Overview
The world's population is urbanizing and maintaining access to nature within urban centers is becoming increasingly important. I am studying how the interplay of economic and biological factors influence urban conservation. In particular I am interested in using ecosystem services to better inform conservation and development decisions. My focus is on the potential for vacant urban lots to provide both habitat for biodiversity conservation within cities, as well as educational and social value for urban communities.
CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN VACANT LAND IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA: A SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF LAND USE, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND GROUND BEETLE ASSEMBLAGES
Abstract: Vacant land is an enduring feature of urban settings, and although it is often seen as wasted or undesirable space, depending on the social context, and ecological characteristics, this land may provide underappreciated benefits. The characteristics, location and abundance of vacant urban land can vary considerably depending on the context of the urban setting, specifically with regards to the demography, and geography of each city. This study seeks to provide an assessment of vacant land use, land cover, ecosystem services, and habitat quality in order to better appreciate the potential social and ecological value of these spaces, as well to provide an initial description of a previously unstudied urban setting. A sample of 359 urban vacant lots in Tulsa, Oklahoma were characterized based on land cover and land use, with 100 of these lots having their tree communities sampled for ecosystem services assessment, and 12 lots having ground beetle diversity surveyed. Overall the most common land cover types were fine vegetation and coarse vegetation, which together covered 63% of the total sampled area. The most common vacant land uses were unused, or commercial/industrial activities, with the amount of vegetation present positively predicting unused vacant lots, and negatively predicting commercial/industrial uses. Trees on vacant lots provided substantial ecosystem services, especially carbon storage/sequestration and storm water mediation. Although the majority of trees present had small stem diameters, a few large specimens contributed disproportionately to the canopy cover and ecosystem services provided. Ground beetle assemblage diversity did not vary significantly across an urban to rural gradient suggesting that vacant lots may provide suitable habitat quality to support biodiversity in urban settings. These findings suggest that much of the vacant land in Tulsa has the potential to provide habitat to support biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as providing potential greenspaces where urban residents can experience nature.