Bio-inspired design: leveraging nature for enhanced ecosystem services

The increasing challenges of urbanization and environmental degradation have led to a greater need for built environments that minimize ecological consequences while actively contributing to ecosystem services (ES). Bio-Inspired Design (BID) is a promising approach that translates natural-system ideas into architectural and urban solutions. This study investigates how BID can be used to deliver and improve ecosystem services, like climate regulation, air purification, and energy, in the built environment, focusing on applications in hot climates and at the meso scale. The study conducts a qualitative and integrative analysis of bio-inspired concepts derived from existing research and innovative practices. It examines specific ecosystem services—selected based on previous studies—and illustrates how these strategies can improve environmental performance in urban contexts. A conceptual framework for linking biological analogies to urban functions is proposed. The framework emphasizes the interdisciplinary relationships between architecture, urban design, material science, and environmental engineering. This provides a helpful guide for researchers and practitioners on how to use BID to enhance sustainability results. The study suggests that incorporating BID principles into urban design procedures can potentially transform built environments into active contributors to ecosystem functioning, enabling them to provide ES rather than merely consuming resources. While this conclusion is conceptual, the framework highlights pathways for more resilient and sustainable urban futures.

<p><strong>As urban environments expand and densify, their destructive habitat loss and degradation impacts will continue to worsen the interlinked issues of global biodiversity loss and climate change. While protecting pristine natural habitats remains essential to biodiversity conservation efforts and climate change mitigation, advancing the practices of reconciliation ecology is crucial to addressing habitat loss and degradation within cities. Increasing the amount of vegetated habitat and the essential ecosystem services it provides is crucial to stopping/reversing species loss and improving resilience to climate change impacts in urban environments. Though current reconciliation ecology and climate change adaptation practices are restricted by limited ground-level space, vegetated building envelopes could present an opportunity to utilise the abundance of building envelope surfaces in cities for quality vegetated habitat and the species it supports. This research seeks to address the gaps in knowledge related to the role vegetated building envelopes could play in providing quality, connected habitats for native species in cities while enhancing urban climate regulation. Because habitat provision (habitat quality, biodiversity, etc.) is rarely measured at the same time as climate regulation (cooling, rainfall management, etc.), the relationship between these two ecosystem services has not been well characterised or quantified at the building or urban scale for vegetated building envelopes. The overall goal of this research is to identify and optimise the co-benefits between habitat provision and climate regulation for vegetated building envelopes at both building and urban scales. The overarching question for this research is: how can vegetated building envelopes optimise the co-beneficial relationship between habitat provision and climate regulation outcomes and contribute to reconciliation ecology and climate change adaptation practices in urban environments? Site and species specificity are important for research related to biodiversity and ecosystem services; therefore, central Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, was selected as a case study for this thesis. Four endemic birds in the study area were selected as the focal species due to their ecological importance. Interviews with local ecological experts were first conducted to refine the methodological approach and gain insights into the behaviours of and threats to the study species. With the aim of improving the quality and diversity of living wall habitats for native species while enhancing their cooling and rainfall management effects, this thesis used an experimental living wall setup, with supplemental simulation research, to measure a number of habitat provision and climate regulation indicators. With the aim of enhancing urban habitat connectivity for native species and flood mitigation using vegetated building envelopes in the areas where they are most needed, GIS-based spatial analyses were used to assess habitat connectivity and flood mitigation in the study area based on current and proposed green infrastructure networks. An evidence-based design approach was used to identify co-benefits between vegetated building envelope design strategies for habitat provision and climate regulation at both the building and urban scales.</strong></p><p>This thesis contributes to advancing reconciliation ecology practices at the building scale by identifying design strategies that optimise the co-beneficial relationship between habitat provision and climate regulation services for living walls: (a) plant communities with high leaf coverage and above-ground biomass; (b) deep, mixed-media substrates; and (c) irrigation regimes that facilitate high transpiration rates. Though they do not contribute to co-benefits between habitat provision and climate regulation, several other important features were identified to optimise habitat provision (fauna features and pest control) and climate regulation (extra insulation, air gap, vapour barrier, and gutters and cisterns). At the urban scale, key sites for implementing vegetated building envelope networks to enhance habitat connectivity and flood mitigation were found to share the common characteristics of being primary transportation arteries located near the outlet of watersheds and lined by mixed-use/commercial buildings. A more holistic approach to designing vegetated building envelopes that considers multiple target species and ecosystem service co-benefits could enhance their performance and uptake in urban environments, helping cities transition into more biodiverse and climate-resilient places. Advancing the practices of reconciliation ecology will be crucial to stopping/reversing the destructive relationship between urban environments and the interlinked issues of biodiversity loss and climate change.</p>

Green roofs are constructed ecosystems that can provide four main types of ecosystem services (regulating, provisioning, cultural, and supporting services). However, most green roof studies have focused on the regulating services and each ecosystem service type was usually evaluated separately. Moreover, there is a lack of assessment tool that can provide comparable outputs of total and different ecosystem services on green roofs, resulting in the difficulty to improve ecosystem service provision by green roofs. Therefore, this research aimed to (i) assess four main categories of ecosystem services provided by seven green roofs in Bangkok using direct measurement techniques and a novel rapid assessment checklist, (ii) investigate perception of people on green roofs and their ecosystem services using questionnaires and interviews with three groups of respondents; 259 university students, 90 workers, and five experts, and (iii) create a “Green roof ecosystem service” game for sharing the green roof knowledge with the public and concerned stakeholders. The results from the direct measurement showed that the selected green roofs in Bangkok could provide a combination of four main types of ecosystem services. The results from the rapid assessment checklist showed that the ecosystem service scores of seven sites ranged from 48 to 74 points from a maximum of 100. The green roof on Anantara Siam Bangkok hotel received the highest score of total ecosystem services of 74 points. Tradeoff and synergy among different green roof ecosystem services were observed. Different ecosystem services were influenced by green roof structure and design and management. Through the questionnaires and interviews, gas regulated was ranked as the first priority of ecosystem services ranked by the university students while the workers and experts cited climate regulation as the ecosystem service of the highest priority. Only 44% of the respondents knew the definition of the green roof. All of these results were used to create a series of green roof games which were used during gaming sessions with university students and experts. The results from pretest- posttest analysis from 18 gaming sessions, 449 participants, showed a significant improvement of green roof knowledge through playing the games. In summary, this research has contributed valuable knowledge of ecosystem services on green roofs by providing a convenient framework to assess ecosystem services and an innovative gaming and simulation for sharing the knowledge and raising awareness of the green roof ecosystem services.

Research that connects the effects of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem services is lacking. Ants perform multifarious ecological functions that stabilize ecosystems and contribute to a number of ecosystem services. We studied responses of ant communities to urbanization in the Lake Tahoe basin by sampling sites along a gradient of urban land development. We sampled ant communities, measured vegetation characteristics, quantified human activities, and evaluated ant-community responses by grouping ants into service-providing units (SPUs), defined as a group of organisms and their populations that perform specific ecosystem services, to provide an understanding of urbanization impacts on biodiversity and their delivery of ecosystem services. Species richness and abundance peaked at intermediate levels of urban development, as did the richness of 3 types of ant SPUs (aerators, decomposers, and compilers). With increasing land development aerator and decomposer ants significantly declined in abundance, whereas compiler ants significantly increased in abundance. Competing models demonstrated that precipitation was frequently among the strongest influences on ant community structure; however, urban development and human activities also had a strong, negative influence on ants, appearing in most models with DeltaAIC(c) < 2 for species richness and abundance patterns of SPUs and generalists. Response diversity was observed within SPUs, which suggests that the corresponding ecosystem services were maintained until development reached 30-40%. Our data provide evidence that ecosystem functions, such as water infiltration and soil productivity, may be diminished at sites subject to greater levels of urbanization and that conserving ant communities and the ecosystem services they provide could be an important target in land-use planning and conservation efforts.

Short-term effects of burn severity on ecosystem multifunctionality in the northwest Iberian Peninsula

Adapting ecosystem restoration for sustainable development in a changing world

Trade-offs and synergies between livestock production and other ecosystem services

The ecosystem services framework has enabled the broader public to acknowledge the benefits nature provides to different stakeholders. However, not all stakeholders benefit equally from these services. Rather, power relationships are a key factor influencing the access of individuals or groups to ecosystem services. In this paper, we propose an adaptation of the “cascade” framework for ecosystem services to integrate the analysis of ecological interactions among ecosystem services and stakeholders’ interactions, reflecting power relationships that mediate ecosystem services flows. We illustrate its application using the floodplain of the River Piedra (Spain) as a case study. First, we used structural equation modelling (SEM) to model the dependence relationships among ecosystem services. Second, we performed semi-structured interviews to identify formal power relationships among stakeholders. Third, we depicted ecosystem services according to stakeholders’ ability to use, manage or impair ecosystem services in order to expose how power relationships mediate access to ecosystem services. Our results revealed that the strongest power was held by those stakeholders who managed (although did not use) those keystone ecosystem properties and services that determine the provision of other services (i.e., intermediate regulating and final services). In contrast, non-empowered stakeholders were only able to access the remaining non-excludable and non-rival ecosystem services (i.e., some of the cultural services, freshwater supply, water quality, and biological control). In addition, land stewardship, access rights, and governance appeared as critical factors determining the status of ecosystem services. Finally, we stress the need to analyse the role of stakeholders and their relationships to foster equal access to ecosystem services.

Exploring the trade-off/synergy among ecosystem services (ESs) of agroecosystems could provide effective support for improving agricultural resilience for sustainable development. The construction of ecological tea gardens is emerging, aims to achieve a win-win situation for the tea industry and ecological environment protection. However, the effect of ES trade-offs/synergies on tea production is still not clear. In this study, we selected Fuzhou city, China, as a case study and explored the relationship among tea production and ESs in 2010 and 2020. Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) and Intelligent Urban Ecosystem Management System (IUEMS) models were used to assess the ecosystem (dis)services, which were tea production, water yield, soil retention, net primary productivity (NPP), climate regulation, soil erosion and carbon emissions. Then, the sum of trade-off/synergy coefficients of ESs (Cts) were defined to reveal the trade-off/synergy in tea gardens and areas except tea gardens (ETG areas). K-means clustering was used to assess the spatiotemporal change of traditional tea garden and ecological tea garden, reflecting the effect of ecological tea garden construction. The results showed that: (1) the high-value areas of tea production were mainly distributed in Lianjiang County, with yields up to 3.6 t/ha, and the low-value areas in Yongtai County, with yields from 0.1–1.0 t/ha. Other ESs showed spatial heterogeneity. (2) The trade-offs in ETG areas intensified from 2010 to 2020, with Cts decreasing from −0.28 to −0.73, and the synergy in tea garden was at risk of decline, with Cts decreasing from 4.46 to 1.02. (3) From 2010 to 2020, 96.72% of traditional tea gardens (Area I) were transformed into ecological tea gardens (Areas IV and V). (4) Further, we classified the tea garden into five zones based on tea yield, with Zone I as the low tea yield areas and Zone V as the highest. From Zone I to Zone V, the Cts increased from 2.6 to 7.5 in 2010, and from 1.9 to 6.5 in 2020, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the construction of ecological tea gardens in Fuzhou and provide a reference for subsequent studies on the ESs of tea gardens and governance of ecological tea gardens.

Benefits of green roofs: A systematic review of the evidence for three ecosystem services

ABSTRACTNon‐native tree (NNT) species have been transported worldwide to create or enhance services that are fundamental for human well‐being, such as timber provision, erosion control or ornamental value; yet NNTs can also produce undesired effects, such as fire proneness or pollen allergenicity. Despite the variety of effects that NNTs have on multiple ecosystem services, a global quantitative assessment of their costs and benefits is still lacking. Such information is critical for decision‐making, management and sustainable exploitation of NNTs. We present here a global assessment of NNT effects on the three main categories of ecosystem services, including regulating (RES), provisioning (PES) and cultural services (CES), and on an ecosystem disservice (EDS), i.e. pollen allergenicity. By searching the scientific literature, country forestry reports, and social media, we compiled a global data set of 1683 case studies from over 125 NNT species, covering 44 countries, all continents but Antarctica, and seven biomes. Using different meta‐analysis techniques, we found that, while NNTs increase most RES (e.g. climate regulation, soil erosion control, fertility and formation), they decrease PES (e.g. NNTs contribute less than native trees to global timber provision). Also, they have different effects on CES (e.g. increase aesthetic values but decrease scientific interest), and no effect on the EDS considered. NNT effects on each ecosystem (dis)service showed a strong context dependency, varying across NNT types, biomes and socio‐economic conditions. For instance, some RES are increased more by NNTs able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, and when the ecosystem is located in low‐latitude biomes; some CES are increased more by NNTs in less‐wealthy countries or in countries with higher gross domestic products. The effects of NNTs on several ecosystem (dis)services exhibited some synergies (e.g. among soil fertility, soil formation and climate regulation or between aesthetic values and pollen allergenicity), but also trade‐offs (e.g. between fire regulation and soil erosion control). Our analyses provide a quantitative understanding of the complex synergies, trade‐offs and context dependencies involved for the effects of NNTs that is essential for attaining a sustained provision of ecosystem services.

An ecosystem service approach for land-use or conservation decisions normally uses economic or biophysical assessments for valuating nature’s services. In contrast, even though ecosystem services are required for human well-being, the actual use of services by differing stakeholder groups are rarely considered in typical ecosystem service assessments, especially the more intangible, cultural ecosystem services. The aim of this research was to quantify different uses for 15 cultural and provisioning ecosystem service indicators across seven stakeholder groups in a watershed proposed with large hydroelectric dam development. We used a large-scale survey to quantify use and frequency of use for ecosystem services. We demonstrate that different stakeholder groups use ecosystem services differently, both in terms of specific ecosystem service indicators, as well as for frequency of ecosystem service use. Across all stakeholder groups, specific cultural ecosystem services were consistently more important to participants when compared to provisioning ecosystem services, especially aesthetic/scenic values. This work is of global importance as it highlights the importance of considering cultural ecosystem services (e.g. aesthetic/scenic, sense-of-place values) along with multiple stakeholder groups to identify the trade-offs and synergies during decision-making processes for land-use or conservation initiatives.

Significant heterogeneity has been observed among different ecosystem services (ES). Understanding the trade-offs and synergies among ES and delineating ecological functional zones is crucial for formulating regional management policies that improve human well-being and sustainably develop and maintain ecosystems. In this study, we used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) and Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) models to evaluate the spatial distribution patterns of nine ES (food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water connotation, climate regulation, soil conservation, water purification, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism) in the Qilian Mountains from 2000 to 2018. We also investigated the trade-offs and synergistic relationships among ES through Spearman correlation analysis, identified ES hotspots through exploratory spatial data analysis, and identified ES bundles (ESB) using K-means clustering. Our results revealed that water purification and habitat quality remained relatively stable, while food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water conservation, climate regulation, soil conservation, and entertainment tourism increased by 1038.83 Yuan·ha−1, 448.21 Yuan·ha−1, 55.45 mm, 7.80 mm, 0.60 tc·ha−1, 40.01 t·ha−1 and 4.82, respectively. High-value areas for water resource supply were mainly concentrated in the high-altitude mountainous area, whereas high-value areas for soil conservation were found in the western and eastern parts of the study area. The low-value areas of water purification were primarily located in the east, while the remaining six services were highly distributed in the east and were less common in the west. Correlation analysis showed that water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation exhibited a synergistic relationship in the Qilian Mountains. Moreover, food supply, raw material supply, climate regulation, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism showed synergistic relationships. However, there were trade-offs between food supply and water purification as well as water resource supply, and habitat quality showed a tradeoff with water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation. We identified four ESB. The food supply bundle consisted mainly of farmland ecosystems, while the windbreak and sand fixation and ecological coordination bundles were dominant in the Qilian Mountains. Notably, the area of the water conservation bundle increased significantly. Our comprehensive findings on ES and ESB can provide a theoretical foundation for the formulation of ecological management policies and the sustainable development of ecosystems in the Qilian Mountains.

Ecosystem Services in Agricultural and Urban Landscapes, edited by SteveWratten, HarpinderSandhu, RossCullen, and RobertCostanza. Published by Wiley‐Blackwell, Queensland, Australia,2013, pp. 200, ISBN: 978‐1‐4051‐7008‐6, AU$ 124.95 (hardcover), AU$99.99 (E‐book).

Green infrastructure has received increasing attention in urban strategies in a sustainable and resilience context, since greenspaces provide diverse ecosystem services. Green roofs can be a form of compensating the loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity in urban areas, contribute to safe access to greenspaces, which is important in times of social isolation, due to viral pandemics, and can guarantee self-reliance food. Thus, this urban measure should be integrated in urban planning and management, by using urban indicators associated with citizens access to greenspaces. Hence, we study pedestrian accessibility to green areas and propose an urban solution to improve access to greenspaces. The assessment is developed using indicators related to the citizens living in the surroundings of green areas and the residential buildings that exist in these areas; the residents living in potential green buildings or blocks with private green roofs and the potential green buildings with private green roofs. The ideal standard distances were considered to analyze the proximity of green areas to the dwellings of residents. We used GIS for the assessment of distances over the pedestrian network. The results indicate the necessity of building green roofs through the private sector. The developed indicators provide an important contribution to the municipal management in the definition of criteria for the urban location of green roofs to promote better access to ecosystem services.