by LW Clarke, GD Jenerette

Landscape Ecology 30:637–653

2015

Although community gardens are prevalent in urban areas throughout the world, little research has been done on the drivers of biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. In this study, 14 community gardens in Los Angeles were inventoried, and species diversity was related to household income, plot size, and gardener ethnicity. A total of 707 species were found over the three-year study period. Higher incomes were related to higher diversity of ornamental species, whereas edible and medicinal diversity increased with plot size. Gardeners of a specific ethnicity tended to plant distinct communities of plant species, especially edibles.

Region: Los Angeles, California
Publication Type: Journal article
Keywords: biodiversity, community gardens, ecosystem services, field study, gardens, Los Angeles, socioeconomics, species diversity, and urban agriculture