Abstract
The proposed research project will analyze the role of different forms of urban green areas for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning in the central parts of the Stockholm County. The study area includes a cicular zone of a radius of 20 km, centered in the National Urban Park. The major objectives are: (1) to analyze the role of land use and management of urban green areas in their functioning as habitats for species that are critical for sustaining biodiversity in the National Urban Park (NUP) and other organism groups that are declining in the greater metropolitan Stockholm; and (2) to analyze the preconditions for establishment of adaptive co-management of such habitats. The ecological analysis focuses on keystones and mobile link species of NUP in recognition of their key role for maintaining community structures and species assemblages. Also studied is the role of land use for declining organism groups (e.g., amphibians, reptiles and some birds). The social analysis focuses, among others, on how different property rights and management practices of these land uses influence biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of NUP and surrounding habitats. Habitats analyzed include nature reserves, dispersal corridors in green wedges, city parks, residential gardens, allotment gardens, golf courses, agricultural lands and forestry.
Sweden