Scholarlink

<p>Urban greening initiatives provide numerous ecosystem services but may inadvertently increase human-wildlife conflicts (ecosystem disservices). In Japan, hornets (<i>Vespa</i> spp.) and paper wasps (<i>Polistes</i> spp.) represent significant disservices due to their stings, which occasionally result in fatalities. To understand how urban environments shape public encounters with these wasps, we analyzed 7,916 extermination request records (2019–2021) from Kobe City, Japan, a highly urbanized region with steep land-use gradients. Building on previous research in Tokyo and Nagoya, our study presents the first fine-scale analysis of how land-use gradients shape genus-specific wasp extermination patterns, differentiating between <i>Vespa</i> (hornets) and <i>Polistes</i> (paper wasps). We examined the effects of surrounding land-use characteristics and population density on extermination frequencies across 779 neighborhood-level districts. <i>Vespa</i> exterminations peaked in areas with approximately 15–20% developed land and declined in the most urbanized areas, whereas <i>Polistes</i> exterminations were highest in approximately 40% developed areas and increased with human population size. Farmland showed a strong negative effect on <i>Vespa</i> exterminations but no effect on <i>Polistes</i>. The relative share of <i>Polistes</i> increased with urbanization, rising from 6.6% baseline to approximately 30% in highly developed areas, suggesting an urban dominance of this genus. Spatial analysis revealed that <i>Polistes</i> exterminations were concentrated in post-1960s suburban “new towns” where detached housing with gardens provides ideal nesting sites, while residents may have different ecological knowledge about wasp management compared to rural populations. These patterns reflect both ecological habitat preferences and social and behavioral responses, including psychological factors such as fear, disgust, and limited familiarity with insects in urban settings. These findings highlight the importance of integrating disservice considerations into biodiversity-friendly urban planning and provide actionable thresholds for spatially-targeted management strategies.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Spatial patterns of ecosystem disservices across urban-rural gradients: municipal wasp extermination data from Kobe, Japan

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月18日

查看全文
  • Tatsuya Saga,
  • Nakata Taichi,
  • Yuta Uchiyama

摘要

Urban greening initiatives provide numerous ecosystem services but may inadvertently increase human-wildlife conflicts (ecosystem disservices). In Japan, hornets (Vespa spp.) and paper wasps (Polistes spp.) represent significant disservices due to their stings, which occasionally result in fatalities. To understand how urban environments shape public encounters with these wasps, we analyzed 7,916 extermination request records (2019–2021) from Kobe City, Japan, a highly urbanized region with steep land-use gradients. Building on previous research in Tokyo and Nagoya, our study presents the first fine-scale analysis of how land-use gradients shape genus-specific wasp extermination patterns, differentiating between Vespa (hornets) and Polistes (paper wasps). We examined the effects of surrounding land-use characteristics and population density on extermination frequencies across 779 neighborhood-level districts. Vespa exterminations peaked in areas with approximately 15–20% developed land and declined in the most urbanized areas, whereas Polistes exterminations were highest in approximately 40% developed areas and increased with human population size. Farmland showed a strong negative effect on Vespa exterminations but no effect on Polistes. The relative share of Polistes increased with urbanization, rising from 6.6% baseline to approximately 30% in highly developed areas, suggesting an urban dominance of this genus. Spatial analysis revealed that Polistes exterminations were concentrated in post-1960s suburban “new towns” where detached housing with gardens provides ideal nesting sites, while residents may have different ecological knowledge about wasp management compared to rural populations. These patterns reflect both ecological habitat preferences and social and behavioral responses, including psychological factors such as fear, disgust, and limited familiarity with insects in urban settings. These findings highlight the importance of integrating disservice considerations into biodiversity-friendly urban planning and provide actionable thresholds for spatially-targeted management strategies.