How to help the city tree help shape biological diversity ｜ Green News

Cities are not synonymous with steel, cement and concrete. There are not only tall high -rise buildings in the city, but also a piece of city forest. The translator believes that in cities, reducing unnecessary excessive road hardening, properly planting trees and afforestation, which is essential for maintaining soil biological diversity and urban biological diversity. Recently, China Biological Diversity Protection and Green Development Foundation (referred to as the China Green Fair, Green Club) International Department learned from the international well -known journal "The Life World above our heads: how to help the living world Above Our Heads: How City Trees Help Shape Biodersity). The International Department of the Green Club now compiles this article for reference for interested readers.

(In the spring of 2022, the bird's -eye view of the Palace of Jingshan, taken by daisy)

(Spring in Paris, spring flowers bloom. Alain Jocard/AFP)

Trees and cities are no longer a competitor -at least no longer a complete competitor. In the past few years, we have witnessed the ambitious tree planting plan in the city, which proves the enthusiasm of urban residents for these plans.

However, there is a paradox: the city continues to expand, at the cost of sacrificing the natural area, destroying the habitat, removing the forest land, and making the road for impermented surface (such as concrete) to store and release heat.

Urban trees are usually regarded as "natural solutions" to help cities cool down. However, trees also play a lower -key role, which is equally important: they provide long -lasting support for the world of life.

For a long time, researchers have been measured based on the number of species in the given environment to measure biodiversity. They are now increasingly aware of the importance of another dimension: the degree of interaction between species.

In fact, due to the interaction with other species instead of its own interaction, species can adapt to environmental restrictions. This connection is formed by evolution. For example, recently discovered the ability of Urban White Clover to lose the ability to discharge chemicals to protect herbivores.

Although we are increasingly understanding the impact of urbanization on plants and their enemies, whether it is geography (Africa or South America is currently the current blind spot) or science (how our town shapes species interaction or local food chain), there is actually a major major on the major ones Study gap.

The ecosystem that is abundant and ignored

The trees in the city provide asylum for multiple creatures. Readers living in the city may think of those small bugs that suck plant juice. Aphids are dripping on the roof of the car or a bicycle parked under the lime tree; , Growing in a warm town, or Starling, looking for asylum between leaves at night. We can continue.

This creature is constantly interacting with trees. Looking up at a oak tree, you can see the traces of the herbivorous insects passed: the leaves are stabbed by the caterpillar, and the hungry aphids and heterodes are pierced.

Conversely, predators -especially birds -to prey for trees to prevent these insects from peeling trees.

Trees, herbivores, and insects and birds together constitute a powerful ecosystem. Their internal connection allows them to resist external interference such as bad weather.

Unknown interaction

Many studies have shown that urbanization has standardized biological diversity, and biological diversity between two cities in the same area is more similar than biodiversity between the given cities and the surrounding rural areas. This forms an interaction between organisms, and then forms a dynamic dynamics of biodiversity, and the so -called ecosystem services obtained by urban residents, such as cooler and cleaner air.

However, if you think that living in cities is equally distributed, it is wrong. If two towns in a region look more similar than a city center and their green space, trees density in different regions often turn cities into biological puzzles.

Researchers at the North Carolina State University have found that there are fewer resources provided to herbivores with less trees. This in turn reduces the number of them, so that the trees will not be destructive to appetite. On the other hand, researchers at the University of Queensland, the University of Australia, also showed that the protection of trees with complete development on urban streets can help maintain bird diversity.

The more trees, the more the insects attack them

As part of European participation in scientific projects, we have studied the heterogeneity of biological diversity of urban trees.

52 schools and 41 scientists collected oak leaves samples in 17 countries. Some people come from cities and others from rural areas. By checking the 18060 leaves sent by all project partners, we can study the impact of urbanization on insects related to PedunculaTe Oak (Quercus Robur) in most European distribution areas.

We observed the impact of the impact of the impervious surface (typical urbanization areas) and the density of trees on oakylite insects related to oak trees: oak surrounded by many trees was evenly attacked (indicates the number of herbivores and the number of herbivores and Diversity is greater), and oak trees growing in high urbanized areas have less attacks. These results are expected. Our discovery of how the trees density reduces the impact of urbanization. This is especially the case for insects that form worms on the leaves and LEAF MINER digging holes in the leaves. Pressure climate conditions provide asylum areas, and the number of submarine insects is slightly higher.

In short, our research shows that city trees not only bring us happiness, but also prove that they are valuable ally in the struggle of the global anti -ecosystem and life support system loss.

Given that we still have limited understanding of the complex interaction between trees and urban biological diversity, we should at least be alert to the Domino card effect of any action taken by the city trees. We will continue to work next year, and new schools will participate in the project.

Picture source: network. Image description: Examples formed by the leaf leaf. Bile provides asylum for herbivorous insect larvae.

For the original text:

https://theconVersation.com/the-living-WORLD- OUR- HOW-CITY-TREES-SHAPE-biodersity-182075

Organize: daisy

Review: lucy

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