Which urban parks benefit wildlife?

Not all urban parks are beneficial to wildlife. For example, playgrounds or sports fields may benefit people but not do much for wildlife. In a study published in Urban Forest and Urban Greening, a team of researchers looked at over 600 urban green spaces in Florida’s Broward County to see how they benefited people and wildlife. Homing in on factors like tree canopy and presence of athletic facilities and playgrounds, they found that the amount of green space mattered the most for both human use and biodiversity. “Importantly, our findings highlight that green spaces need to be carefully designed to support biodiversity, but also a mix of green spaces with different goals is important,” said Corey Callaghan, senior author of the study and an assistant professor at the University of Florida, in a press release. However, they also found that places like sports fields and playgrounds that had more human use reduced habitat quality for wildlife. “On the other hand, dense vegetation and limited lighting support biodiversity but may be underused by people. It’s all about finding that middle ground,” said Nataly Miguez, a lead author of the study who conducted the research as an undergraduate at the University of Florida.

Read more on the UF/IFAS blog and read the study in Urban Forest and Urban Greening.