Forest clearings can potentially be an important resource for pollinators. Land use history has previously been shown to be important for the number of species and individuals of butterflies in clearings, with a larger number where it historically was meadows, even after a generation of production forest. Plant species richness has also been shown to be influenced by land use history. In this study, pollinators were collected with pan traps on clear-cuts that had at least one generation of production forest, which in the 1870s was either meadow or forest. The results showed that there was no difference in species numbers and individual number between the two types of clear-cuts when it comes to Bombus spp, Syrphinae spp, Lepturinae spp, Cetoniidae spp and Trichius spp. The result is surprising because there is a greater frequency of herbs in clearings that previously had been meadow and the expectations was therefore that there should be more pollinators there. There are indications that the catchability when it comes to the pan trap method is inversely proportional to the floral richness, and the lack of differences could therefore be due to sampling bias.

The objective of this study was to characterize the wild bee fauna of a managed mixed-grass prairie in southwestern Manitoba. Weekly sampling using two methods, sweep-netting and bee bowls, was conducted over two years (2005-2006) at three sites within the Yellow Quill Mixed-grass Prairie Preserve. Spatial and seasonal patterns in diversity indices, taxonomic composition and ecological composition of the bee fauna were identified and investigated in relation to sampling method, environmental conditions, and floral resource availability. A total of 7014 individual bees representing five families and 100 species were collected. Numerically, social nesters from the genera Lasioglossum and Bombus dominated, while mining species of Andrena represented the greatest species richness. Observed spatial and seasonal patterns in the abundance, diversity and composition of the bee community were strongly modified by sampling method, resource limitation in the second year and the presence of the exotic invasive plant leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

In entomophilous plants, the most frequent flower visitors are social and solitary bees. The relationship is mutualistic, as bees benefit from pollen and nectar, and plants have their pollination performed by bees. The study of the guilds of flower-visiting bees presents as results, among others, the understanding of the guild structure and the factors that interfere with this structure. Among these, the deforestation of natural areas, as in the Cerrado , has been considered as one of the main factors. Thus, a common Cerrado plant Matayba guianensis Aubl., (Sapindaceae) was chosen, with the goal of studying the structure of the guild of flower-visiting bees in this species. Other objectives were: to investigate whether the environmental differences among three Cerrado areas would have an influence on the structure of this guild and determine the flower visitors and probable pollinators of Matayba guianensis, besides bees. Three Cerrado sites were chosen in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil: the Panga Ecological Station (EEP), with 1,011.90 a; the Palma da Babilônia Farm (FPB), with 444.79 a and the Souza Cruz (SC) Property, with 70.43 a. The areas presented environmental differences evinced by the estimates of natural vegetation in the surroundings: 52.62 % for EEP, 32.94 % for FPB and 9.73 % for SC. Bees and other insects were collected on Matayba guianensis in two consecutive flowering periods, from October to December of 2005 and 2006. Matayba guianensis presented asynchrony in its phenological stages and predominance of staminate individuals (64,7%) in comparison to the estaminate/pistilate and only pistilate individuals, and was considered a generalist species regarding its flower visitors. In the first phase, 1516 bees were collected, belonging to five families of Apoidea and to 80 species. Analyzing these, we found 30% of dominant and 46.3% of rare species. In the second phase, 562 bees, belonging to 66 species, composed of 15.2 % of dominant ones and 56.1% of rare ones, were collected. Overall, 2078 bees, pertaining to 105 species, were collected. The Apidae family stood out in terms of number of species and individuals. The most abundant species was Apis mellifera, which represented 41.9 % and 32.7% of the bees collected in the first and second phases, respectively, followed by Scaptotrigona depilis. The visitation pattern of these species is not indicative of resource sharing. The structure of the guild, with many rare species and few abundant ones, as much as the richness and abundance of the families of Apoidea, was similar to other studies conducted in the Cerrado region. The collecting of bees in a single plant species was capable of representing, at least partially, the richness of bees in the Cerrado . There was great similarity between the bee guilds in EEP and FPB. The composition of species of each guild varied more among the three areas than the richness and abundance. The comparison between the bee guilds collected in EEP in 1988/89 and 2005/2006 made the changes in abundance and composition of species evident. The proportion of natural vegetation, the location and the biology of each species, such as in the case of Melipona, are factors that influenced the structure of the bee guilds. Other flower visitors of Matayba guianensis were the Coleoptera, with 35 species, the Diptera, with 37 and wasps, with 54. Some of these species, as Ornidia obesa and Palpada sp.1, may act as pollinators. Other species are probably damaging the plant, as the phytophagous Coleoptera. Matayba guianensis is a key plant in the maintenance of guilds of bees as well as of other Cerrado insects. / Nas plantas entomófilas os visitantes florais mais freqüentes são abelhas sociais e solitárias. A relação é mutualística, com as abelhas se beneficiando do pólen e do néctar e as plantas se beneficiando da polinização realizada pelas abelhas. O estudo das guildas de abelhas visitantes de flores permite, entre outros, o entendimento da estrutura da guilda e dos fatores que interferem nessa estrutura. Dentre estes, o desflorestamento de áreas naturais, como o cerrado, tem sido apontado como um dos principais fatores. Assim, escolheu-se uma planta comum de cerrado, Matayba guianensis Aubl. (Sapindaceae), objetivando-se estudar a estrutura da guilda de abelhas visitantes e aspectos de sua biologia floral. Outros objetivos foram verificar se as diferenças ambientais entre três áreas de cerrado influenciariam na estrutura dessa guilda e determinar os visitantes florais e possíveis polinizadores de Matayba guianensis, além das abelhas. Escolheu-se três áreas de cerrado (sentido restrito), no município de Uberlândia, MG: a Estação Ecológica do Panga- EEP, com 403,85 ha; o cerrado na Fazenda Palma da Babilônia-FPB, com 180 ha e a reserva na Souza Cruz-SC, com 28,5 ha. As áreas apresentavam diferenças que foram evidenciadas pelas estimativas de vegetação natural no entorno: 52,62 % para a EEP, 32,94 % para a FPB e 9,73 % para a SC. As abelhas e outros insetos foram coletados em Matayba guianensis em duas floradas consecutivas, de outubro a dezembro de 2005 e de 2006. Essa planta apresentou assincronia em suas fases fenológicas e predominância de indivíduos estaminados (64,7%) em relação aos estaminados/pistilados e pistilados, sendo generalista quanto a seus visitantes florais. Na primeira etapa, foram coletadas 1516 abelhas, pertencentes a cinco famílias de Apoidea e a 80 espécies. Destas, 30% foram dominantes e 46,3%, espécies raras. Na segunda etapa, coletou-se 562 abelhas pertencentes a 66 espécies, com 15,2 % de espécies dominantes e 56,1% de espécies raras. No total, foram coletadas 2078 abelhas pertencentes a 110 espécies. A família Apidae sobressaiu em número de espécies e de indivíduos. A espécie mais abundante foi Apis mellifera, que representou 41,9 % e 32,7% das abelhas coletadas na primeira e segunda etapas, seguida por Scaptotrigona depilis, com 24% e 20,6%, respectivamente. As espécies mais comuns apresentaram alguns picos de atividade não coincidentes, mas não houve um padrão de partição de recursos ao longo do dia. A estrutura da guilda, com muitas espécies raras e poucas espécies abundantes, assim como a riqueza e abundância das famílias de Apoidea, mostrou-se semelhante a outros trabalhos realizados no cerrado. A coleta de abelhas em uma única espécie de planta foi capaz de representar parcialmente a riqueza de abelhas do cerrado. A similaridade entre a guilda de abelhas da EEP foi bastante semelhante à da FPB. A composição das espécies de cada guilda variou mais entre as três áreas do que a riqueza e abundância. A comparação entre as guildas de abelhas da EEP coletadas em 1988/89 e em 2005/2006 evidenciou alterações na abundância e composição das espécies. A proporção de vegetação natural, a localização e a biologia de cada espécie, como no caso de Melipona, são fatores que influenciaram na estrutura das guildas de abelhas. Outros visitantes florais de Matayba guianensis foram os coleópteros, com 35 espécies; dípteros, com 37 e vespas, com 54. Muitas destas espécies, como os dípteros Ornidia obesa e Palpada sp.1, podem atuar como polinizadores. Outras espécies devem estar prejudicando a planta, como os coleópteros fitófagos. Matayba guianensis é uma planta-chave na manutenção de guildas de abelhas e de outros insetos do cerrado. / Doutor em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais

A abelha Bombus terrestris é um eficiente polinizador, prestando importantes serviços ecossistêmicos na Europa e adjacências, onde é nativa. Suas colônias têm sido criadas em larga escala para polinização agrícola, as quais são comercializadas internacionalmente, inclusive em países fora de sua área de ocorrência nativa. Deliberada ou acidentalmente a espécie tem sido introduzida em ambientes alóctones, em muitos casos tornando-se invasora. Quando invasora, a espécie é um potencial vetor de doenças e um competidor com outras abelhas; vários impactos têm sido relatados em áreas invadidas ao redor do mundo. Na América do Sul, a espécie foi inicialmente introduzida em ambientes naturais no Chile, mas rapidamente a invasão se espalhou; atualmente é encontrada ocupando ambientes naturais na Argentina. A elevada capacidade invasiva da espécie e a alta velocidade de sua expansão, conforme tem sido relatada por pesquisadores, levantou a possibilidade de a espécie alcançar o Brasil por meio de corredores ambientais favoráveis que se conectam com áreas já invadidas, gerando preocupações sobre potenciais impactos aos sistemas naturais e agrícolas. Esta pesquisa empregou uma abordagem interdisciplinar, integrando uma variedade de métodos analíticos oriundos de diferentes áreas da ecologia e os mais avançados recursos de sistemas de informações geográficas para detectar globalmente as áreas susceptíveis à invasão por Bombus terrestris, considerando-se também as mudanças climáticas. Para o sul da América do Sul foram identificados os corredores de invasão que poderão permitir a espécie se espalhar e alcançar Brasil a partir de locais invadidos. Para o Brasil, foram identificados os municípios mais vulneráveis à entrada da espécie, e também aqueles que estão na rota de expansão da invasão Brasil adentro. Para os municípios brasileiros, por sua vez, foram verificadas as culturas agrícolas e as espécies de Bombus nativas que a invasora poderá interagir ao longo da rota de invasão potencial; com estas informações foram apontadas áreas prioritárias, subsidiando o planejamento de monitoramento e ações de controle do processo de invasão, mas também medidas preventivas e mitigadoras de impactos ambientais e econômicos após a invasão, caso venha a ocorrer. / The bee Bombus terrestris is an efficient pollinator, providing important ecosystem services in Europe and surrounding areas, where it is a native species. Their colonies have been reared in large-scale for agricultural pollination, which are internationally traded, including for countries outside its native range. The species has been deliberately or accidentally introduced into non-native environments, becoming invasive in many cases. When invasive, the species is a potential vector of diseases and competes with other bees for resources; many impacts have been reported in invaded countries around the world. In South America, the species was introduced in natural environments of Chile at first, but the invasion was quickly spread; nowadays it is found living in natural environments of Argentina. The high invasiveness of the species and the high speed of its invasive expansion, as has been reported by researchers, raised the possibility of the species reach Brazil through suitable environmental corridors that are connected with areas already invaded, raising the concerns about potential impacts to natural and agricultural systems. An interdisciplinary approach was used in this research, composing a variety of analytical methods from different areas of ecology and applying the most advanced resources of geographic information systems to detect areas susceptible to invasion by Bombus terrestris at global scale, considering also climate change. For the southern South America, the corridors of invasion that could allow the spreading of the species and that potentially reach Brazil were identified. For Brazil, the most susceptible municipalities at the entrance of the species have been identified, and also those that are on the route of expansion inside the country. For Brazilian municipalities, crops and native species of Bombus that the invasive species can interact with along the potential invasion route were verified; with this information, priority areas were identified, supporting the planning of monitoring and control actions of the invasion process, but also preventive and mitigating measures of environmental and economic impacts after the invasion, if it eventually occurs.

Submitted by Gabriela Lopes (gmachadolopesufpel@gmail.com) on 2016-10-03T17:15:46Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação - Marina de Magalhães da Fonseca.pdf: 2736383 bytes, checksum: b1ef8a122c1dc6e2d92f2bb25c8badb3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2016-10-06T20:42:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Marina de Magalhães da Fonseca.pdf: 2736383 bytes, checksum: b1ef8a122c1dc6e2d92f2bb25c8badb3 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-06T20:42:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Marina de Magalhães da Fonseca.pdf: 2736383 bytes, checksum: b1ef8a122c1dc6e2d92f2bb25c8badb3 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Os estudos de biologia reprodutiva são fundamentais para a conservação e manejo das espécies de plantas, uma vez que o período reprodutivo é uma fase de grande importância para a dinâmica das populações e sobrevivência das espécies . Esta dissertação teve como objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento da morfologia floral, biologia floral e reprodutiva de Butia odorata (Barb. Rodr.) Noblick, além de identificar os agentes polinizadores e suas relações com as flores. O trabalho foi realizado em dois países, no Uruguai (em La Paloma, Departamento de Rocha) e no Brasil (em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul). Foram identificadas as fases de floração, antese masculina e feminina. Foi estimado o número de flores masculinas e femininas por ráquila na inflorescência, e a relação existente entre flores masculinas e femininas. Foi verificada a coloração das ráquilas e das flores. As flores foram caracterizadas quanto à sua morfologia e morfometria. Foram identificadas as ordens de insetos que visitaram as inflorescências, a relação dos insetos com as flores, os recursos florais coleta dos e o período de visitação durante as fases de floração. As flores de Butia odorata são unissexuais, hipóginas, actinomorfas, diclamídeas e sésseis. As flores masculinas e femininas ocorrem na mesma inflorescência e possuem formatos distintos, sendo as primeiras muito mais numerosas do que as segundas. As flores masculinas estão dispostas por toda a ráquila, com maior concentração do meio para o ápice, as flores femininas são encontradas do meio para a base da ráquila, formando tríades com duas masculinas. Existe variabilidade genética para cor e tamanho de ráquilas e para cor das flores em inflorescências de B. odorata. A espécie apresenta mecanismos de protandria. Uma grande diversidade de espécies de insetos das ordens Hymenoptera, Coleoptera e Diptera visitam as inflorescências. Durante a antese masculina, as ordens Hymenoptera e Coleoptera são mais frequentes, enquanto que durante a antese feminina a ordem Hymenoptera se destaca. Os insetos são atraídos pelos recursos como pólen e néctar disponibilizados pelas flores. A compreensão sobre a biologia reprodutiva, apresentado nos dois capítulos da dissertação, serve de alicerce para a preservação do butiá, pois este conhecimento é de grande importância para traçar estratégias de conservação e uso de recursos genéticos e programas de melhoramento. / Studies of reproductive biology are essential for the conservation and management of plant species, once the reproductive period is a time of great importance for the population dynamics and species survival. This dissertation had as objective to contribute to uderstanding floral morphology, floral and reproductive biology of Butia odorata (Barb. Rodr.) Noblick. Also, to identify the pollinators and their relationship with the flowers. The study was conducted in two Countries, Uruguay (La Paloma, Rocha Department) and Brazil (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State). Stages of flowering, and male and female anthesis were identified. The number of male and female flowers per rachille in the inflorescence, and the ratio between male and female flowers were estimated. The coloring of rachilles and flowers was verified. The morphology and morphometry of flowers were characterized. Orders of insects that visited the inflorescences, the relationship of insects with flowers, the collected floral resources and the period of visitation during the stages of flowering were identified. Flowers of Butia odorata are unisexual, hypogynous, actinomorphic, dichlamydeous and sessile. The male and female flowers occur on the same inflorescence and have different formats, being the male more numerous than the female. The male flowers are arranged throughout the rachille, with higher concentration from the middle to the apex. The female flowers are found from the middle to the base of rachille, forming triads with two male flowers. There is genetic variability for color and size of rachilles and for color of flowers on inflorescences of B. odorata. The species has mechanisms of protandry. A great diversity of insects' species, belonging to the Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera orders visit the inflorescences. During male anthesis, the Hymenoptera and Coleoptera orders are more frequent, whereas during female anthesis the Hymenoptera order stands. The insects are attracted by the resources such as pollen and nectar provided by the flowers. The understanding of the reproductive biology, presented in two chapters of this dissertation, serves as the foundation for the preservation of butiá, because this knowledge is of great importance to devise strategies for the conservation and use of genetic resources and breeding programs.

Master thesis investigates reproductive barriers in diploid-polyploid complex of Vicia cracca. Complex with basic chromosome number x=7 consists of diploid (2x=14), tetraploid (4x=28) and rare triploid (3x=21) cytotype. I studied prereproductive barriers between diploid and tetraploid cytotype: phenology of flowering, pollinators' behavior (preference of spieces of pollinators to cytotypes, sequence of visited cytotypes), variables, that could explain pollinators' behavior (amount of nectar as the main reward, size and amount of pollen grains as a potentional reward). To find out how strong the triploid block is I analyzed ploidy of seeds and seedlings from mixed-ploidy population. The habitat isolation showed up to be the strongest reproductive barrier. Pollinator's behavior meaningfully contributes to isolation, phenology of flowering contributes only minimally. Index expressing rate of prereproductive barriers is 0,956. Pollinator Bombus pascuorum visited on one locality preferably tetraploid plants and Andrena sp. preferred diploid plants. Even though tetraploid plants produce more nectar, no other analysis showed pollinators' preference to tetraploid plants. I prepared one squash of diploid V. cracca using method of in situ hybridization. This method needs to be optimilized for the studied taxon.

Anther smuts (Microbotryum violaceum s.l.) represent a well-known system for studying pathogens of wild plants and coevolution between pathogens and hosts. Infected plants produce sterile flowers with anthers filled with fungal spores which are transmitted to other host plants by pollinators. Data from existing research come mainly from the genus Silene. However, the applicability of these findings to other host plants of anther smuts is largely unknown. Therefore, this thesis focuses on a different host species - Dianthus carthusianorum. First, the pattern of disease was surveyed in natural populations of D. carthusianorum in a small area in Střední Povltaví. Most populations were infected to various degrees and only a few populations remained completely healthy. The prevalence of disease was positively correlated with size and density of host populations. On the other hand, environmental factors and the degree of connectedness had very little effect on disease prevalence. Second, additional data were collected from a subset of populations to determine plant resistance and densities of pollinators. Differences in resistance among populations (as inferred from flower inoculations) were not significant. Populations differed in densities of pollinators, but there was no correlation between densities...

De senaste hundra årens landskapsförändringar har orsakat en minskning av betesmarker och ängar som är viktiga livsmiljöer för inhemska blommande växter och pollinerande insekter. Detta har bidragit till en kraftig tillbakagång av många av dessa arter. Vägkanterna utgör därför viktiga refuger som livs- och födosöksmiljöer. Enskilda vägar är den längsta vägkategorin i Sverige – ändå finns inga nationella riktlinjer till dess väghållare om detta. Syftet med undersökningen var att undersöka vägsamfälligheters medvetenhet kring hotet mot vilda växter och pollinatörer, samt vilka begränsningar och möjligheter som finns för dem att genomföra olika skötselåtgärder i vägkanterna. I dagsläget håller kommunen på att överlämna skötselansvaret till samtliga vägsamfälligheter. En relevant fråga blir då även hur vägsamfälligheter kommer att sköta sina vägkanter efter övertagandet. En enkätundersökning skickades ut till vägsamfälligheter i Laholms kommun. Det visade sig att de flesta ansåg att vägkanter var en viktig miljö för blommor och pollinatörer och att hoten mot dem var allvarliga. Att senarelägga vägkantslåtter sågs som den mest genomförbara av skötselåtgärderna, och den minst genomförbara uppsamling av slagen vegetation. Vanliga begränsningar för att kunna förbättra vägkanternas miljöer var att de var för smala på grund av intilliggande åkermark, brist på resurser, att åsikterna om skötseln går isär och kunskapsbrist. Information och utbildning till vägsamfälligheter om vägkanternas betydelse och råd om skötselåtgärder skulle kunna leda till ökad acceptans och förståelse när skötselansvaret framöver kommer att ligga på dem. / Due to landscape changes the last hundred years there is a lack of suitable habitats for wild flowering plants and pollinating insects, like grazed grasslands and meadows. This has contributed to a decline of many of these species, but road verges functions as important refuges for these. Private roads are the longest road-category in Sweden – yet road communities for these roads gets no national guidelines about this. The purpose of this survey is to investigate the awareness of the threats to flowering plants and pollinators in road communities and identify barriers and possibilities for them to improve road verge habitats and the feasibility of certain road verge management alterations. In this study a survey was sent out to road communities in Laholm municipality, Sweden. Laholm municipality is renouncing the management responsibilities for private road communities, and therefore a relevant question is how the road communities will manage their road verges on their own? It showed that most thought that road verges were important habitats for flowers and pollinators and that the threats against them were serious. The most feasible alteration was to cut road verges in late summer, and the least feasible was removal of hay. Commonly barriers to be able to improve road verge habitats were that road verges were to narrow due to surrounding agriculture, lack of resources, differing opinions about management and lack of knowledge. Spreading knowledge to road communities may lead to a greater acceptance and understanding to a flower and pollinator – friendly road verge management.

Framtiden kommer att sätta städer på prov i och med att världens befolkning och urbanisering ökar. Detta utsätter livsviktiga förutsättningar som ekosystemtjänster och pollinering för stora hot, då en ökande urbanisering gör att grönytor i städer minskar. Samtidigt som att de som finns oftast är av en karaktär som inte är speciellt gynnsam för den biologiska mångfalden. Det har påvisats att det kan finnas ett positivt samband mellan biologisk mångfald och människans välmående. Samtidigt poängterar flertalet studier de hälsofrämjande effekter naturen har på människor, sett till både det fysiska och det mentala. Om rätt förutsättningar ges för städer kan det skapa möjligheter som bidrar med positiva effekter för en hållbar stadsutveckling. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka effekter småskalig odling i urban miljö kan ha för att öka biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster i staden, samt boendes relation till naturmiljöer. Studien fokuserade på miniträdgårdar/blomurnor som placerats ut i ett bostadsområde i Gävle, Sverige. Dessa delades ut till hushåll som ville ta hand om dem under 2019. Resultatet av både en enkätundersökning och en litteraturundersökning visar på att miniträdgårdar kan ses som en förbättringsåtgärd/ett verktyg för att främja hållbarheten i städer gällande både de ekologiska och sociala aspekterna. En analys av en inventeringsstudie som skedde mellan år 2018 och 2019 gällande pollinerande insekter för området i Gävle, visade på att förekomsten av pollinatörer hade ökat. Enkätstudien av 39 svaranden visade på att de som tyckte att det skett en förändring i och med tillkomsten av miniträdgårdar/blomurnor, tyckte att det varit i en positiv mening. Det visade sig även att i jämförelse mellan år 2019 och 2020 hade de boendes inställning till olika inslag i naturen ökat i en positiv mening. Detta skulle kunna förklaras som att exponeringen av miniträdgårdar/blomurnor har lett till mer pro-ekologiska attityder. Slutligen konstateras att vidare studier inom ämnet behöver genomföras för att kunna ge ett tydligare svar av vad för slags mini-odlingar som är bäst lämpade och i vilken utsträckning dessa är nödvändiga för att uppnå positiva resultat. / The future will put cities to test as the world's population and urbanization increases. This may lead to threats to vital conditions for ecosystem services and pollination as such. As a result of increasing urbanization, green spaces in cities are declining and those of existence are usually of a character that is not particularly favorable for biodiversity. It has been shown that there can be a positive relationship between biodiversity and human well-being. At the same time, several studies point out the health-beneficial effects that nature has on humans, regarding both physical and mental health. As well as providing right conditions for cities, it can create opportunities that contribute with positive effects for sustainable urban development. The aim of this study is to investigate what effects small-scale cultivation in an urban environment has on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the city, as well as the resident’s relationship to natural environments. The study has focused on arrangements of miniature gardens/flower urns placed in a residential area in Gävle, Sweden. These were distributed to households who wanted to take care of them in 2019. The result of both a questionnaire survey and a literature study show that such an arrangement can be seen as an improvement action/tool to promote sustainability in cities regarding both the ecological and social aspects. An analysis of an inventory study which occurred between the years 2018 and 2019 that looked at pollinators in the resident area in Gävle, showed that the abundance of pollinators had risen. The questionnaire survey of 39 answers showed that of those who felt that a change had occurred with the presence of the miniature gardens/flower urns thought that it had been in a positive way. Compared to 2019, the residents' attitudes towards natural elements had been increasingly positive in 2020. This could be explained by the fact that the presence of the miniature gardens/flower urns has affected their values in a pro-ecological manner. Finally, it is concluded that to give a clearer answer of what kinds of small-scale cultivations that are best suited and to what extent these are necessary to achieve positive results, further studies in the subject are needed.