Preference for site conservation in relation to on-site biodiversity and perceived site attributes: An on-site survey of unmanaged urban greenery in a tropical city

Singapore is a densely-populated tropical city with a heavy investment in managed greenery and intensive landscape maintenance practices. Unmanaged greenery such as unprotected young secondary forests continues to be lost in the face of continuous development despite its socio-ecological values. In this study, we assessed perceptions of 11 patches of unmanaged forested areas using an on-site questionnaire. The questionnaire covered site attributes pertaining to ecosystem services and disservices, as well as sensory experience, maintenance, and biodiversity, and recorded preference for retaining diverse forest patches in residential areas as opposed to replacing them with manicured greenery. To explore the association of on-site biodiversity with preference for site conservation, we surveyed flora and fauna at all 11 sites. We analysed the inter-relationship between perceived site attributes using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The resulting factors, plus recorded site-level biodiversity, were then used as predictor variables in a confounder-adjusted binomial regression for preference for site conservation. The results highlight the joint importance of biodiversity, environmental function, and aesthetics in a stated preference for conservation of unmanaged urban greenery. We conclude with a discussion of design and management strategies aimed at balancing these site attributes and encouraging acceptance of unmanaged landscape in the tropical context.