Open Collections

Description

Urban expansion is transforming ecological systems in cities all over the world, often fragmenting green spaces and reducing their ability to support biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, most urban ecological assessments focus primarily on publicly managed lands, overlooking the role of private properties. This study examined how public and private lands together shape urban green space, landscape fragmentation, and ecological connectivity across Metro Vancouver, Canada, between 2014 and 2020. A geospatial framework integrating land cover data, parcel ownership, landscape metrics, and resistance-based connectivity modelling was applied to assess vegetation dynamics and multi-species habitat connectivity. Connectivity was evaluated as four urban-adapted species representing different movement capacities. Results showed a net regional forest loss of approximately 3,962 ha (−4.5%), alongside increases in shrub and herbaceous vegetation. Private lands contained the majority of vegetated areas and experienced a slight net gain (+1.5%), but were more fragmented, with smaller and more dispersed patches than public lands. Despite this, private lands contributed substantially to ecological connectivity, accounting for approximately 39–45% of highly connected habitat across species, exceeding the contribution of public lands. Connectivity was strongest in forested northern and eastern areas and weakest in densely urbanized cores. These findings indicate that urban ecological networks are not sustained solely by public green spaces but emerge from the combined contributions of both public and private lands. Recognizing the ecological role of private land is therefore important for urban planning strategies aimed at maintaining connectivity, biodiversity, and resilience in rapidly growing metropolitan regions.