The luxury of vegetation and the legacy of tree biodiversity in Los Angeles, CA

This study sought to better understand the drivers behind urban vegetation cover and biodiversity across land use types. Data were collected from 350 plots around Los Angeles, stratified by land use. The results showed that the “luxury effect,” i.e., that areas of greater wealth have more diverse plant assemblages, was the dominant driver of diversity in perennials and groundcover, but that older neighborhoods had greater tree diversity (the “legacy effect”). There were a number of interactions between biodiversity (alpha and beta) and median income, population density, and housing age. The authors offer suggestions for prioritizing future species choices.