Does My Backyard Matter When It Comes to Urban Biodiversity?

 bee balm

Yes. Even if you have a tiny property that is surrounded by a sea of concrete, your greenspace is important. In fact it becomes even more crucial to insects and wildlife if there are few other choices available. Jean-Pierre Savard et al state in their 1999 paper, “Biodiversity concepts and urban ecosystems,” that all scales of biodiverse landscapes are critical “ranging from individual plants to the entire city itself and even its surrounding areas.” That’s because urban ecosystems work on multiple levels which are linked together (Allen and Starr, 1982). Let’s say that you plant a nice row of bee balm in your flower bed which are dined upon by a few hummingbirds. Your plants are valuable because they form a part of the hummingbird food chain that exists in your neighborhood. While some properties have landscape types that are best suited for nesting or shelter, others comprise the daily hummingbird food buffet. This is why hummers become so territorial when they find a good food source. There is an even more important reason for you to encourage biodiversity on your property—because you can influence your neighbor’s landscapes. If they see your yard full of butterflies and hummingbirds after the addition of a few plants, they may be inclined to plant a few as well. Don’t believe me? Take a look at neighborhoods that paint the bottoms of their trees white, there is no other explanation for collateral tree painting. So you should never feel that it’s hopeless to create a greener environment, because your backyard is one of the most valuable places to start.