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与生态系统服务供给至关重要。然而在城市环境中，尽管植被的空间范围与分布差异已得到广泛研究，但植被垂直结构及其潜在驱动因素却尚未得到关注。明确植被垂直结构在不同城市间的变化规律，并识别该变化的潜在驱动因子，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. 本研究利用激光雷达（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市的植被垂直结构进行量化，并分析该结构如何响应生物物理、社会经济、城市形态以及景观结构变量的变化。 3. 通过模型选择技术，本研究发现两种空间尺度下，与树木覆盖相关的景观结构变量（树木覆盖范围与空间配置）对植被垂直结构的解释力最强。生物物理变量与城市形态变量同样具有重要作用，但仅在与景观结构变量结合时才会显现效果。 4. 当周边城市景观的树木占比降低时，样地内的平均植被垂直复杂度、叶投射盖度（foliage projective cover）与冠层高度均会下降。总体而言，当植被斑块在空间上聚集分布时，这些垂直结构指标也会有所提升。 5. 总结与应用。本研究借助激光雷达数据与模型选择技术证实，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、破碎化程度加剧，与其垂直结构简化存在显著关联。若该关系具有普遍性，则在为生物多样性与生态系统服务管理城市植被时，不应仅关注城市整体的树木覆盖或绿地面积，还需明确需要采取干预措施以提升植被垂直复杂度的区域。本研究为识别城市中此类区域提供了重要的科学参考依据。