Nature-Based Solutions as Tools for Monitoring the Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Urban Ecosystems

Nature-based solutions (NBS) include a wide spectrum of situations: natural and seminatural green spaces, urban forests, designed gardens and parks, green road lines and roundabouts, bio-swales, productive gardens, green roofs and walls. In each site, the challenge is to provide the best solution according to the environmental and cultural context and the citizens’ demand. The urban horticulture in synergy with NBS provides to design, realise and manage green solutions for specific problems in the urban context. NBS supplies actions able to improve urban resilience and many opportunities for improving urban quality, optimising the delivering of a mixed range of ecosystem services (ES). This chapter highlights that NBS can be used for monitoring, soil, air and water quality, water matrices and pollinator diversity. We therefore describe methods for monitoring the quality of soil, air, water matrices and pollinator diversity and abundance. In conclusion, we point out some key aspects, under an interdisciplinary perspective, in order to promote further and deeper knowledge in the application of NBS in the urban environments.7n