Vegetation complexity and greenspace diversity in urban schools

Assessments of schoolgrounds revealed many opportunities to improve school greenspaces as multifunctional spaces

Greenspaces in urban environments provide a range of environmental and social benefits, making them multifunctional spaces. The extent to which greenspaces on school grounds serve as multifunctional spaces, however, has rarely been investigated. The few studies that have assessed the amount and type of greenspaces available to children while at school have generally used GIS (Geographic Information System) landcover analysis rather than ecological surveys. This study was the first to ecologically evaluate primary school greenspaces in Auckland, Aotearoa–New Zealand.

On-site and desktop data collection processes (gathering information from existing sources) were used to collect information about the size and quality of greenspaces in 64 urban primary schools in Auckland. Data collected for each school included information about (a) the relative proportions of greenspace types on school grounds, (b) the relationship between habitat complexity on school grounds and the distance from a natural habitat patch, and (c) the relative importance of school characteristics, such as age, size, and socio-economic status. A “rapid assessment technique” used during the on-site visits focused on vegetation extent and complexity as indicators of biodiversity.

The most common types of greenspace on Auckland primary school grounds were individual trees, sports fields, and flower beds, all of which offer limited vegetation complexity and poor habitat quality. Schools with larger sports fields had fewer large trees on their grounds. The socioeconomic status of the schools did not appear to be a key factor in predicting the quality of a school’s greenspace. Every school had at least one plant species that could be used for cultural learning associated with Māori weaving practices. Schools with more complex greenspaces were generally further away from a natural habitat patch or significant ecological area.

The results of this study show that currently, “primary schools in Auckland do not maximize their contribution to urban greening through greenspaces on their grounds.” Suggestions for improving school greenspaces to better contribute to urban biodiversity as multifunctional spaces include (a) increasing greenspace type diversity, (b) adding more vegetation layers, and (c) increasing the diversity of native plant species. “Essential priorities for multifunctional school greenspace” noted by the researchers include nature connection, health and wellbeing, environmental learning, climate change mitigation and biodiversity.