Competitive and environmental adversity indices derived from CSR strategies for urban park vegetation assessment
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Urban parks are vital parts of green infrastructure. However, their vegetation faces complex interactions among environmental constraints, biological interactions, and human-made changes. Reliable and comprehensive indicators are therefore necessary to evaluate the health of vegetation and its spatial arrangement in urban green spaces. In this study, we employ a functional strategy–based method to assess urban park vegetation by using log–ratio–derived indices of competitive adversity and environmental adversity, calculated from quantitative estimates of Grime’s CSR strategies. These indices resolve the statistical issues associated with CSR proportions as compositional data, providing orthogonal, continuous gradients suitable for quantitative and spatial analysis. Vegetation surveys were conducted in two urban parks with varying management intensities. The competitive and environmental adversity indices were examined alongside ecological indicator values, naturalness, hemeroby, and disturbance metrics, with their spatial pattern analysed using Moran’s I and variogram-based geostatistical modelling. Both indices exhibited notable spatial autocorrelation and well-defined spatial dependence, indicating a clear spatial pattern. Competitive adversity was mainly linked to biotic interactions and management levels, while environmental adversity highlighted persistent abiotic constraints and broader ecosystem changes. Correlations with ecological indicator values, naturalness, and hemeroby confirmed the high utility of these indices. The findings reveal that log-ratio–derived indices of competitive and environmental adversity are effective, process-based indicators of vegetation health and spatial organisation in urban parks. These tools are valuable for environmental monitoring, spatial analysis, and comparative evaluation of urban vegetation across different levels of human impact.
Source: BIO Web of Conferences
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220716481