Shanghai has experienced
extensive urban expansion over the past three decades (Zhao et al. 2006). The
results of Shanghai’s increasing urbanization are emergence of urban heat
island (higher ambient temperature in urban areas relative to the surrounding
area), water, air, and soil pollution (Zhao et al. 2006). Also, urbanization
has resulted in residential and commercial landscape with planted homogeneous
vegetation communities. The spatial variation in vegetation communities has
been attributed to heterogeneity in resources availability reflecting social,
economic and cultural influences (Chesson 2000). The
long term studies will quantify gradients of resource availability and
disturbances, and study the integrate land use, legacy effects, socioeconomic
status, and cultural differences because these factors mediate the human-environment
interactions and result in varied ecological condition (Chen et al. 2010). Such effects are extensively studied, and
models have been developed in the West, mainly in US (e.g., Grimm et al. 2000,
Pickett et al. 2001, Hope et al. 2003). Due to the difference in social
systems, green space in Shanghai is mainly managed by local government agency,
such as the Shanghai Research Institute of Landscape and Gardening (SRILG). To
date, however, long-term and spatially explicit monitoring of the urbanization
and plant communities at the entire Shanghai area has not been conducted.
The
objectives of this project include: (i) analyzing spatial and temporal
variations of plant communities at different locations across Shanghai; (ii)
identifying the relationships between changes in plant communities and
surrounding environmental and social condition; and (iii) analyzing the
observed patterns and providing implications for green space management in
Shanghai. The data will be collected through site surveys and supplemented by
previous records. Each site will be mapped to delineate the surface cover and
surrounding physical condition. Spatial statistical techniques will be applied
to data specific to Shanghai. Our expected results include (i) describing patterns
of spatial and temporal distribution of plant communities in Shanghai; (ii)
understanding the driving forces related to changes in plant communities; and
(iii) comparing and further developing models that predict the relationships
between urbanization driving forces and plant community changes in US and
China. REU students will be involved with data acquisition, GIS processing, and
model development and testing. The REU students will also have opportunities to
interact with personnel from city government and local people to better
understand the issues that are unique to China.