Microbial response to Nature-Based Solutions in urban soils: A comprehensive analysis using Biolog® EcoPlates™.

The study presents a comprehensive examination of changes in soil microbial functional diversity (hereafter called microbial activity) following the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban areas. Utilizing the Biolog® EcoPlates™ technique, the study explored variations in microbial diversity in urban soil under NBSs implementation across timespan of two years. Significant differences in microbial activity were observed between control location and those with NBS implementations, with seasonal variations playing a crucial role. NBS positively impacted soil microbial activity especially at two locations: infiltration basin and wild flower meadow showing the most substantial increase after NBS implementation. The study links rainfall levels to microbial functional diversity, highlighting the influence of climatic conditions on soil microbiome. The research investigates also the utilization of different carbon sources by soil microorganisms, shedding light on the specificity of substrate utilization across seasons and locations. The results demonstrate that NBSs implementations lead to changes in substrate utilization patterns, emphasizing the positive influence of NBS on soil microbial communities. Likewise, biodiversity indices, such as Shannon-Weaver diversity (H'), Shannon Evenness Index (E), and substrate richness index (S), exhibit significant variations in response to NBS. Notably, NBS implementation positively impacted H' and E indexes, especially in infiltration basin and wild flower meadow, underlining the benefits of NBS for enhancing microbial diversity. The obtained results demonstrated valuable insight into the dynamic interactions between NBS implementation and soil microbial activity. The findings underscore the potential of NBS to positively influence soil microbial diversity in urban environments, contributing to urban sustainability and soil health. The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring soil microbial activity to assess the effectiveness of NBS interventions and guides sustainable urban development practices.

Residents' awareness of the role of informal green spaces in a post-industrial city, with a focus on regulating services and urban adaptation potential.

Urban green spaces (UGS) and the ecosystem services they provide are essential for the health and wellbeing of city dwellers. UGS are increasingly seen as a potential solution for sustainable urban planning and development. Informal green spaces (IGS), even though they may make up a large share of UGS, are often overlooked in this regard. This study examines residents' awareness of the ecosystem services provided by IGS and their need for redevelopment. The data were collected through structured interviews in the immediate vicinity of selected IGS in the Polish city of Lódz. Lódz is typical of post-industrial European cities struggling with environmental (heatwaves, cloudbursts), social (aging, depopulation) and spatial (a neglected and dense city center) issues. Our results show that residents saw IGS as places able to provide a range of services, mostly of the regulating type, and even minor design interventions can improve the attractiveness of IGS. Taking this into account, we conclude that IGS are important vegetated areas in the city, which can be complementary to formal greenery.

Defining the risk to water and natural capital in cities with risk component analysis tool (DAPSET): Case study Lódz.

Management of water resources poses a particular challenge in cities, due to the extensive degradation of the urban ecosystem and its limited self-regulatory capacity as compared to natural systems. Effective management requires an in-depth understanding of the sources (drivers) giving rise to such risk. This paper reports on a participatory identification of such factors driving the risk to urban water resources in the city of Lódz, Poland, carried out with the aim of testing a simple risk analysis tool (DAPSET - Drivers and Pressures - Strength Evaluation Tool), intended to yield the kind of complex data able to help assist city managers in decision-making processes. In the first part of the study, a number of selected public officials, students, researchers and NGO representatives were asked to rank the key socioeconomic drivers of water resources in the city. The four drivers identified as key (a low degree of environmental awareness among citizens, low law-enforcement efficiency, the city's low economic potential and land use changes) were then scrutinized in the second part of the study, which included a self-administered questionnaire designed to create a risk profile of drivers based on the DAPSET. Each of the four key drivers were analyzed with reference to eleven features. DAPSET revealed that all the key drivers share certain common features: they affect a large spatial scale, the damage they cause is persistent, and they involve either medium-high damage potential or probability of damage. The major differences between them stem from the dynamic features of the risk: societal attraction, invisibility, and availability of information. Analysis of the risk profiles so created against risk types pointed to the desirable directions of management and a need to go beyond standard actions.