Nature as a nuisance? Ecosystem services and disservices to urban lifestyle

TLDR

Urban lifestyles profoundly influence biodiversity, yet their impact remains poorly understood because of a divide between social and natural science perspectives, and while ecosystem services of urban green spaces are extensively studied, disservices such as safety hazards in dark parks and pollen‑related health problems receive limited attention. The authors propose that applying the concept of ecological services and disservices can bridge the social and natural science approaches. They review and discuss various urban ecosystem disservices from a Northern European perspective. Their conclusion highlights the key limitations and opportunities of using ecological disservices in urban biodiversity research.

Abstract

The lifestyle of people living in urban areas has profound direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity. However, the role of urban lifestyle as a driving force of biodiversity change is not very well understood. This is partly because there is a gap between a social science approach focusing on lifestyle and a natural science approach focusing on biodiversity. We propose that the concept of ecological services and disservices is useful in connecting these approaches. Ecosystem services produced by urban green areas are the focus of a wide range of environmental studies, but disservices – such as safety issues in dark parks or pollen causing health problems – have gained only sporadic attention in environmental studies focused on urban ecosystems. We review and discuss different urban ecosystem disservices from a Northern European perspective. We conclude by addressing the key limitations and possibilities of the use of the concept of ecological disservices in urban biodiversity studies.