Negative effects of urbanization on plants: A global meta-analysis

Abstract

Understanding the response of plant diversity to urbanization is essential for conserving urban biodiversity. In this paper, a meta-analysis of 34 articles and 163 observations regarding the impact of urbanization on plant diversity was conducted. The results revealed that urbanization had marked negative effects on plants. Urbanization had positive effects on introduced species and negative effects on native species. In the subgroup analysis, we found that trees responded better to the effect of urbanization than herbs and shrubs. There was no evidence that urban size, population density, nighttime light, and GDP per capita had moderating effects on plant richness. Based on meta-regression analyses, native species in urban areas were less affected by urbanization at lower latitudes. Overall, urbanization had a marginally negative effect on plant abundance. The effects of urbanization on plant diversity during different stages of urban development were inconsistent. Our research shows that the suburbs play a crucial role in the urbanization gradient; there, plants survive with high species richness.