The Urban Ecohydrology research team of CTU UCEEB is investigating just how diverse nature can be in the concrete jungle. The aim of their research is to gain a better understanding of urban vegetation and promote environmentally sensitive planning and management of urban green spaces.
During last year's growing season, scientists mapped the species composition of plants in three different locations – the CTU campus in Prague-Dejvice, the Českobrodská secondary school in Prague 9, and the CTU UCEEB complex in Buštěhrad. Each location represented a different type of development and method of green space maintenance, ranging from intensively maintained lawns to spontaneously overgrown industrial areas. The research showed that even urban spaces can host diverse plant communities, including invasive, pioneer, and ruderal species that are able to adapt to disturbed environments.
The researchers visualized the data in the ArcGIS system. This resulted in maps that capture diverse habitat types and help to better understand the functioning of urban nature and its importance for healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable cities. The research provides an important basis for long-term monitoring of urban vegetation development, identifying the effects of climate change, and caring for green spaces, and can serve as a valuable source of data for planning and managing resilient and biodiverse urban ecosystems.
The research was supported by project No. 101121210 "Integration of nature-based solutions into local urban infrastructure
for a climate-resilient society" under the NBSINFRA programme. Funded by the European Union.