Nature's heartbeat in urban spaces

Parks play a vital role in our lives, providing spaces for us to enjoy with our loved ones or find solace in solitude. However, the significance of parks goes beyond personal experiences. Biodiversity, which refers to the variety of species and habitats in ecosystems, plays a crucial role in defining the functions of parks. From carbon sequestration and hydrological balance to providing habitats for resident and migratory species, biodiversity offers numerous benefits such as recreational opportunities and mitigation of climate and anthropogenic impacts like floods, droughts, and air pollution.

公园在我们的生活中扮演着至关重要的角色，它为我们提供了与所爱之人共度美好时光或在孤独中寻找慰藉的空间。然而，公园的意义远不止于个人体验。生物多样性是指生态系统中物种和栖息地的多样性，对于公园的功能起着至关重要的作用。从碳封存和水文平衡到为常驻和迁徙物种提供栖息地，生物多样性提供了众多益处，如休闲机会、缓解气候和人为影响（如洪水、干旱和空气污染）。

However, assessing biodiversity goes beyond a simple species count. It involves considering species distribution, ecological conditions, historical changes, habitat connectivity, and environmental pressures such as noise and light exposure. Efforts are underway to precisely measure and monitor ecosystem health to inform decisions that improve ecosystem’s well-being.

然而，生物多样性评估不仅仅是对物种进行简单的计数，还涉及对物种分布、生态条件、历史变化、栖息地连通性以及噪音、光照等环境压力的分析。我们目前正努力实现精准测量并监测生态系统的健康状况，以便为提高生态系统福祉的相关决策提供信息。

When considering the city of Shenzhen, reputed as a green city, we must recognize that only a portion of it remains natural and native. Approximately 55-60% of the green we see today is a reflection of Shenzhen prior to its urban development. The eco-health of the city varies among different parks, depending on their ecological imprint and natural conditions. Some parks, like Tanglang Mountain, Wutong Mountain, and the Dapeng Peninsula Geopark, represent the healthiest remnants of Shenzhen’s natural ecosystems, despite varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure.

深圳被誉为绿色城市，但我们必须认识到，这座城市只有一部分仍是自然和原生的。我们今天看到的绿地中约有55-60%是深圳城市发展前的自然映射。不同公园的生态健康状况各不相同，这取决于其生态印记和自然条件。一些公园尽管经受着不同程度的人为压力，但仍代表着深圳最健康的自然生态系统遗迹，如塘朗山、梧桐山和大鹏半岛地质公园。

View of Shenzhen from Tanglang Mountain. Tanglang Mountain is a primary forest and one of the few pristine ecosystems in the city. Courtesy of Matteo Convertino

塘朗山上的深圳城市景观。塘朗山的森林是一个原始森林，也是城市中为数不多的原始生态系统之一。

Several parks still showcase traces of the city’s past, such as Lianhua Hill Park, which was built on existing hills once connected to Tanglang Mountain. Other areas, like the restored Dasha River, retain some remnants of their natural state, but major changes have taken place, including the addition of elements for human recreation.

部分公园仍然展示着这座城市曾经的痕迹，如莲花山公园，是建在曾与塘朗山相连的山丘之上。其他区域，如恢复后的大沙河，虽然保留了一些自然状态遗留的痕迹，但已发生了重大变化，包括增加了供人类娱乐的元素。

There are also newly-created parks on land reclaimed from the sea, such as Shenzhen Talent Park and the Shenzhen Bay ecological corridor. However, the overall picture of the city’s parks is one of disconnected green areas that need to be reintegrated into a unified whole, so that they can form a larger green puzzle.

还有一些在填海造地后新建的公园，如深圳人才公园和深圳湾生态廊道。然而，总体来看，城市公园就是一个个相互脱节的绿地，亟待重新整合成统一的整体，从而拼接成更大的绿色拼图。

To that end, our mission is to enhance ecohydrological connectivity through actions like reforestation and improving water flows. This includes establishing connections between urban parks and natural parks which facilitate species movement, enhance hydrologic responses, regulate temperatures, increase carbon sequestration, and improve nutrient regulation across all ecosystems. Such effort as creating interconnected wetlands, floodplains, and vegetative buffer strips can be orchestrated with urban solutions including urban gardens and the greening of buildings.

我们的目标任务是通过植树造林和改变水流等行动加强生态水文连通性。这包括建立城市公园和自然公园之间联系，从而在整个生态系统中促进物种移动、增强水文反应、调节温度、增强碳封存并改善营养调节。创建相互连接的湿地、泛滥平原和植被缓冲带等工作可与城市花园、建筑绿化等更多城市解决方案进行统筹策划。

It is crucial to remember that parks transcend administrative and city boundaries, working as part of a collective ecosystem that recognizes nature’s own boundaries. Biodiversity management should adopt a transboundary approach based on natural boundaries defined by watersheds, which are the primary blueprint of nature. It is fundamental to protect existing natural areas and to always keep in mind that beautiful nature is of functional value. We are doing ourselves a favor when we protect nature.

重要的是我们要记住，公园是一个需要超越行政和城市边界，以大自然自身的边界来衡量的集体生态系统的一部分。生物多样性管理应基于自然原本的蓝图，采用流域来定义跨越行政区划的自然边界。因此，最根本的是要保护现有的自然区域，并始终牢记自然之美是其功能性价值的体现。保护自然就是在帮助我们自己。