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

Authors

William D. Pearse, University of Minnesota; McGill University; Université du Québec à Montréal; Utah State University
Jeannine Cavender-Bares, University of Minnesota
Sarah E. Hobbie, University of Minnesota
Meghan L. Avolio, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center; John Hopkins University
Neil Bettez, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Indiana University
Lindsay E. Darling, The Morton Arboretum
Peter M. Groffman, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; City University of New York
J. Morgan Grove, Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Sharon J. Hall, Arizona State University
James B. Heffernan, Duke University
Jennifer Learned, Arizona State University; University of Hawaii
Christopher Neill, The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory; Woods Hole Research Center
Kristen C. Nelson, University of Minnesota
Diane E. Pataki, 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

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 compositionand 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.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Comments

Originally published in Ecosphere.

Recommended Citation

Pearse, William D.; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Avolio, Meghan L.; Bettez, Neil; Chowdhury, Rinku Roy; 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). FCE LTER Journal Articles. 500.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/fce_lter_journal_articles/500