摘要
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With the densification of cities, it is imperative to identify urban ecosystems that should be protected or restored. We aimed to determine the conservation and restoration needs in a large urban park (1,35 km2) in Quebec City (Ca...
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With the densification of cities, it is imperative to identify urban ecosystems that should be protected or restored. We aimed to determine the conservation and restoration needs in a large urban park (1,35 km2) in Quebec City (Canada), based on site history, current species richness, floristic uniqueness, and floristic quality assessment of its diverse ecosystems: forest, swamp, wooded peatland, open peatland, and marsh. We evaluated the cover of all vascular species in 70 plots (400 m2) and assessed 18 environmental variables. We found that forest and swamp plots were the richest while peatland plots were the poorest, with marsh plots showing intermediate values. Ecological uniqueness (LCBD) was not correlated with richness (rho = 0.17; p > 0.05), with marsh and peatland plots showing the highest and lowest uniqueness, respectively. With a regression tree, we identified canopy openness as the most influential variable explaining plot uniqueness across all ecosystems, especially in the peatland, indicating that future recreational development should be avoided in open ecosystems. By plotting ecological uniqueness (LCBD) with tolerance to disturbance (Mean C) values, we identified areas that could benefit from conservation or restoration, and areas that could sustain future development for recreational use. For each area, floristic composition, site characteristics, and past land-use history were investigated further to identify appropriate actions. The open peatland was identified as the main conservation priority, but actions will be needed to limit rapid tree encroachment. Three marshes were identified as areas that would floristically benefit from restoration actions. Still, since they also act as natural retention basins hosting species adapted to the soil conditions, we suggested monitoring the expansion of exotic and invasive species. Approaches developed and lessons learned from this project will serve as guidelines for municipalities aiming to implement a restoration and management plan in urban parks.
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