Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Tree Diversity and Distribution in Urban Resettlement Areas for Displaced Farmers
Open Access
- 10 June 2021
- Vol. 12 (6), 766
- https://doi.org/10.3390/f12060766
Abstract
Resettlement residential areas (RRAs) are a unique product of China’s urbanisation process. Their greening environment is critical to the quality of life and liveable green neighbourhood of the displaced farmers. Our study aimed to (1) interpret the species composition of the landscape trees and their contributions to urban biodiversity in RRAs, and (2) elucidate the structural changes in the tree composition in the last 20 years. Twenty selected RRAs in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, were divided into three categories by completion year. We assessed tree species composition, floristic diversity, tree dimensions, importance value, RRA characteristics, and greening management. The sampled sites accommodated 741 stems and 52 species belonging to 25 families. The three most abundant species were Cinnamomum camphora, Osmanthus fragrans, and Magnolia grandiflora, constituting 45.75% of all trees. The importance values revealed a changing tree planting pattern over time, with persistent domination by a few species. The oldest sites did not harbour the largest trees due to long-term mismanagement and mistreatment by residents. Compared with other housing types and cities, the tree count, importance value, and diversity in RRAs were low. The species diversity was not correlated with RRA completion time, distance from the city centre, and RRA area. The trees were in poor shape with limited trunk diameter and tree height and suffered from frequent and drastic pruning. Residents with lingering farmer mentality commonly exploited the vegetation and green spaces indiscriminately as natural resources. The greenery management could be overhauled by increasing tree number, native species, species diversity, and tree-care quality and engaging residents in a collaborative and participatory mode for a joint maintenance endeavour. The findings offer a scientific basis to improve or design RRA green spaces.Keywords
Funding Information
- Jiangsu Forest Bureau (2130205)
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Relationship Between Trees and Human HealthAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2013
- Diversity and distribution of the urban tree population in ten major Nordic citiesUrban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2012
- Pests and diseases threatening urban trees under a changing climateForestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, 2010
- Public green space inequality in small towns in South AfricaHabitat International, 2010
- 光腔衰荡光谱技术研究AsH2自由基: <italic>Ã</italic><sup>2</sup><italic>A</italic><sub>1</sub>(000)−X<sup>~2</sup><italic>B</italic><sub>1</sub>(000)Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version), 2009
- Ecological trends of flora formation in rural residential areas of the Bashkir Transural regionRussian Journal of Ecology, 2007
- The definition of a new plant diversity index “H′dune” for assessing human damage on coastal dunes—Derived from the Shannon index of entropy H′Ecological Indicators, 2007
- Street and park trees of Boston: a comparison of urban forest structureLandscape and Urban Planning, 1994
- The measurement of diversity in different types of biological collectionsJournal of Theoretical Biology, 1966
- Measurement of DiversityNature, 1949