Urban green infrastructures: an assessment of urban bird diversity, abundance and behaviour associated with green walls and street trees in Manchester and Salford, UK.

Morton, Lauren

Abstract

Urbanisation is a worldwide process with serious wellbeing impacts on people and wildlife. Reconciliation ecology, a novel approach to conservation, is particularly relevant for urban conservation as new habitats can be established and maintained. Street trees and green walls are examples of interventions aiming to improve urban areas for people and wildlife, but questions remain over their design, placement and benefits. Using direct observational surveying, data were collected on bird species richness and abundance at sixteen sites across the cities of Manchester and Salford, UK, and, along with bird behaviours, at eight green walls and adjacent street trees. There was a strong negative relationship between bird species richness and abundance and noise level, along with a moderate correlation with distance to green spaces and no correlation with the area of sites. More bird activity and behaviours were observed on the street trees than on green walls. Height and area of the green wall were found to be positively correlated with bird species richness, abundance and behaviour while plant diversity and ecological value did not appear to influence these factors. While there were some positive relationships between green walls and opportunities for birds to feed and rest, street trees were observed to be the most suitable of the two interventions for urban birds. Compared with data in the literature, it appears in this study it reported fewer birds and behaviours associated with the green walls. This suggests that the green walls in Manchester and Salford are examples of unproductive walls not meeting wildlife-friendly criteria. The design and installation of green walls needs to be remodelled to meet ecological goals focused on biodiversity and, thereby, contribute to the wellbeing of birds.

Citation

Morton, L. Urban green infrastructures: an assessment of urban bird diversity, abundance and behaviour associated with green walls and street trees in Manchester and Salford, UK. (Dissertation). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Dissertation
• Deposit Date: Apr 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 12, 2022
• Award Date: Mar 17, 2022