| Title: |
The Role of Urban Structures in the Distribution of Wasteland Flora in the Greater Paris Area, France
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| Resource Type: |
document --> technical publication --> journal article
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| Country: |
France
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| Year: |
2007 |
| Availability: |
Ecosystems 10 661-671
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| Author 1/Producer: |
Muratet A.
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| Author / Producer Type: |
University research group / research institute
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EUGRIS Keyword(s): |
Brownfields
Contaminated land-->Wider impacts / sustainability-->Environmental
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| Short description: |
Recently, French researchers tried to determine the role of urban structures in the distribution of wasteland flora in urban areas. Within the framework
of this study, they focused on 98 wastelands ranging from a few square meters to more than 18,000 m2 over a French department in the greater Paris
region. Researchers assessed three parameters quantifying the floristic importance of wastelands: the number of species, the frequency of
occurrence of species and the proportion of indigenous versus naturalised species.
The main results from this study are as follows:
*Urban wastelands host a substantial proportion of the floristic diversity of cities: nearly 60% of the total species recorded over the whole department
were found in the wastelands under study.
*Large wastelands and wastelands of intermediate ages contain the highest number of species. This is the result of the traditional evolution of floristic
diversity: after some years of colonisation and competition among species, a relatively small number of species remain settled.
*Wastelands witnessing the presence of water within a close radius have a higher chance of containing rarer species. Adversely, acting as a
biodiversity pool, urban wastelands could have a positive impact on the biodiversity of neighbouring areas according to the authors.
*Individual and collective dwellings around sites have a negative influence on the floristic significance of areas by reducing their overall quality: rare
species are less frequent in this type of wasteland.
*Unexpectedly, the environmental characteristics of the area, such as geomorphology and exposition, were not crucial factors in the floristic
importance of wastelands. Though these parameters are considered unavoidable by the authors, no evidence could be provided by the study: the
fragmentation of the landscape, and the introduction and covering of alien substances in wastelands could have hindered these parameters.
Overall, the authors suggest that the maintenance of wastelands is necessary considering their role in the spreading of species and the colonisation
of surrounding areas. Large and connected wastelands contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in urban areas. Therefore, this study provides new
insight in the dynamics of biodiversity in urban areas that could be taken into consideration when planning urban land use.
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Submitted By:
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Professor Paul Bardos WhoDoesWhat?
Last update: 09/11/2007
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