Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research

Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.

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[3]  D. Haase,et al.  Exploring local consequences of two land-use alternatives for the supply of urban ecosystem services in Stockholm year 2050 , 2016 .

[4]  Zoé A. Hamstead,et al.  Classification of the heterogeneous structure of urban landscapes (STURLA) as an indicator of landscape function applied to surface temperature in New York City , 2016 .

[5]  Thomas Elmqvist,et al.  Bridging the gap between ecosystem service assessments and land-use planning through Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) , 2016 .

[6]  Johannes Langemeyer,et al.  Ecosystem services provided by urban gardens in Barcelona, Spain: Insights for policy and planning , 2016 .

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[8]  Salman Qureshi,et al.  Advancing Urban Ecology toward a Science of Cities , 2016 .

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[11]  Rieke Hansen,et al.  A comparative exploration of uptake and potential application of ecosystem services in urban planning , 2015 .

[12]  N. Frantzeskaki,et al.  Mismatches between ecosystem services supply and demand in urban areas: A quantitative assessment in five European cities , 2015 .

[13]  Thomas Elmqvist,et al.  Benefits of restoring ecosystem services in urban areas , 2015 .

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[15]  D. Wurster,et al.  Does diversity matter? The experience of urban nature’s diversity: Case study and cultural concept , 2015 .

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[17]  N. Frantzeskaki,et al.  Resilience of and through urban ecosystem services , 2015 .

[18]  T. McPhearson,et al.  Scale and context dependence of ecosystem service providing units , 2015 .

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[20]  K. Rehdanz,et al.  Preferences for cultural urban ecosystem services: Comparing attitudes, perception, and use , 2015 .

[21]  T. McPhearson,et al.  Cultural ecosystem services as a gateway for improving urban sustainability , 2015 .

[22]  P. Roebeling,et al.  Contrasting values of cultural ecosystem services in urban areas: the case of park Montjuïc in Barcelona. , 2015 .

[23]  Dagmar Haase,et al.  Applying a novel urban structure classification to compare the relationships of urban structure and surface temperature in Berlin and New York City , 2014 .

[24]  Jakub Kronenberg.  Environmental Impacts of the Use of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Birdwatching , 2014, Environmental Management.

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[26]  D. Haase,et al.  Mapping the diversity of regulating ecosystem services in European cities , 2014 .

[27]  Nadja Kabisch,et al.  Structural Diversity: A Multi-dimensional Approach to Assess Recreational Services in Urban Parks , 2014, AMBIO.

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[29]  N. Frantzeskaki,et al.  Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes: Practical Applications and Governance Implications , 2014, AMBIO.

[30]  S. Pauleit,et al.  From Multifunctionality to Multiple Ecosystem Services? A Conceptual Framework for Multifunctionality in Green Infrastructure Planning for Urban Areas , 2014, AMBIO.

[31]  Zoé A. Hamstead,et al.  Urban Ecosystem Services for Resilience Planning and Management in New York City , 2014, AMBIO.

[32]  C. Folke,et al.  Reconnecting Cities to the Biosphere: Stewardship of Green Infrastructure and Urban Ecosystem Services , 2014, AMBIO.

[33]  Jakub Kronenberg,et al.  From Valuation to Governance: Using Choice Experiment to Value Street Trees , 2014, AMBIO.

[34]  M. Artmann,et al.  Development of a Concept for Non-monetary Assessment of Urban Ecosystem Services at the Site Level , 2014, AMBIO.

[35]  Martina Artmann,et al.  A Quantitative Review of Urban Ecosystem Service Assessments: Concepts, Models, and Implementation , 2014, AMBIO.

[36]  M. Obrist,et al.  Habitat connectivity shapes urban arthropod communities: the key role of green roofs. , 2014, Ecology.

[37]  Sonia Kéfi,et al.  FORUM: Sustaining ecosystem functions in a changing world: a call for an integrated approach , 2013 .

[38]  Carlos Montes,et al.  Scale Misfit in Ecosystem Service Governance as a Source of Environmental Conflict , 2013 .

[39]  E. Bennett,et al.  Capacity, pressure, demand, and flow: A conceptual framework for analyzing ecosystem service provision and delivery , 2013 .

[40]  Zoé A. Hamstead,et al.  Mapping ecosystem services in New York City: Applying a social–ecological approach in urban vacant land , 2013 .

[41]  D. Haase,et al.  Urban ecosystem services assessment along a rural-urban gradient: a cross-analysis of European cities. , 2013 .

[42]  S. Polasky,et al.  Getting the measure of ecosystem services: a social–ecological approach , 2013 .

[43]  Nadja Kabisch,et al.  Green spaces of European cities revisited for 1990–2006 , 2013 .

[44]  J. Colding,et al.  The potential of ‘Urban Green Commons’ in the resilience building of cities , 2013 .

[45]  E. Gómez‐Baggethun,et al.  Classifying and valuing ecosystem services for urban planning , 2013 .

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[48]  J. Biesmeijer,et al.  Realising multiple ecosystem services based on the response of three beneficial insect groups to floral traits and trait diversity. , 2012 .

[49]  K. Chan,et al.  Rethinking ecosystem services to better address and navigate cultural values , 2012 .

[50]  W. Zipperer,et al.  Coupling biogeochemical cycles in urban environments: ecosystem services, green solutions, and misconceptions , 2011 .

[51]  Tarja Söderman,et al.  Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: a Finland case study , 2010, Biodiversity and Conservation.

[52]  J. Niemelä,et al.  Carabid beetle assemblages along urban to rural gradients: a review. , 2009 .

[53]  Nick Hanley,et al.  Using Labels to Investigate Scope Effects in Stated Preference Methods , 2009 .

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[56]  E. Andersson,et al.  Measuring social-ecological dynamics behind the generation of ecosystem services. , 2007, Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America.

[57]  Thomas Elmqvist,et al.  Scale Mismatches in Management of Urban Landscapes , 2006 .

[58]  G. Cumming,et al.  Scale mismatches in social-ecological systems: Causes, consequences, and solutions , 2006 .

[59]  O. Gilbert,et al.  Urban Vegetation Research@@@Urban Ecology: Plants and Plant Communities in Urban Environments. , 1991 .

[60]  Annette Voigt.  Die Macht des Ökonomischen im Blick auf Natur und Landschaft , 2015 .

[61]  Salman Qureshi,et al.  Human–environment interactions in urban green spaces — A systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research , 2015 .

[62]  N. Kabisch.  Ecosystem service implementation and governance challenges in urban green space planning—The case of Berlin, Germany , 2015 .

[63]  Hans Keune,et al.  Ecosystem Services - Global Issues, Local Practices , 2014 .

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[65]  Annette Voigt.  Naturschutz nur für Leistungsträger? Überlegungen zu der Frage, inwiefern das Konzept der Ecosystem Services zum Schutz der Biodiversität beitragen kann , 2013 .

[66]  Hans Keune,et al.  Inclusive Ecosystem Services Valuation , 2013 .

[67]  M. Fragkias.  Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities: A Global Assessment , 2013 .

[68]  Annette Voigt,et al.  Landscapes as Ecosystems. What is lost when science gains the privilege of interpretation , 2012 .

[69]  P. T. McPhearson,et al.  Toward a Sustainable New York City: Greening through Urban Forest Restoration , 2011 .

[70]  Robert Costanza,et al.  Ecosystem Appropriation by Cities , 1996 .