Example of Berlin emphasises that urban habitats are precious to birds, bees and other wildlife

                                                    

Plenty of greenery in Berlin - city where nature flourishes (photo: Wikimedia Commons)

NEW research has reiterated the value - widely under-appreciated - of cities as hotspots for nature.

According to a report in the journal, Science, grasshoppers, sand lizards, nightingales and skylarks are thriving in suitable green spaces in Berlin.

The article has been written by American freelance journalist Gabriel Popkin who describes "urban ecology" as a discipline which has revealed the city to be one of the world’s greenest capitals.

He writes: "The relatively modest green spaces found in Berlin and other cities cannot compensate for the destruction of larger habitats, nor stop the extinction crisis that threatens an estimated 1 million species worldwide. 

"But a growing chorus of ecologists and environmentalists says urban habitats have been overlooked for too long to the detriment of many of the plants and animals conservationists are trying to protect."

Of particular note has been the recent discovery by ecologist Anita Grossman that bees often seem to prefer heavily urbanized areas because they thrive in warmth radiating from pavements and buildings - the so-called "urban heat island".

                                         

Anita Grossman - urban bee expert

In a single parched and untended patch of grasses and flowers on the edge of a graveyard in Berlin's Mitte district, she identified no fewer than 19 different wild bee species which seemed happier there than in manicured and chemical-drenched fields and gardens where uncontaminated pollen and nectar is often in short supply.

The article will strike a chord with Britain's David Lindo - the "urban birder" - who has long banged the drum for town and cities as wildlife habitats.

Lindo's theory is in complete contradiction to the prevailing view that buildings, roads and car parks are more likely to displace nature than to help conserve it.

* Popkin's article is published in Science, Vol 378, Issue 6619.

Pioneering urban ecology finds surprising biodiversity in Berlin’s green spaces | Science | AAAS