Homogenization of plant diversity, composition, and structure in North American urban yards:

Authors

William D. Pearse, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Jeannine Cavender-Bares, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Sarah E. Hobbie, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Meghan L. Avolio, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
Neil Bettez, Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Clark UniversityFollow
Lindsay E. Darling, Morton Arboretum
Peter M. Groffman, Institute of Ecosystem Studies
J. Morgan Grove, Northern Research Station
Sharon J. Hall, School of Life Sciences
James B. Heffernan, Duke University
Jennifer Learned, School of Life Sciences
Christopher Neill, Ecosystems Center
Kristen C. Nelson, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Diane E. Pataki, The University of Utah
Benjamin L. Ruddell, Northern Arizona University
Meredith K. Steele, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Tara L.E. Trammell, University of Delaware

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Urban ecosystems are widely hypothesized to be more ecologically homogeneous than natural ecosystems. We argue that urban plant communities assemble from a complex mix of horticultural and regional species pools, and evaluate the homogenization hypothesis by comparing cultivated and spontaneously occurring urban vegetation to natural area vegetation across seven major U.S. cities. There was limited support for homogenization of urban diversity, as the cultivated and spontaneous yard flora had greater numbers of species than natural areas, and cultivated phylogenetic diversity was also greater. However, urban yards showed evidence of homogenization of composition and structure. Yards were compositionally more similar across regions than were natural areas, and tree density was less variable in yards than in comparable natural areas. This homogenization of biodiversity likely reflects similar horticultural source pools, homeowner preferences, and management practices across U.S. cities.

Publication Title

Ecosphere

Publication Date

2018

Volume

9

Issue

2

ISSN

2150-8925

DOI

10.1002/ecs2.2105

Keywords

aridity, ecosystem services, functional traits, phylogenetic diversity, plants, urban ecology

Repository Citation

Pearse, William D.; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Avolio, Meghan L.; Bettez, Neil; Roy Chowdhury, Rinku; Darling, Lindsay E.; Groffman, Peter M.; Grove, J. Morgan; Hall, Sharon J.; Heffernan, James B.; Learned, Jennifer; Neill, Christopher; Nelson, Kristen C.; Pataki, Diane E.; Ruddell, Benjamin L.; Steele, Meredith K.; and Trammell, Tara L.E., "Homogenization of plant diversity, composition, and structure in North American urban yards:" (2018). Geography. 583.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/583

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright Conditions

Must link to published article with DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2105