Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1006 results(14 / 41)
Vegetation complexity and nesting resource availability predict bee diversity and functional traits in community gardens
2023Felderhoff J. · Ecological Applications · Germany (Berlin)
Documented 26 genera and 102 bee species across 18 Berlin community gardens, finding that higher plant species richness and greater deadwood amounts increased wild bee species number and functional diversity.
PollinatorsBiodiversityThe degree of urbanisation reduces wild bee and butterfly diversity and alters the patterns of flower-visitation in urban dry grasslands
2023Herrmann J., Buchholz S., Theodorou P. · Scientific Reports · Germany
In German urban dry grasslands, examined effects of local habitat quality, urbanisation (impervious surfaces), and 3D connectivity on flower visitors; bee and butterfly species richness declined with increasing impervious surface.
PollinatorsBiodiversityDrivers of cultivated and wild plant pollination in urban agroecosystems
2023Nguyen H., Schmack J., Egerer M. · Basic and Applied Ecology · Germany (Munich)
Conducted a pollination-exclusion experiment with two cultivated and two wild plant species across 13 Munich community gardens, finding cultivated-plant fruit and seed mass positively correlated with temperature and pollinator diversity.
PollinatorsBiodiversityAllotment Garden Products as Contribution to Sustainable and Resilient Cities: An Analysis in Leipzig, Germany
2023Schäfer, Kleemann, Spyra · Sustainability · Germany (Leipzig)
Analyzes allotment garden products in Leipzig and their contribution to sustainable and resilient cities.
CommunityBiodiversityEconomicsAllotments for all? Social–environmental values of urban gardens for gardeners and the public in cities: The example of Berlin, Germany
2023Haase · People and Nature · Germany (Berlin)
Assesses the social–environmental values of urban gardens for both gardeners and the wider public, using Berlin as an example.
CommunityBiodiversityWelfareUrban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems. The case of the semi-dryland and medium-sized Queretaro City, Mexico
2023· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Queretaro)
Shows how urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems in the semi-dryland, medium-sized city of Queretaro, Mexico.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleFloral species evenness is the major driver of wild bee communities in urban gardens
2023Rossi Rotondi B. · Urban Ecosystems · Cordoba, Argentina
Surveying bees and blooms across 13 gardens in Cordoba, Argentina, the study found floral species evenness to be the strongest driver of bee abundance, diversity and functional trait diversity.
PollinatorsBiodiversityDecline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) abundance in an urban ecosystem
2023Gail MacInnis, Etienne Normandin, Carly D. Ziter · PeerJ · Canada (Montreal)
A study of wild bee communities across Montreal, Canada, greenspaces with differing honey bee densities, surveyed in 2020 and compared with 2013 baseline data. Sites with more honey bees had fewer wild bee species, and the negative association was strongest for small-bodied bees (inter-tegular span under 2.25 mm), whose shorter foraging ranges limit their access to floral resources under competition. Urban beekeeping is commonly promoted as environmentally beneficial, but this observational evidence indicates that high-density operations may pressure native pollinators through resource competition and pathogen transmission; the design is correlational rather than an experimental test of causation.
PollinatorsBiodiversityReview of peri-urban agriculture as a regional ecosystem service
2023Setyardi Pratika Mulya, Heru Purboyo Hidayat Putro, Delik Hudalah · Geography and sustainability · Global
This 2023 global systematic literature review examined peri-urban agriculture (PUA) as an ecosystem service, focusing on urbanization pressures and governance. The review found that PUA is crucial for urban areas in terms of food supply, ecology, biodiversity preservation, disaster mitigation, and recreation. However, massive urban expansion is a primary cause of PUA loss, and sociocultural biases have led to institutional constraints on peri-urban management within existing political and regulatory frameworks.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureBiodiversityPolicyUrban–rural linkageStress‐gradient framework for green roofs: Applications for urban agriculture and other ecosystem services
2023Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Adriano N. Roberto, Selena Ahmed, Marney E. Isaac · Ecological Solutions and Evidence · Global
This paper addresses the limited understanding of conditions under which stress-tolerant "nurse" plants can facilitate stress-intolerant "protégé" species on extensive green roofs for urban agriculture. It proposes a framework and linear model, integrating trait–environment theory and facilitation ecology, to make testable predictions on protégé species performance along stress gradients. The framework aims to help researchers assess the feasibility of nurse–protégé interactions under various environmental conditions.
Limited or null effectDIYClimate changeBiodiversityAssessing whether peri-urban agricultural land or plantation forest is a better green infrastructure for ground arthropods at local and landscape scales
2023Pengyao Li, Feinan Lyu, Yuan Zhou, Zhenrong Yu · Ecological Indicators · China (Beijing)
A study in Beijing, China, surveyed ground spiders and carabids in 12 plantation forests and nearby arable lands to assess the impact of afforestation on biodiversity. Intensive afforestation on arable lands did not increase local ground arthropod diversity. Ground arthropod abundance and species richness in plantation forests were significantly lower than in arable lands when surrounding arable land cover was relatively high, and overall landscape-scale diversity was not improved.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureBiodiversityPolicyUrban Agriculture and the Sustainability Nexus in South Africa: Past, Current, and Future Trends
2023Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Forum · South Africa
This narrative literature review analyzed 62 peer-reviewed articles on urban agriculture in South Africa from 1993 to 2022. The findings indicate several knowledge gaps, including an under-representation of secondary cities and a general productivist focus in most studies, which limit understanding of urban agriculture for sustainable cities.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkagePolicyBiodiversityAGRICULTURA URBANA E ESTÉTICA AMBIENTAL: UM MAPEAMENTO DE AUTORES INSPIRADO POR J. DOUGLAS PORTEOUS.
2023Claudia Rochael Oliveira, Eneida Maria Souza Mendonça · Geografia (Rio Claro) · Global
This article aimed to map authors discussing environmental aesthetics in urban agriculture research, inspired by Porteous's work. Using a bibliographic survey and visual representations, the study found no publications intersecting urban agriculture and environmental aesthetics. Research on urban agriculture and landscape was notably greater than on urban agriculture and aesthetics, and studies applying aesthetic theory to urban agriculture were very limited, especially in high-tech contexts like vertical farms.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkageCommunityBiodiversityA Bibliometric Analysis of Current Knowledge Structure and Research Progress Related to Urban Community Garden Systems
2023Hua Zheng, Min Guo, Qian Wang, Qinghai Zhang, Noriko Akita · Land · Global
This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 487 papers on community gardens from the Web of Science database to understand their knowledge structure and research development. Research papers in this area significantly increased from 2012, with the United States contributing the most and high-income countries accounting for 93.22% of studies. "Health" was the most frequent keyword, and "ecosystem services" gained popularity, with three major research themes identified: "ecosystem services and disservices," "multidimensional association," and "sustainable garden systems."
CommunityHealthBiodiversityPolicyBeyond food: Framing ecosystem services value in peri-urban farming in the post-Covid era with a multidimensional perspective. The case of Cascina Biblioteca in Milan (Italy)
2023Stefano Corsi, Marta Dell’Ovo, Catherine Dezio, Antonio Longo, Alessandra Oppio · Cities · Italy (Milan)
This contribution proposes the case study of a multifunctional farmhouse, Cascina Biblioteca, in the Milan suburban area of Italy, to test an integrated preliminary evaluation model. The model aims to support urban planning and design decisions by maximizing the performance of ecosystem services provided by multifunctional agriculture (MFA), which includes food production, environmental preservation, and social inclusion.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityBiodiversityChanges over the last ten years in the fauna structure of aphids inhabiting the vegetation of allotment gardens in Poznań
2023B. Wilkaniec, Agnieszka Wilkaniec, Beata Borowiak-Sobkowiak · Journal of Plant Protection Research · Poland
Winged morphs of aphids were monitored using Moericke traps in two large allotment gardens in Poznań, Poland, during four growing seasons in 2000-2001 and 2014-2015. A total of 113 aphid species or groups were captured, and major changes in the fauna structure were reported. These changes are thought to be primarily due to shifts in garden vegetation composition as the gardens' function changed from production to recreation.
BiodiversityCommunityCombination of observational and functional trait-based approaches in developing a polyculture design tool
2023Pavlo Ardanov, Annette Piorr, Alexandra Doernberg, Sonja Brodt, Jennifer B. Lauruol, Iryna Kazakova, Valentyna Movchan, Lucas A. Garibaldi · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This study assessed information from multiple sources to design diversified cropping systems with vegetables and spice crops for cold temperate climates, integrating trait and observational data from databases, farmer surveys, and literature reviews. While farmers achieved medium to good levels of their main goals, they failed to reach desired multifunctionality with their polycultures. None of the individual data sources provided a comprehensive dataset, but combining them increased crop combination options while also increasing planning and management complexity.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiDIYBiodiversitySoil-Borne Pests in Urban Agricultural Areas.
2023Şener Tarla, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülcan TARLA · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This paper defines urban agriculture and discusses its benefits, including food production, resource contribution, and addressing economic, environmental, and social problems in cities. It notes that the global pandemic highlighted urban agriculture's importance for food safety, access, and ecosystem maintenance.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleCommunity Gardens: A Solution to Combat Food Insecurity and Promote Native Bee Conservation
2023Sarah E. Orr · American Entomologist · United States
Community gardens are presented as a solution to food insecurity and a means to promote native bee conservation. They provide local fresh produce, affordable nutritious options, and foster education in gardening and nutrition. Additionally, community gardens support biodiversity, as roughly 35% of human food crops depend on animal pollination, with bees being primary pollinators for many crops.
CommunityFood educationWelfareBiodiversityPollinatorsAssessing urban dwellers' knowledge of terrace gardening in Telangana state
2023G Charan Tej, P. Lakshmi, B. Savitha, A. Meena · International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · India (Telangana)
A survey was conducted in Telangana state, India (Hyderabad, Warangal, and Karimnagar) to assess urban dwellers' knowledge of terrace gardening. Among 120 respondents, 52.50% showed a high level of knowledge, but gaps were identified regarding terrace gardening layout (54.17% unaware), crop rotation benefits (53.33% unfamiliar), seedling trays (52.50% lacked knowledge), drainage hole uses (50.83% unaware), and protecting plants from harsh weather (47.50% lacked understanding).
DIYHealthBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceA campus-based community clinic and food-shelf join efforts to reduce food insecurity using a One Health approach toward building a vibrant living system
2023Clara Godoy-Henderson, Ellen Hiestand, Emma Schluter, Erica Olsen, Jennifer Tacheny, Ambria Crusan, Mary O. Hearst · Journal of American College Health ·
This report describes a One Health approach addressing food insecurity among college students and Latine adult patients at a campus-based community health clinic. Organic community gardens on and near campus, pollinated by campus beehives, contribute local produce to a campus food shelf. This system aims to increase food security and nutritional health for both populations through multidisciplinary collaboration.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityInitial assessment to understand the effect of air temperature on bees as floral visitors in urban orchards
2023María José Ludewig, Patricia Landaverde‐González, Klaus‐Peter Götz, Frank‐M. Chmielewski · Journal of Insect Conservation · Global
This study assessed bee visits to experimental blueberry and cherry orchards in an urban landscape to understand how air temperature affects the pollination contribution of honey bees and wild bees. Bumble bees and honey bees were the most important floral visitors, followed by Anthophora plumipes. Honey bees' potential contribution to pollination services decreased with air temperature changes, but this was offset by the niche complementarity of bumble bees.
PollinatorsBiodiversityClimate changePlantas Alimenticias No Convencionales (PANC): alternativa para los huertos urbanos y metas de la Agenda 2030
2023Raphaela Dias da Rocha Silva, Amanda dos Santos Paulino, Marilua de Carvalho Feitoza, Angélica Oliveira de Souza, Ana Paula Branco do Nascimento · Revista Latino-americana de Ambiente Construído & Sustentabilidade · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study analyzed the cultivation of non-conventional food plants (PANC) in the Colectivo Horta das Flores urban garden in São Paulo, Brazil, and their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Researchers monitored the development of 18 plant species across five beds for six months, finding that six non-spontaneous PANC species and nine spontaneous PANC species performed best. The cultivation of PANC in this urban garden supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityBiodiversityAGROFLORESTA URBANA COMUNITÁRIA
2023Marina Carboni, Vitoria Maria Domingues Moço · Revista Fatecnológica da Fatec-Jahu · Brazil
This paper presents a project proposal for an urban agroforestry system combined with a community garden in Brazil. The project aims to revitalize a 2,500m² urban green area currently lacking leisure attractions and adequate tree cover. The plan includes planting 35 trees of 8 fruit species and 9 vegetable species, and fencing the area to prevent theft and vandalism. The project is expected to offer vegetables and fruits to the local population, promote environmental education, and enhance ecosystem services such as temperature reduction and increased rainwater infiltration.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityClimate changeEffect of Growth Space on The Productivity of Maize Using Three Sisters Cultivation with Bee Pollination
2023Nadia Damika Putri, Acep Purqon, Ramadhani Eka Putra · Jurnal Biodjati · Global
This study investigated the effect of growing space on maize productivity using the three sisters cultivation system (corn, beans, pumpkins) in grow bags. A completely randomized design with three treatments (75 L, 100 L, and 200 L grow bags) and six replications was used. The highest corn productivity was observed in the 200 L grow bag (318.40 g/cob), but it was not significantly different from the 100 L grow bag (316.20 g/cob). The study concluded that the 100 L grow bag was the optimal growing space for containerized corn using this technique.
DIYBiodiversity