Phytoindication assessment of spatial patterns of ecological regimes in urban parks as a basis for ecologically relevant management

Abstract

Urban parks are increasingly recognised as key components of green infrastructure that provide multiple ecosystem services. However, their management is still rarely guided by ecologically grounded indicators. The present study evaluated the potential of phytoindication approaches to diagnose ecological regimes within a single urban park, with the aim of supporting spatially differentiated management decisions. The research was conducted in Ivan Starov Square (Dnipro, Ukraine; 11.2 ha), where the herb layer was surveyed in 150 plots arranged on a quasi-regular grid. Phytoindication scales have been demonstrated to be a highly informative tool for quantifying major ecological regimes within the park, including soil moisture and its variability, aer a tion, acidity, nutrient and salinity levels, thermal and cryoclimatic conditions, continentality, light regimes, and degree of synant h ropization. The indicator-based assessment demonstrated a clear separation between relatively natural, moderately used fra g ments and intensively managed and heavily disturbed lawns, playgrounds, and informal paths. Plots located in peripheral and less accessible zones exhibited higher environmental heterogeneity, lower hemeroby, more balanced life-form spectra, and greater contributions of competitive and stress-tolerant strategies. In contrast, central and highly visited zones demonstrated increased nutrient and disturbance scores, dominance of therophytes and ruderal strategies, and reduced species diversity. These patterns underscore the notion that indicator values derived from the herb layer integrate cumulative effects of management and enviro n mental stress, as opposed to merely reflecting short-term fluctuations. For the majority of diversity metrics, phytoindication v a riables and disturbance indices, statistically significant positive spatial autocorrelation and a considerable proportion of spatially structured variance were detected. Variogram analysis revealed clear ranges of spatial dependence on the order of dozens to hundreds of metres, corresponding to the functional zones of the park. Furthermore, the spatial dependence level (SDL) reached up to several dozen per cent for many indicators. The results obtained demonstrate that the distribution of phytoindication values is far from random; rather, it reflects coherent spatial gradients of environmental conditions and management regimes. These gradients can be visualised by kriging maps and linked directly to concrete landscape elements. A significant practical outcome of this study is that the entire analytical framework is based on standard vegetation surveys and existing indicator scales, obviating the necessity for expensive equipment, continuous logging, or complex laboratory measurements. Phytoindication is therefore a low-cost, methodologically simple and reproducible tool for diagnosing ecological regimes in urban parks. Concurrently, the documented spatial dependence of these scales signifies that they can be interpreted not only as local descriptors of plant co m munities but also as spatially explicit ecological benchmarks that integrate long-term effects of management and environmental filtering. The results of the study provide quantitative evidence that phytoindication scales are suitable as operational guides for ecologically oriented management of urban parks. These measures enable managers to identify zones exhibiting high naturalness and conservation value, which is imperative. Furthermore, the detection of hotspots of degradation, ruderalisation and excessive disturbance is crucial. The optimisation of mowing and recreation regimes is also essential, as is the planning of targeted nature-based solutions that enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. The approach proposed here is readily transferable to other urban parks and green spaces, as indicator systems such as those developed by Didukh and Ellenberg are widely available for different regions. The integration of such indicator-based, spatially explicit diagnostics into routine park management would facilitate the transition from predominantly aesthetic and technical criteria towards adaptive, ecologically informed governance of urban green spaces.