Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Brzuszek, Robert F.

Committee Member

Schauwecker, Timothy J.

Committee Member

Walker, Jason B.

Committee Member

Hill, JoVonn G.

Committee Member

Rodgers, John

Date of Degree

12-8-2017

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Landscape Architecture

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Landscape Architecture

Abstract

During the 21st century, more people will reside in cities than in rural areas for the first time in human history. As cities expand to accommodate their growing population, pressure is mounting on local biodiversity and the ecosystems they support. This prompted the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity - in collaboration with the City of Singapore - to develop a biodiversity index specifically for cities. In 2014, the final draft of the City Biodiversity Index was released. Twenty-three indicators comprise three categories that assess: native biodiversity, ecosystem services, and municipal support for local biodiversity. A case-study was designed for Starkville, MS to better understand the merits of the index and its application to small rural town planning. The research illuminated the breadth and flexibility of the index across multiple scales and the availability of local resources to deliver a meaningful biodiversity analysis.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/19507

Comments

Singapore Index||urban biodiversity||community development||urban environmental stewardship||biodiversity index||urban biodiversity conservation

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