This review regards the pressures and threats linked with the human use of European urban and suburban forests. They can be divided into the following major categories: urban development, fragmentation, and isolation of forests; human pressures on soil and vegetation (e.g., changes in vegetation due to trampling, environmental and especially air pollution); human pressures on animals (e.g., wildlife losses due to collisions, frequent presence of dogs accompanying the visitors); and other threats and damages (e.g., littering and acts of vandalism). The directions of negative relations between people and forests shown in this review draw attention to the high complexity of the discussed issues. Awareness of this complexity (when planning and implementing forest management) can limit or counteract conflicts arising from the use of urban and suburban forests by people. This is of particular importance in the era of progressing urbanization and the evolution of human needs regarding the use of forests.

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/9/765/pdf

Pressures and Threats to Nature Related to Human Activities in European Urban and Suburban Forests

We investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of a breeding bird community in the urbanized landscape of Lublin city (150 km2, 0.5 million inhabitants, SE Poland). We conducted 211 separate territory mapping surveys during 26 years (1982–2007) in 24 green areas (0.2–30.1 ha in size), distributed along an urbanization gradient. We recorded a total of 16,151 territories of 65 species. According to the estimated species richness, we detected all the species present in the studied plots. The three species community indices (species richness, Shannon-Wiener index and abundance – number of breeding pairs in census plot) increased with increasing tree stand age and area of the site, while it decreased as the proportion of biologically inactive areas increased. The three indices showed significant negative trends as the study period progressed. The mean decreasing rate was 0.2 species and 2.3 territories per year. Distance to the city centre and understorey cover negatively affected bird abundance, while they positively affected species richness and the Shannon index. Tree stand age seems to be the most important of the three indices among the analyzed explanatory variables. Our results show that the diversity of breeding avifauna in an urbanized landscape can be significantly shaped by the proper management of vegetation and size of green areas in the city. The long term decline of the three diversity indices seems to be the most important outcome of our study and requires further research and monitoring.

Factors shaping a breeding bird community along an urbanization gradient: 26-year study in medium size city (Lublin, SE Poland)

The paper presents an analysis of changes in the House Sparrow Passer domesticus numbers in Polish cities and towns from the 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century based on published data. The long-term data from 294 study plots (50.6 km) illustrate changes in numbers of breeding House Sparrows, and allow to calculate mean densities for successive decades. Data collected in 34 Polish cities and towns, in two types of urban habitats – housing estates and parks (including cemeteries and squares) were used. The frequency of occurrence of the House Sparrow in housing estates has not changed over the years – it was recorded as a breeding species on 98–100% of plots in particular periods. In 1960–1979, 1980–1989 and 1990–1999, mean densities of House Sparrows in this habitat ranged from 57.3 to 84.2 pairs/10 ha. However, in the 2000s the density was much lower (18.5 pairs/10 ha). The frequency of occurrence in parks, a suboptimal habitat, decreased from 62–76% in 1960–1999 to 34% in the 2000s, and the mean densities from 5.5–9.1 pairs/10 ha to 1.4 pairs/10 ha, respectively. The results indicate that the sharper decline of the House Sparrows numbers in Polish cities/towns began on the turn of the 20th century and has been continuing until now, but some signals of a crisis in the House Sparrows population had been recorded before.

Changes in the House Sparrow Passer domesticus population in cities and towns of Poland in 1960-2010

Managing urban nature to produce public benefit and environmental quality through ecosystem services is a significant objective of urban nature managers. Ecosystem services provided by birds are highly valued and appreciated as birds provide pest control, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling as well as cultural ecosystem services. The aims of this chapter are to (1) provide a review of published experimental studies relating to the management of green areas and bird ecosystem services, (2) describe the findings of our own field experiments in suburban woodlands in southern Sweden, (3) investigate the status of management plans in Swedish cities and (4) discuss how our findings could be implemented in sustainable management planning of urban nature. The main results are:

(1)

Forest management interventions gave responses that were highly species dependent. Interventions with the object to create or improve bird habitat gave almost entirely positive effects on bird communities.




(2)

Clearance of bushes and small trees may have a negative impact on the biological control of forest arthropods. The study of bird abundance and understory management showed that clearance of understory can also have negative effects on bird densities if carried out as “complete” clearance (90 % removal of understory). A landscape characterised by high openness in the understory is often favoured by people but may not be an optimal habitat for birds.




(3)

The management of urban forests and parks can be improved by including informal green space in management plans, putting emphasis on availability of favourable habitats and resources and initiating monitoring programmes for city birds.




(4)

Urban woodlands would benefit from being managed with an adaptive approach, where management practices are constantly tested and evaluated.

Management of Urban Nature and Its Impact on Bird Ecosystem Services

This review regards the management and social problems in European urban and suburban forests linked to their maintenance and human use. They can be divided into major categories: forest management problems (e.g., the low priority of urban forestry, various or diffused urban forest management, lack of management plans or lack of sufficient funds); the social reception of forest works and forests (e.g., emotional reactions to total clear-cutting, negative evaluation of logging traces, negative evaluation of poor tourist infrastructure, specific expectations concerning a model forest: e.g., tall, of low density, mixed, old); and relations between forest users (problems related to e.g., crowding, fast-moving people, the presence of dogs, littering, thefts or noisy behaviour). Here, special attention is paid to problems and negative interactions, as they are challenges to forest management, as well as to the development of plans, strategies, and policies, both in relation to existent forests and those planned in various parts of Europe. Taking into account the feelings and expectations of forest users concerning forests, forest works/management, and infrastructure, as well as their attitude to other forest users, may reduce conflicts concerning various kinds of forest perception and use, and (with the support of societal education) may help to increase the sense of social responsibility for the “shared” forests. The presented findings are expected to be practical and useful for the management of urban and suburban forests, regardless of the location, as a type of checklist of possible problems, that may prove to be important and up-to-date in a particular location.

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/11/964/pdf

M. Martini

Papers

Avian responses to undergrowth removal in a suburban wood

Awifauna południowo-zachodniej części Wrocławia

Liczebność i rozmieszczenie sroki Pica pica w południowo-zachodniej części Wrocławia