Himmelbeet Community Garden, Berlin, Germany; Photo: Felix Noak — Himmelbeet Community Garden, Berlin; Photo: Felix Noak

UNDERSTANDING urban PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEMS

Because nature, biodiversity and agriculture in cities might just save the world

Urban green spaces are increasingly important for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, human wellbeing, fresh food access, and improving global sustainability. Understanding the way that urban ecosystems function is paramount to science and society. Our research tackles the ecological and social dimensions of urban “productive” ecosystems, with a focus on urban community gardens and public green spaces. We also are expanding our research to investigate sustainable urban drainage systems and orchards. Here we consider productivity in the sense of not only food production, but the diverse ecosystem services produced by urban ecosystems. Our goal is to deepen understanding, inform management, and promote multifunctional, climate-resilient landscapes.

We work across disciplinary boundaries to understand urban ecosystems

In the field, we document changes in management, biodiversity, and function

We use ecological field work to document how changes in biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem service provision relate to changes in ecosystem management and environmental factors.

In the LAB, we explore and test mechanisms driving pattern formation

We use greenhouse studies, experimental manipulations, and geographic information systems to further explore potential drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem service provision.

in society, We work closely with practitioners To do research with and for people

We use approaches such as citizen science to engage urban residents in ecological research, and to best develop strategies to optimize ecosystem management for both biodiversity conservation and people-centered benefits.

Our major projects

Biodiversity in urban ecosystems

**Functional ecology of urban arthropods.** A functional ecological understanding of urban insect communities is of growing importance especially in regard to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service maintenance and effective conservation programs. We work in the growing field of urban insect functional ecology. We conduct functional trait-based research on insects in urban ecosystems to ask which species traits relate to ecosystem services like pest control and pollination, and to evaluate trait–environment relationships.
**Current projects** use urban community gardens as a model system to study **wild pollinators** and **pollination services.** In many German cities, urban agriculture is increasingly popular and some cities have recently implemented pollinator conservation policy. We are asking: how does management, urbanization, and climate variability affect wild bee diversity, pollination function, and their relationships? This work involves a citizen science platform to measure pollination and to broaden participation of residents in urban ecology research.

read the paper ⟶

Human dimensions of urban agriculture
and urban ecosystems

It is important to study and understand people’s management decisions, perceptions and values — particularly in the human-centered environment of cities. We study how people manage urban agroecosystems, values around urban agriculture and urban green spaces, and the wellbeing benefits derived from urban agriculture and green spaces. All of these factors influence the ecology and sustainability of urban agroecosystems and of the ecosystem service provision of urban green spaces.
**Current projects** involve understanding how urban agriculture can be a combined public health strategy and nature-based solution, and how urban green spaces promote human health and wellbeing, particularly in the context of urban heat and the vegetation complexity of urban parks.

read a paper ⟶

Landscape & resource management

Urban productive ecosystems are important components of the green infrastructure of cities. We must understand how to manage them from both a landscape-scale perspective, and from a local habitat perspective.
**Current projects** ask how we can better understand and manage **socio-ecological connectivity across landscapes**. Work in spatial landscape ecology assesses landscape-scale structural and functional connectivity of urban ecosystems in relation to ecosystem services. We use gardens as model social-ecological systems to show how these systems promote landscape-scale ecosystem service flows through socio-ecological connectivity. We show that the nature of these flows (e.g., magnitude, direction) change with landscape biophysical and social heterogeneity - and this is very city-specific. This may have important implications for how people benefit from ecosystem services. The methods and findings we use aim to be harnessed by local stakeholders to make informed land use planning decisions to promote urban ecosystem services and build urban resilience at a landscape scale.

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Recent important work

Toxic plants in urban gardens

We report on the occurrence of poisonous plant species in 30 urban community gardens in Berlin and Munich and discuss potential concerns around poisonous plants in urban gardens. We conclude that poisonous plants should be managed to dually mitigate health risks while supporting biodiversity conservation.

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Tiny Forests as a transdisciplinary learning platform

Designing Tiny Forests provides benefits to students by having them approach authentic tasks in urban greening while experiencing the challenges and benefits of transdisciplinary communication and engagement with community members.

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Urban beekeeping: a modern Gordian Knot

Urban beekeeping is an increasingly popular activity with many social benefits. Yet honeybees present risks to wild pollinators, creating a complex problem for policy and researcher. We argue for scientifically evidenced urban pollinator strategies to enhance beekeeping’s benefits while protecting wild pollinators.

read the paper ⟶

Research support

this work is and has been supported by

Bundesamt für Naturschutz

BMBF

The German Research Foundation (DFG)

Deutsche Postcode Lotterie

Heidehof Stiftung GmbH

International Postdoc Initiative, TU Berlin

BBIB - Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research

US National Science Foundation

US National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub

Annie’s Homegrown

Blum Foundation, UC Santa Cruz

why this work matters

Cities must be biodiverse, productive, and sustainable under environmental and social change

Urban environments can and should support biodiversity, ecosystem services, human wellbeing and livelihoods. Understanding the ecology of urban ecosystems and how to manage them for nature and people is critical for the urban era.

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