סמינר חוגי - Exploring urban nature: plant communities, visitor experiences, and manager perspectives

Title: Exploring urban nature: plant communities, visitor experiences, and manager perspectives

Summary: With more than half of the human population living in cities, urban parks provide a variety of ecosystem services and are some of the most significant places for human–nature interactions. Several land use practices and environmental factors affect urban park biodiversity and vegetation structure, composition, and ecological function, but few studies compare plant taxonomic composition and species traits across different types of urban green spaces. In addition, there is a need to examine the diverse experiences and vegetation preferences of urban park visitors, and how park managers work toward

balancing both social and ecological goals. In this presentation, Dr. Talal will share her interdisciplinary, mixed methods research (e.g., quantitative plant field surveys, qualitative park visitor and manager interviews) that explores plant communities and biodiversity, visitor preferences and accessibility, and
management of urban parks in Portland, Oregon USA. She will also discuss the development of her new research on urban nature sites in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, which focuses on urban nature site preferences, perceptions of ecosystem services, and how these urban green spaces contributed to human health and
well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovative integration of these perspectives into management and planning may help to enhance visitor experiences and maximize the many benefits of urban green spaces for society and the environment.

Speaker: Dr. Michelle L. Talal is a Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholar with a joint appointment in the Porter School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, working in Dr. Michal Gruntman’s laboratory. Dr. Talal has a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Oregon State University.