Planning considerations of green corridors for the improvement of biodiversity resilience in suburban areas

Abstract

The world is experiencing a rapid loss in the biodiversity of pollinator insects. Habitat segmentation caused by infrastructures is one of the contributing factors. To improve the habitat connectivity of pollinator insects, it is proposed in this study to build green corridors for pollinators over linear infrastructures such as highways. In the context of suburban areas of a large city, this study examines differences in air parameters between natural environments and a roadside environment based on monitored and estimated data. Influences of different green corridor designs on floral scent dispersion are also investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation. It is found that, if flower plants are installed on highway overpasses, the floral scents would be better preserved as compared with those in a natural environment due to the lower concentrations of oxidative radicals in the air above highways. The stronger floral scents and their wider dispersion may help attract pollinators. Conversely, highway air contains a variety of volatine organic compounds (VOCs) that are traced to highway operations and pavements. Hence, the overall profile of VOCs in a highway environment differs from that in a natural environment. Results from CFD modeling and simulation suggest that the use of green corridors planted with flowers on the highway overpass can greatly improve the connectivity of floral scents. Hence, with proper engineering design and right combination of plant species, green corridors built on highway overpasses have the potential to facilitate pollinators to cross the road, thereby improving their habitat connectivity and resilience against declining biodiversity.