Biologisk mångfald på urbana begravningsplatser : från välvårdat till välmående

Abstract

With a thorough literature study this paper aims to pinpoint several biological features that in some way functions to preserve and/or benefit biodiversity in urban environments and, if possible, specifically urban cemeteries. This compilation will then be used as a tool to compare if similar biological features are present in the urban cemeteries, we in our case study have chosen to examine. The cemeteries in question are situated in Örebro and Jönköping. In addition to that, our study also strives to examine how the responsible management in care of these urban cemeteries work to preserve and benefit biodiversity within these presented ecological features. Key personnel, in this case operating managers, will provide the study with documents that reflect their goals and work efforts in accordance with biodiversity and sustainable development. The operating managers have also participated in field own cemetery. The result from our literary study shows a compiled list of 13 different biological features in which all have been determined to have the right prerequisites to benefit biodiversity in one way or another. These biological features are as follows: trees, dead wood, bushes and hedges, meadows, tall grass areas, perennials, lichen, fungi, fauna depots, insect hotels, bird and bat houses, stone walls and gravestones, and sandy surfaces. Comparing these biological features with the identified features of our urban cemeteries the study found that the two cemeteries from Örebro together possessed ten (10) out of the thirteen (13) total features with the missing features being meadows, tall grass areas, and fauna depots. At the Jönköping cemetery we could identify seven (7) features with the missing features being meadows, tall grass areas, lichen, fungi, fauna depots, and sandy surfaces.