Der Lippe; Birgit Seitz; Jasmin Joshi; Jonathan M. Jeschke. A multidimensional framework for measuring biotic novelty: How novel is a community? Global Change Biology 2020, 26, 4401 -4417.
AMA StyleConrad Schittko, Maud Bernard‐Verdier, Tina Heger, Sascha Buchholz, Ingo Kowarik, Moritz Von Der Lippe, Birgit Seitz, Jasmin Joshi, Jonathan M. Jeschke. A multidimensional framework for measuring biotic novelty: How novel is a community? Global Change Biology. 2020; 26 (8):4401-4417.
Chicago/Turabian StyleConrad Schittko; Maud Bernard‐Verdier; Tina Heger; Sascha Buchholz; Ingo Kowarik; Moritz Von Der Lippe; Birgit Seitz; Jasmin Joshi; Jonathan M. Jeschke. 2020. "A multidimensional framework for measuring biotic novelty: How novel is a community?" Global Change Biology 26, no. 8: 4401-4417.
Nocturnal arthropods form the prey base for many predators and are an integral part of complex food webs. However, there is limited understanding of the mechanisms influencing invertebrates at urban water bodies and the potential flow-on effects to their predators. This study aims to: (i) understand the importance of standing water bodies for nocturnal flying insect orders, including the landscape- and local-scale factors driving these patterns; and (ii) quantify the relationship between insects and insectivorous bats. We investigated nocturnal flying insects and insectivorous bats simultaneously at water bodies (n = 58) and non-water body sites (n = 35) using light traps and acoustic recorders in Melbourne, Australia. At the landscape scale, we found that the presence of water and high levels of surrounding greenness were important predictors for some insect orders. At the water body scale, low levels of sediment pollutants, increased riparian tree cover and water body size supported higher insect order richness and a greater abundance of Coleopterans and Trichopterans, respectively. Most bat species had a positive response to a high abundance of Lepidopterans, confirming the importance of this order in the diet of insectivorous bats. Fostering communities of nocturnal insects in urban environments can provide opportunities for enhancing the prey base of urban nocturnal insectivores.
Tanja M. Straka; Pia E. Lentini; Linda F. Lumsden; Sascha Buchholz; Brendan A. Wintle; Rodney Van Der Ree. Clean and Green Urban Water Bodies Benefit Nocturnal Flying Insects and Their Predators, Insectivorous Bats. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2634 .
AMA StyleTanja M. Straka, Pia E. Lentini, Linda F. Lumsden, Sascha Buchholz, Brendan A. Wintle, Rodney Van Der Ree. Clean and Green Urban Water Bodies Benefit Nocturnal Flying Insects and Their Predators, Insectivorous Bats. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):2634.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTanja M. Straka; Pia E. Lentini; Linda F. Lumsden; Sascha Buchholz; Brendan A. Wintle; Rodney Van Der Ree. 2020. "Clean and Green Urban Water Bodies Benefit Nocturnal Flying Insects and Their Predators, Insectivorous Bats." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2634.
Urban biodiversity conservation requires an understanding of how urbanization modulates biodiversity patterns and the associated ecosystem services. While important advances have been made in the conceptual development of urban biodiversity research over the last decades, challenges remain in understanding the interactions between different groups of taxa and the spatiotemporal complexity of urbanization processes. The CityScapeLab Berlin is a novel experimental research platform that allows the testing of theories on how urbanization affects biodiversity patterns and biotic interactions in general and the responses of species of conservation interest in particular. We chose dry grassland patches as the backbone of the research platform because dry grasslands are common in many urban regions, extend over a wide urbanization gradient, and usually harbor diverse and self-assembled communities. Focusing on a standardized type of model ecosystem allowed the urbanization effects on biodiversity to be unraveled from effects that would otherwise be masked by habitat- and land-use effects. The CityScapeLab combines different types of spatiotemporal data on (i) various groups of taxa from different trophic levels, (ii) environmental parameters on different spatial scales, and (iii) on land-use history. This allows for the unraveling of the effects of current and historical urban conditions on urban biodiversity patterns and the related ecological functions.
Moritz Von Der Lippe; Sascha Buchholz; Anne Hiller; Birgit Seitz; Ingo Kowarik. CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2565 .
AMA StyleMoritz Von Der Lippe, Sascha Buchholz, Anne Hiller, Birgit Seitz, Ingo Kowarik. CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (6):2565.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMoritz Von Der Lippe; Sascha Buchholz; Anne Hiller; Birgit Seitz; Ingo Kowarik. 2020. "CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity." Sustainability 12, no. 6: 2565.
The Galapagos archipelago is an ideal location for studying species differentiation on oceanic islands due to its isolation and geological youth. Spiders, as early colonisers, are good model organisms to understand these processes. The aim of this study is to update the list of spiders found in Galapagos and investigate the current distribution patterns of these species in relation to their probable origin. The updated checklist now comprises 159 species, with half of these species being endemic to Galapagos, 24% cosmopolitan in distribution, and 26% of the species originating from continental America. Although in most cases it was difficult to determine the mode of arrival of these species, at least 16 species are likely to have been introduced accidentally by humans. High elevation islands inhabited by humans harbour the highest number of species and also a higher percentage of cosmopolitan species. The geographical range of most species is small, with 76% of the species occurring on fewer than five islands. Given that many endemic species are restricted to one or a few islands, we recommend additional studies to evaluate their distribution and determine if there are species that should be classified as at risk from extinction.
Sascha Buchholz; Léon Baert; Jacqueline Rodríguez; Charlotte E Causton; Heinke Jäger. Spiders in Galapagos – diversity, biogeography and origin. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 2020, 130, 41 -48.
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Léon Baert, Jacqueline Rodríguez, Charlotte E Causton, Heinke Jäger. Spiders in Galapagos – diversity, biogeography and origin. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2020; 130 (1):41-48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Léon Baert; Jacqueline Rodríguez; Charlotte E Causton; Heinke Jäger. 2020. "Spiders in Galapagos – diversity, biogeography and origin." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 130, no. 1: 41-48.
While cities are known as important habitats for wild bees, a conceptual understanding of how assemblages of wild bee species are shaped by urban environments is limited. We applied a functional approach to test how taxonomic and functional diversity within wild bee communities of urban grasslands, and traits of bee species, related to local habitat features (e.g., management, species richness, flower coverage) and characteristics of the surrounding urban matrix (e.g., urbanisation, isolation). Surprisingly, urbanisation was not related to any diversity measure. Yet, taxonomic and functional diversity in bee communities, and proportion of endangered bee species, responded negatively to the isolation of grasslands within the urban matrix—but positively to flower coverage. Urbanisation, previous restoration efforts and site type filtered the functional composition of bee communities in terms of species traits related to diet and nesting. Results substantiate the role of urban habitats for functionally diverse bee communities, including Red-Listed species, and indicate pathways towards enhancing habitat functions of urban grasslands for wild bees by (i) improving the connectivity of urban grassland patches within the urban matrix, and (ii) more locally by adjusting management to maintain flower coverage in grasslands. These approaches can support efforts to develop pollinator-friendly greenspaces within the urban green infrastructure.
Sascha Buchholz; Anika K. Gathof; Anita J. Grossmann; Ingo Kowarik; Leonie K. Fischer. Wild bees in urban grasslands: Urbanisation, functional diversity and species traits. Landscape and Urban Planning 2019, 196, 103731 .
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Anika K. Gathof, Anita J. Grossmann, Ingo Kowarik, Leonie K. Fischer. Wild bees in urban grasslands: Urbanisation, functional diversity and species traits. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2019; 196 ():103731.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Anika K. Gathof; Anita J. Grossmann; Ingo Kowarik; Leonie K. Fischer. 2019. "Wild bees in urban grasslands: Urbanisation, functional diversity and species traits." Landscape and Urban Planning 196, no. : 103731.
Many cities aim to increase urban forest cover to benefit residents through the provision of ecosystem services and to promote biodiversity. As a complement to traditional forest plantings, we address opportunities associated with “emerging urban forests” (i.e., spontaneously developing forests in cities) for urban biodiversity conservation. We quantified the area of successional forests and analyzed the species richness of native and alien plants and of invertebrates (carabid beetles, spiders) in emerging forests dominated by alien or native trees, including Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer platanoides, and Betula pendula. Emerging urban forests were revealed as shared habitats of native and alien species. Native species richness was not profoundly affected by the alien (co-)dominance of the canopy. Instead, native and alien plant species richnesses were positively related. Numbers of endangered plants and invertebrates did not differ between native- and alien-dominated forest patches. Patterns of tree regeneration indicate different successional trajectories for novel forest types. We conclude that these forests (i) provide habitats for native and alien species, including some endangered species, (ii) allow city dwellers to experience wild urban nature, and (iii) support arguments for adapting forests to dynamic urban environments. Integrating emerging urban forests into the urban green infrastructure is a promising pathway to sustainable cities and can complement traditional restoration or greening approaches.
Ingo Kowarik; Anne Hiller; Greg Planchuelo; Birgit Seitz; Moritz Von Der Lippe; Sascha Buchholz. Emerging Urban Forests: Opportunities for Promoting the Wild Side of the Urban Green Infrastructure. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6318 .
AMA StyleIngo Kowarik, Anne Hiller, Greg Planchuelo, Birgit Seitz, Moritz Von Der Lippe, Sascha Buchholz. Emerging Urban Forests: Opportunities for Promoting the Wild Side of the Urban Green Infrastructure. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (22):6318.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIngo Kowarik; Anne Hiller; Greg Planchuelo; Birgit Seitz; Moritz Von Der Lippe; Sascha Buchholz. 2019. "Emerging Urban Forests: Opportunities for Promoting the Wild Side of the Urban Green Infrastructure." Sustainability 11, no. 22: 6318.
In Städten entstanden und entstehen Sandtrockenrasen zumeist durch menschliche Nutzung, so zum Beispiel in der Folge von Stilllegungen nicht mehr benötigter Verkehrs- und Industrieflächen, durch temporäre Baumaßnahmen und der damit verbundenen Einrichtung von Lagerflächen oder letztendlich auch durch militärische Nutzung (Sukopp & Wittig 1998, Langner & Endlicher 2007). Diese anthropogen geschaffenen Lebensräume haben sich immer mehr zu einem Rückzugsraum für seltene, gefährdete und zum Teil hoch spezialisierte Pflanzen- und Tierarten entwickelt (Venn et al. 2013, Melliger & Rusterholz 2017), was im Ansatz auch für Berlin belegt werden konnte (u.a. Esser & Kielhorn 2005, Czaja et al. 2013, Buchholz & Czaja 2014, Kielhorn & Kielhorn 2014). Urbane Trockenrasen können somit einen wichtigen Beitrag für den Arten- und somit Biodiversitätsschutz leisten (Tewksbury et al. 2002, Kůrka et al. 2007, Kowarik 2011, Ives et al. 2016). Um diesen Beitrag quantifizieren und bewerten zu können, damit im weiteren Verlauf auch Szenarien für die Entwicklung von Artvorkommen entworfen werden können, bedarf es einer umfassenden Datengrundlage, die nur durch Status-quo-Erfassungen und regelmäßiges Monitoring zu gewährleisten ist. Diese Daten sind auch für die Fortschreibung von Roten Listen, die Beurteilung des derzeitigen Erhaltungszustandes – vor allem der Naturschutzgebiete – und zur Kontrolle von Managementmaßnahmen unerlässlich. Auch können erfolgreiche Pflege- und Entwicklungspläne nur auf der Basis einer aktuellen und umfassenden Datenbasis entworfen werden.
Maria Möller; Theo Blick; Sascha Buchholz. Spinnen der Trockenrasen in und um Berlin – Vielfalt, Verbreitung und Gefährdung. Arachnologische Mitteilungen: Arachnology Letters 2019, 58, 52 -61.
AMA StyleMaria Möller, Theo Blick, Sascha Buchholz. Spinnen der Trockenrasen in und um Berlin – Vielfalt, Verbreitung und Gefährdung. Arachnologische Mitteilungen: Arachnology Letters. 2019; 58 (1):52-61.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Möller; Theo Blick; Sascha Buchholz. 2019. "Spinnen der Trockenrasen in und um Berlin – Vielfalt, Verbreitung und Gefährdung." Arachnologische Mitteilungen: Arachnology Letters 58, no. 1: 52-61.
Pollination is a key ecological process, and invasive alien plant species have been shown to significantly affect plant-pollinator interactions. Yet, the role of the environmental context in modulating such processes is understudied. As urbanisation is a major component of global change, being associated with a range of stressors (e.g. heat, pollution, habitat isolation), we tested whether the attractiveness of a common invasive alien plant (Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust) vs. a common native plant (Cytisus scoparius, common broom) for pollinators changes with increasing urbanisation. We exposed blossoms of both species along an urbanisation gradient and quantified different types of pollinator interaction with the flowers. Both species attracted a broad range of pollinators, with significantly more visits for R. pseudoacacia, but without significant differences in numbers of insects that immediately accessed the flowers. However, compared to native Cytisus, more pollinators only hovered in front of flowers of invasive Robinia without visiting those subsequently. The decision rate to enter flowers of the invasive species decreased with increasing urbanisation. This suggests that while invasive Robinia still attracts many pollinators in urban settings attractiveness may decrease with increasing urban stressors. Results indicated future directions to deconstruct the role of different stressors in modulating plant-pollinator interactions, and they have implications for urban development since Robinia can be still considered as a “pollinator-friendly” tree for certain urban settings.
Sascha Buchholz; Ingo Kowarik. Urbanisation modulates plant-pollinator interactions in invasive vs. native plant species. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 1 -9.
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Ingo Kowarik. Urbanisation modulates plant-pollinator interactions in invasive vs. native plant species. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9 (1):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Ingo Kowarik. 2019. "Urbanisation modulates plant-pollinator interactions in invasive vs. native plant species." Scientific Reports 9, no. 1: 1-9.
Sascha Buchholz; Maria Möller. Assessing spider diversity in grasslands – does pitfall trap color matter? The Journal of Arachnology 2018, 46, 376 -379.
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Maria Möller. Assessing spider diversity in grasslands – does pitfall trap color matter? The Journal of Arachnology. 2018; 46 (2):376-379.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Maria Möller. 2018. "Assessing spider diversity in grasslands – does pitfall trap color matter?" The Journal of Arachnology 46, no. 2: 376-379.
Urbanisation is a growing global phenomenon having multiple ecological consequences. However, the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity remain ambiguous, and some evidence exists that cities provide valuable secondary habitats for many species, possibly mitigating regional biodiversity loss. Therefore, the value of urban sites for biodiversity depends on local habitat conditions and the configuration of the surrounding landscape. We aimed to disentangle the effects of local habitat parameters (management, plant diversity) and urban matrix variables (urbanisation, isolation) on carabid beetle and spider diversity and traits in informal urban green spaces in Berlin, Germany. Habitat management and isolation were the most important influences on carabid beetle and spider species and trait compositions. Spider communities of irregular managed sites contained 2.5 times more species of conservation concern than extensive (regular) managed sites. Moreover, irregular managed sites contained larger species (both for carabid beetles and spiders) and affected the hunting mode of spiders. Isolated sites tended to have lower spider species richness and number of spider species of conservation concern. Moreover, isolated sites were characterised by small, mobile and herbivorous carabid beetles. In contrast, urbanisation and local plant diversity had no effect on carabid beetles and spiders. We conclude that urban grasslands within residential areas – even if not targeted for conservation plans – can provide important habitats for conserving biodiversity, including species of conservation concern. Reducing the intensity of habitat management and increasing the connectivity of urban grassland sites can promote diverse arthropod communities and should therefore be considered in urban planning.
Sascha Buchholz; Karsten Hannig; Maria Möller; Jens Schirmel. Reducing management intensity and isolation as promising tools to enhance ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in urban grasslands. Urban Ecosystems 2018, 21, 1139 -1149.
AMA StyleSascha Buchholz, Karsten Hannig, Maria Möller, Jens Schirmel. Reducing management intensity and isolation as promising tools to enhance ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in urban grasslands. Urban Ecosystems. 2018; 21 (6):1139-1149.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSascha Buchholz; Karsten Hannig; Maria Möller; Jens Schirmel. 2018. "Reducing management intensity and isolation as promising tools to enhance ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in urban grasslands." Urban Ecosystems 21, no. 6: 1139-1149.
The relative importance of habitat area and connectivity for species richness is often unknown. Connectivity effects may be confounded with area effects or they may be of minor importance as posited by the habitat-amount hypothesis. We studied effects of habitat area and connectivity of linear landscape elements for plant species richness at plot level. We hypothesized that connectivity of linear landscape elements, assessed by resistance distance, has a positive effect on species richness beyond the effect of area and, further, that the relative importance of connectivity varies among groups of species with different habitat preferences and dispersal syndromes. We surveyed plant species richness in 50 plots (25 m2) located on open linear landscape elements (field margins, ditches) in eight study areas of 1 km2 in agricultural landscapes of Northwest Germany. We calculated the area of linear landscape elements and assessed their connectivity using resistance distance within circular buffers (500 m) around the plots. Effects of area and connectivity on species richness were modelled with generalised linear mixed models. Species richness did not increase with area. Resistance distance had significant negative effects on total richness and on the richness of typical species of grasslands and wetlands. Regarding dispersal syndromes, resistance distance had negative effects on the richness of species with short-distance, long-distance and aquatic dispersal. The significant effects of resistance distance indicated that species richness increased with connectivity of the network of linear landscape elements. Connectivity is more important for plant species richness in linear landscape elements than area. In particular, the richness of plant species that are dispersal limited and confined to semi-natural habitats benefits from connective networks of linear landscape elements in agricultural landscapes.
Jan Thiele; Simon Kellner; Sascha Buchholz; Jens Schirmel. Connectivity or area: what drives plant species richness in habitat corridors? Landscape Ecology 2018, 33, 173 -181.
AMA StyleJan Thiele, Simon Kellner, Sascha Buchholz, Jens Schirmel. Connectivity or area: what drives plant species richness in habitat corridors? Landscape Ecology. 2018; 33 (2):173-181.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJan Thiele; Simon Kellner; Sascha Buchholz; Jens Schirmel. 2018. "Connectivity or area: what drives plant species richness in habitat corridors?" Landscape Ecology 33, no. 2: 173-181.
Jan Thiele; Sascha Buchholz; Jens Schirmel. Using resistance distance from circuit theory to model dispersal through habitat corridors. Journal of Plant Ecology 2017, 11, 385 -393.
AMA StyleJan Thiele, Sascha Buchholz, Jens Schirmel. Using resistance distance from circuit theory to model dispersal through habitat corridors. Journal of Plant Ecology. 2017; 11 (3):385-393.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJan Thiele; Sascha Buchholz; Jens Schirmel. 2017. "Using resistance distance from circuit theory to model dispersal through habitat corridors." Journal of Plant Ecology 11, no. 3: 385-393.
Urban wastelands are considered to be valuable habitats for biodiversity conservation, but empirical evidence for several poorly investigated taxa such as grasshoppers is still pending – although urgently required for reasonable habitat management and urban planning. For the first time, we analysed grasshopper diversity of urban wastelands at different diversity levels, namely, alpha and functional diversity. In 2014, we selected 24 urban wastelands in the city of Berlin (Germany). We analysed the relationships between local and landscape factors and different measurements of diversity (species richness, Simpson diversity, functional dispersion, functional evenness and functional divergence). We sampled 21 species, which represented about 45% of the entire grasshopper fauna of Berlin and numerous species of conservation interest were present at the investigated sites. Grasshopper diversity was best explained by local factors, with herb cover having a positive effect on alpha and functional diversity. Human impact and accessibility increased the conservation value of urban wasteland sites. Late successional stages are very important for a high grasshopper diversity in general but early stages are mandatory to promote species of conservation concern. Urban wastelands can be turned into most promising transition zones for city-dwellers that fulfil the needs of conservationists and specialised species at the same time. To achieve this goal we recommend minimum requirements for successful habitat management.
Svea Eckert; Maria Möller; Sascha Buchholz. Grasshopper diversity of urban wastelands is primarily boosted by habitat factors. Insect Conservation and Diversity 2017, 10, 248 -257.
AMA StyleSvea Eckert, Maria Möller, Sascha Buchholz. Grasshopper diversity of urban wastelands is primarily boosted by habitat factors. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 2017; 10 (3):248-257.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSvea Eckert; Maria Möller; Sascha Buchholz. 2017. "Grasshopper diversity of urban wastelands is primarily boosted by habitat factors." Insect Conservation and Diversity 10, no. 3: 248-257.
In face of a dramatic decline of wild bee species in many rural landscapes, potential conservation functions of urban areas gain importance. Yet effects of urbanization on pollinators, and in particular on wild bees, remain ambiguous and not comprehensively understood. This is especially true for amenity grassland and extensively managed wastelands within large-scale residential housing areas. Using Berlin as a study region, we aimed to investigate (a) if these greenspaces are accepted by wild bee assemblages as foraging habitats; (b) how assemblage structure of bees and individual bee species are affected by different habitat (e.g., management, flower density) and urban matrix variables (e.g., isolation, urbanization); and (c) to what extent grassland restoration can promote bees in urban environments. In summer 2012, we collected 62 bee species belonging to more than 20% of the taxa known for Berlin. Urbanization significantly affected species composition of bees; 18 species were affiliated to different levels of urbanization. Most bee species were not affected by any of the environmental variables tested, and urbanization had a negative effect only for one bee species. Further, we determined that restoration of diverse grasslands positively affected bee species richnesss in urban environments. We conclude that differently structured and managed greenspaces in large-scale housing areas can provide additional foraging habitats and refuges for pollinators. This supports approaches towards a biodiversity friendly management within urban regions and may be of particular importance given that anthropogenic pressure is increasing in many rural landscapes.
Leonie K. Fischer; Julia Eichfeld; Ingo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz. Disentangling urban habitat and matrix effects on wild bee species. PeerJ 2016, 4, e2729 .
AMA StyleLeonie K. Fischer, Julia Eichfeld, Ingo Kowarik, Sascha Buchholz. Disentangling urban habitat and matrix effects on wild bee species. PeerJ. 2016; 4 ():e2729.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLeonie K. Fischer; Julia Eichfeld; Ingo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz. 2016. "Disentangling urban habitat and matrix effects on wild bee species." PeerJ 4, no. : e2729.
Ingo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz; Moritz von der Lippe; Birgit Seitz. Biodiversity functions of urban cemeteries: Evidence from one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2016, 19, 68 -78.
AMA StyleIngo Kowarik, Sascha Buchholz, Moritz von der Lippe, Birgit Seitz. Biodiversity functions of urban cemeteries: Evidence from one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2016; 19 ():68-78.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIngo Kowarik; Sascha Buchholz; Moritz von der Lippe; Birgit Seitz. 2016. "Biodiversity functions of urban cemeteries: Evidence from one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 19, no. : 68-78.