Anthropogenic processes modify the environment, influencing species distribution. In urban settings, wildlife persistence depends on the interaction between landscape patterns, local habitat characteristics, and species-specific traits. Despite habitat fragmentation, many wildlife species manage to adapt and thrive within the urban matrix. An example of this is the coypu (Myocastor coypus), which has increased its presence in urban habitats due to its high ecological plasticity. Although native to Argentina, it is considered one of the most harmful invasive mammals worldwide. Its expansion and population density can impact vegetation and create conflicts with humans. In the conurbano bonaerense, in central Argentina, coypus are frequently associated with gated communities, where they have become increasingly common. This study analyzed the influence of habitat characteristics measured at the microhabitat, macrohabitat, and landscape scales on coypu occurrence, abundance, and use intensity in urban environments of the conurbano bonaerense. Sampling was conducted at 31 sites between 2021 and 2023, covering 7,216.7 km2. Signs of activity were recorded in 397 transects along permanent water bodies, and habitat variables were quantified through field surveys, photointerpretation, and remote sensing using scale-specific spatial extents. The results showed that coypu occurrence, abundance, and use intensity were associated with anthropogenic disturbance, aquatic habitat configuration, and the availability of short herbaceous vegetation. Landscape-scale variables explained most of the variation in the three response variables, although habitat characteristics measured at macro- and microhabitat scales also contributed to explaining species responses. These findings identify habitat characteristics associated with spatial distribution of coypu that can support future conservation initiatives where the species is of conservation interest and management strategies where it generates conflicts.
Research has examined the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the governance of urban green space. Yet, no systematic synthesis exists of the nuanced ways in which different types of NGOs influence urban green space equity, leaving a gap in our understanding of their impact on distributional, procedural, and recognitional equity in urban greening. In this systematic literature review, we address this gap by analyzing whether NGOs ameliorate or worsen green space inequities; whether differences exist by NGO type; and through which pathways NGOs affect equity outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, we identify 110 publications that meet the inclusion criteria. We find that more studies show that NGOs contribute to equitable outcomes than studies highlighting the opposite, and NGOs are more consistently linked to procedural equity than to recognitional and distributional equity. Research design matters: while individual case studies show local improvements, comparative research designs frequently reveal distributional inequities. Further, community-based organizations are more consistently linked to green space equity than large environmental NGOs and park conservancies, whose greater power and capacity can reinforce inequities. In terms of pathways, NGOs advance distributional equity primarily by directly greening underserved communities, whereas distributional inequities often stem from wealthier communities having greater capacity to attract NGO resources. Also, NGOs advance procedural equity through inclusive engagement but can also contribute to inequity through privatized governance and power imbalances. Similarly, they support recognitional equity when centering local voices and tailoring projects to community needs yet undermine it when underserved groups are burdened with greening responsibilities.
The expansion of growing cities into neighboring areas, known as urban sprawl, is reflected in morphological changes to the land parcel pattern. This paper examines urban cadastral parcel patterns, assuming that population-driven land demand drives fragmentation, and that the degree of fragmentation is proportional to local population density. Adopting a radial analysis of cities, the study analyzes 21 urban systems across three continents to examine how mean land parcel area scales with distance from the city center.The results reveal that mean parcel area increases exponentially within urbanized areas before stabilizing in the surrounding non-urban zone, thereby providing a clear structural threshold for delineating the extent of urbanized land. The characteristic distance of this exponential regime scales with the square root of total city population, showing that the spatial extent of high-degree parcel fragmentation associated with urbanization increases systematically with city size. This result is consistent with radial-scaling findings for urban land use, but is derived here independently from cadastral parcel data.This analysis offers a new approach to understanding spatial urbanization and the morphological evolution of the land parcel pattern as cities expand, while highlighting cadastral data as a valuable source for studying the spatial urbanization.
Fire risk in urban green spaces is increasing as managed vegetation patches become more exposed to dry conditions, human ignition sources, and dense built environments. Their fuel structure is shaped by planting design and maintenance, yet community-level controls on fire spread remain poorly understood. Using Shanghai as a case study, we combined field fuel characterisation, BehavePlus screening, and Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) simulations to examine fire spread in 11 urban plant communities. BehavePlus compared potential surface fire behaviour under controlled wind, slope, and fuel moisture scenarios and identified four high-response communities for FDS analysis. Lower fuel moisture consistently increased surface fire behaviour, while increasing wind speed produced strong increases in maximum rate of spread, fireline intensity, and flame length. Under wind-free conditions, increasing slope produced comparatively smaller responses. FDS simulations showed that spatial configuration influenced fire behaviour differently among communities. Greater horizontal fuel continuity was associated with more connected lateral flame pathways, while vertical fuel arrangement, crown base height, canopy openness, and local airflow were associated with differences in upward fire development. The strongest structural response occurred in a sparse Metasequoia glyptostroboides configuration, indicating that low planting density did not necessarily correspond to lower fire hazard. The findings support fuel-oriented management, including litter and dead fine fuel removal, lower-branch pruning, interruption of continuous shrub and herbaceous belts, and moisture management during dry and windy periods. The study highlights the importance of considering community fuel structure together with species characteristics and planting configuration when assessing urban vegetation fire behaviour.
