ABSTRACT
Large urban parks and green spaces with natural or semi-natural vegetation constitute important and often unique habitats for biodiversity. Several recent research studies show that urban areas, and the green spaces within and surrounding them, can be home to many threatened and declining species. Urban areas seem to be particularly beneficial for important pollinating insects, such as wild bees, exemplified by a study from the UK that found that urban areas and nature reserves contained similar numbers of species. Historically, many cities were founded in regions with high biodiversity. Some of the species still existing in urban areas may be subject to a so-called ‘extinction debt’. Urban green spaces come in many different shapes and sizes. Urban parks and green spaces not only come in various shapes and sizes, they also vary greatly in content, meaning the type of vegetation and intensity of maintenance of that vegetation.
