Data from: Landscape structure influences urban vegetation vertical structure

1. Vegetation vertical structure is important for biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. In cities, however, while variation in the spatial extent and distribution of vegetation has been widely investigated, vertical vegetation structure and its potential drivers have not. Understanding how vegetation vertical structure varies across cities and identifying potential drivers of this variation will improve management of urban vegetation for biodiversity and ecosystem services. 2. We used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to quantify the vertical structure of vegetation across Brisbane, Australia, at 1 km2 and 1 ha spatial scales and investigated how this structure varied in response to biophysical, socio-economic, urban form, and landscape structure variables. 3. Using model selection techniques, we found that landscape structure variables related to tree cover (tree cover extent and spatial configuration) best explained vegetation vertical structure at both spatial scales. Biophysical and urban form variables were also important, but only in combination with landscape structure. 4. Mean vegetation vertical complexity, foliage projective cover, and canopy height at a site all decreased as the treed proportion of the surrounding urban landscape decreased. In general, these vertical structure variables also increased where patches of vegetation were clustered together spatially. 5. Synthesis and applications. Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and model selection techniques we show that the extent and vertical structure of urban vegetation are not independent, and that reduced extent and increased fragmentation of urban vegetation is associated with simplification of its vertical structure. If common, this relationship means that managing urban vegetation for biodiversity and ecosystem services should not focus solely on the amount of tree cover or green space present across cities, but also on identifying where interventions to improve vegetation vertical complexity are required. Our study provides important insights into where these locations may be in cities.1. 植被垂直结构对于生物多样性维持与生态系统服务供给至关重要。然而在城市环境中，尽管学界已对植被的空间范围与分布变化开展了广泛研究，但针对植被垂直结构及其潜在驱动因子的探索仍付阙如。明晰植被垂直结构在不同城市间的差异规律，并识别该差异的潜在驱动因子，将有助于优化城市植被管理，以更好地服务于生物多样性保护与生态系统服务提升。2. 本研究采用激光雷达（Light Detection and Ranging, LiDAR）数据，以1平方千米与1公顷的空间尺度对澳大利亚布里斯班全域的植被垂直结构进行量化，并探究该结构如何响应生物物理、社会经济、城市形态及景观结构四类变量的变化。3. 通过模型选择方法，本研究发现，与树木覆盖相关的景观结构变量（包括树木覆盖范围与空间配置）能够最好地解释两种空间尺度下的植被垂直结构差异。生物物理变量与城市形态变量同样具有解释力，但仅在与景观结构变量结合使用时方能体现其价值。4. 当周边城市景观的树木占比降低时，样地的平均植被垂直复杂度、叶投影盖度与冠层高度均会随之下降。总体而言，当植被斑块在空间上呈聚集分布时，上述植被垂直结构变量的数值也会相应升高。5. 综合与应用启示。本研究借助激光雷达（LiDAR）数据与模型选择方法证实，城市植被的覆盖范围与垂直结构并非相互独立；城市植被覆盖范围缩减与景观破碎化程度加剧，均与其垂直结构简化存在关联。若该关联具有普遍性，则意味着在为保护生物多样性与提升生态系统服务而开展城市植被管理时，不应仅关注城市全域的树木覆盖量或绿地面积，还需明确需要采取干预措施以提升植被垂直复杂度的具体区域。本研究为识别城市中此类区域提供了重要的理论参考与实践指引。