Strategies and Methods for Animal Habitat Construction in the Context of Urban Biodiversity

Objective  In recent years, the rapid development of urbanization has had a significant impact on the ecological environment of cities and the survival of animals living in cities, causing a serious challenge to urban biodiversity. Based on combing the strategies and methods of animal habitat construction, it aims to restore or construct suitable animal habitats to protect and enhance urban biodiversity, which is a theoretical research hotspot that is widely concerned by the academic community.

Method  In view of the protection and enhancement of urban biodiversity, this research reviews the current status of researches on urban animal habitat at home and abroad through literature analysis, and systematically sorts out the researches on animal habitat preferences and habitat environment restoration and improvement. Based on the progress of scientific research and related landscape practice, the research summarizes the strategies and methods for urban animal habitat construction.

Results  The research proposes basic contents for urban animal habitat construction, which are composed of “factor investigation-construction content-habitat management”. 1) Factor investigation includes understanding ecological background information and analyzing habitat preference characteristics. There are many types and quantities of animals in the urban environment, and it is necessary to screen out key species of birds, small mammals and amphibians to improve research efficiency. Through such means as field survey, website data collation, interview survey and map review, the research collects a large amount of data on the type, quantity, distribution and activity rhythm of existing animal species and local ecological base in an effort to grasp the situation of animal resources and site environment in the research area. Based on the analysis of animal habitat preferences, the environmental characteristics of food sources, water sources and shelters to provide a basis for the content of animal habitat construction. 2) In terms of construction content, the construction methods for urban animal habitats are proposed from the three aspects of vegetation construction, water body construction and facility construction. Vegetation construction includes plant species, vegetation structure and community configuration. Native plants are preferentially selected as dominant species to ensure high adaptability and stability of the plant community. The strategy adopted pays attention to the matching of diverse food source tree species and the application of tall nesting tree species with complex branch structures, which can provide abundant food sources and safe shelter spaces for animals to inhabit. The multi-layered vegetation configuration (including arbor layer, shrub layer, herbaceous layer and aquatic plant layer) with complex structure and diverse micro-environments can meet the habitat needs of various animals. It is also necessary to adapt measures to local conditions according to site conditions, and make full use of existing resources such as terrain, water system, and vegetation to ensure diverse, healthy and stable plant community configuration. The construction of water body mainly involves the type of water area, hydraulic engineering practice and island in the water. Creating a water environment with multiple water levels and enrich the type of water area can provide various ecological niches for animals and increase the possibilities for animals to communicate with the surrounding environment. The properties of water body area, water body revetment, water body base and water body edge have great influence on the quality of animal habitat. For excessively large water areas, it is advisable to build islands in water in the open water body to provide a foothold for water birds, and at the same time effectively block the interference of human activities on birds and attract wetland birds to inhabit and breed. Facility construction involves artificial facilities and natural facilities. The artificial auxiliary facilities such as artificial nest boxes, Benjeshecke, insect hotels and fences should be used to attract animals, and natural facilities such as dead woods, fallen trees, fallen leaves and stone piles should be used to help animals avoid natural enemies and reduce the impact of unfavorable environmental conditions. 3) In terms of habitat management, the research conducts continuous ecological monitoring and recreational management to help designers or managers improve and optimize animal habitats. Specifically, the research conducts vegetation monitoring, hydrological monitoring, noise monitoring, and animal diversity monitoring to help determine if a habitat is achieving its goals, identify problems, and take measures for improvement based on monitoring results to better serve relevant user groups. By regulating recreational behaviors, and setting reasonable recreational paths and stations, the research aims to maximize the harmony between human and animals.

Conclusion  This research provides theoretical support for the protection and enhancement of urban biodiversity, and serves as an important guiding principle for the integration of landscape architecture and ecological practice. Therefore, it has dual values for theoretical reference and planning. The research is of great significance for the optimization of animal habitats in urban environments, the ecological functions of urban green spaces, and sustainable development. However, in the future, further research is still needed on different types of green spaces, ecological relationships between different animal groups, and comprehensive allocation of green space resources.