{"id":3657,"date":"2023-02-17T06:18:36","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T06:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepoetryofscience.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=3657"},"modified":"2023-02-17T06:18:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T06:18:36","slug":"exotic-dangers-in-the-urban-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/thepoetryofscience\/3657\/exotic-dangers-in-the-urban-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Exotic Dangers in the Urban Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"

In concrete jungles
\nnature’s pillars catch
\nthe city’s heat,
\nforeign tones of green
\nthat hug the sky with
\nfirm, unrooted ease.
\nWashing ashen cloaks
\nwith verdant, leafy lungs,
\ngifting shade
\nand life
\nand joy.
\nHidden in our hubris
\nthese unfamiliar buds
\nmisstep the local beats,
\ndelaying bursts
\nof slumbering boughs
\nand creeping feed \u2013
\na brooding doubt
\nto native, perching wings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A great tit in Jamtlands Province, Sweden (Image Credit: David Cook, via Flickr).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This poem is inspired by recent research<\/a>, which has found that urban birds prefer native trees.<\/p>\n

Urban trees offer essential ecosystem services like air purification and local temperature reduction, while also providing habitats for birds and insects. Globally, introduced, or non-native tree species are widely used in urban planning, with over a quarter of urban plant species thought to be non-native. However, whilst some advocate for non-native trees because of their tolerance to the harsh conditions of cities, it is essential to fully assess the impacts of their presence on the local ecosystem. For example, these non-native trees, also known as introduced, exotic, or alien species, do not have an evolutionary history with the local ecosystem, which can potentially cause issues for native wildlife.<\/p>\n

To find out how different types of trees affect birdlife, researchers monitored 400 nest boxes of blue tits and great tits in five parks in the Swedish city Malm\u00f6 over a seven-year period. The results, show that native trees (defined in the study as species that have been in the ecosystem for at least 700 years) provide more resources and are preferred by urban birds. Overall, the birds were found to be less likely to breed in territories dominated by non-native trees. Chicks reared in territories dominated by non-native trees weighed significantly less, compared to territories with fewer non-native trees. The researchers conclude that from a conservation perspective, specific native species known to host invertebrates, should be prioritized over and above non-native trees in management decisions regarding urban green spaces.<\/p>\n