Projects
MTA HUN-REN LENDÜLET – Sustainable development in cities and villages
Megvalósítás alatt lévő/Futó projekt
Summary:
The “Lendület” Landscape and Conservation Ecology group aims to address the environmental impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity and ecosystem services by expanding conservation efforts to encompass urban regions and entire landscapes. While urban green spaces are often viewed as biological deserts, they can support diverse communities and provide crucial services. Our research targets urban-rural gradients in Hungary, examining how different landscape factors influence biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions through multitaxa surveys. WP1 leverages insights from large-scale biodiversity studies conducted in both villages and cities, while WP2 evaluates landscape composition’s role in shaping village biodiversity. WP3 involves comparing green spaces in urban and village settings to assess multifunctionality and ecosystem benefits across urbanisation gradients. Our synthesis efforts in WP4 will consolidate findings from five meta-analyses and a scoping review to understand urbanisation’s interaction with global drivers like climate change and biological invasions, and to evaluate urban greening measures. This research will yield innovative solutions, promote urban greening interventions, and offer a holistic overview of urbanisation impacts, highlighting mitigation strategies. Dissemination involves publishing findings in leading journals, presenting at conferences, and using multimedia platforms to reach a broad audience, including stakeholders and policymakers. This comprehensive approach aims to foster sustainable urban development and solidify the group’s position as a pioneering force in ecological research.
