Urban small sites – landscape ecology and contribution to urban greenspace

Abstract

Urban areas are highly modified and complex landscapes, within which green spaces are seen as valuable for human well being as well as wildlife. Most studies evaluate the significance of the upper end of this spatial scale (>10ha), and ignore the smaller patches (<1ha). Despite this omission it is likely that small patches of greenspace constitute a significant absolute area and a dynamic and potentially useful green resource, the value of which has not been systematically assessed at either the landscape or the patch scale. Using a combination of OS Mastermap data and field visits, a GIS was generated of a transect line in urban Wolverhampton. The primary conclusion reached from this study was that small sites that are not audited for practical reasons can provide as much in terms of variety and quality as sites above recommended thresholds without detracting from meaningfulness or deliverability