Urban wildflower meadow planting for biodiversity, climate and society: An evaluation at King's College, Cambridge

The biodiversity and climate crises are critical challenges of this century. Wildflower meadows in urban areas could provide important nature-based solutions, addressing the jointly benefitting society process. King's College Cambridge (England, UK) established a wildflower meadow over portion its iconic Back Lawn 2019, replacing fine lawn first laid 1772. We used surveys, Wilcoxon signed rank ANOVA models to compare species richness, abundance composition plants, spiders, bugs, bats nematodes supported by meadow, remaining lawn, 3 years. estimated change impact vs from maintenance emissions, soil carbon sequestration reflectance effect. surveyed members university quantify societal benefits of, attitudes towards, increased planting on collegiate estate. In spite small size (0.36 ha), approximately three times more plant species, spider bug individuals, were recorded often than lawn. Terrestrial invertebrate biomass was 25 higher compared with Fourteen conservation designations (six for lawn), alongside specialist species. Reduced fertilising associated reduced emissions an 1.36 Mg CO2-e per hectare year Relative 25%–34% relative Soil stocks did not differ between Respondents thought provided greater aesthetic, educational mental wellbeing services lawns. open responses, lawns undesirable elitism social exclusion (most colleges restrict access senior college), respondents proved overwhelmingly favour place This study demonstrates substantial local biodiversity, cultural ecosystem mitigation, supplied at lower cost maintaining conventional