Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture

Abstract Introduction The relentless urban expansion has led to the depletion of forests and agricultural lands. Yet, pinpointing viable zones for urban agriculture, particularly concerning pollinator presence, remains a formidable task for city planners. Materials and Methods Our study introduces a...

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Main Authors: Ehsan Rahimi, Chuleui Jung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-09-01
Series:Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12109
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author Ehsan Rahimi
Chuleui Jung
author_facet Ehsan Rahimi
Chuleui Jung
author_sort Ehsan Rahimi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction The relentless urban expansion has led to the depletion of forests and agricultural lands. Yet, pinpointing viable zones for urban agriculture, particularly concerning pollinator presence, remains a formidable task for city planners. Materials and Methods Our study introduces a novel methodology to identify optimal locations for cultivating pollinator‐dependent crops. Leveraging species distribution models (SDMs), we generated habitat suitability maps for 243 pollinating insects, including bees (41 species), butterflies (140 species), and hoverflies (62 species) across South Korea. Subsequently, employing Graphab 2.8 software, we categorised 10 major cities in South Korea based on the connectivity of green space patches. Clusters exhibiting greater green space coverage, size, and connectivity displayed higher modularity values. Utilising ArcGIS software's zonal function, we computed key statistical parameters—minimum, maximum, mean, and sum values—of the pollinator taxa maps within each cluster. Results Our analysis unveiled a robust positive correlation between cluster modularity and the cumulative distribution of pollinators. Regions with heightened modularity exhibited richer pollinator populations, suggesting their suitability for urban agriculture for pollinator‐dependent crops. Conclusion This study proposes that employing graph theory‐based clustering of urban green spaces can effectively delineate areas conducive to urban agriculture. This strategic identification of green space clusters with optimal pollinator abundance holds promise for urban agricultural planning and sustainability initiatives.
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spelling doaj-art-615ada483ea1430fb1d424f1b22b48532025-08-20T02:55:35ZengWileyJournal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment2767-035X2024-09-0133n/an/a10.1002/sae2.12109Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agricultureEhsan Rahimi0Chuleui Jung1Agricultural Science and Technology Institute Andong National University Andong South KoreaAgricultural Science and Technology Institute Andong National University Andong South KoreaAbstract Introduction The relentless urban expansion has led to the depletion of forests and agricultural lands. Yet, pinpointing viable zones for urban agriculture, particularly concerning pollinator presence, remains a formidable task for city planners. Materials and Methods Our study introduces a novel methodology to identify optimal locations for cultivating pollinator‐dependent crops. Leveraging species distribution models (SDMs), we generated habitat suitability maps for 243 pollinating insects, including bees (41 species), butterflies (140 species), and hoverflies (62 species) across South Korea. Subsequently, employing Graphab 2.8 software, we categorised 10 major cities in South Korea based on the connectivity of green space patches. Clusters exhibiting greater green space coverage, size, and connectivity displayed higher modularity values. Utilising ArcGIS software's zonal function, we computed key statistical parameters—minimum, maximum, mean, and sum values—of the pollinator taxa maps within each cluster. Results Our analysis unveiled a robust positive correlation between cluster modularity and the cumulative distribution of pollinators. Regions with heightened modularity exhibited richer pollinator populations, suggesting their suitability for urban agriculture for pollinator‐dependent crops. Conclusion This study proposes that employing graph theory‐based clustering of urban green spaces can effectively delineate areas conducive to urban agriculture. This strategic identification of green space clusters with optimal pollinator abundance holds promise for urban agricultural planning and sustainability initiatives.https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12109graph theorygreen spacepollinating insectsspecies distribution modelsurban agriculture
spellingShingle Ehsan Rahimi
Chuleui Jung
Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
graph theory
green space
pollinating insects
species distribution models
urban agriculture
title Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
title_full Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
title_fullStr Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
title_full_unstemmed Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
title_short Identifying pollinator‐friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
title_sort identifying pollinator friendly sites within urban green spaces for sustainable urban agriculture
topic graph theory
green space
pollinating insects
species distribution models
urban agriculture
url https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12109
work_keys_str_mv AT ehsanrahimi identifyingpollinatorfriendlysiteswithinurbangreenspacesforsustainableurbanagriculture
AT chuleuijung identifyingpollinatorfriendlysiteswithinurbangreenspacesforsustainableurbanagriculture