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Mistletoes have a fraught public relations history. Vilified as toxic tree-killing weeds, they have long been targeted for removal by arborists and forest managers concerned with tree health. Research on mistletoe ecology has revealed their positive influence on diversity and community structure via complex networks of interactions. In areas where mistletoe has traditionally been removed, managers are now asking whether these parasitic plants can return on their own or whether they should be reintroduced. To evaluate the practicalities of mistletoe restoration, we inoculated 28 London plane trees Platanus × acerfolia (Aiton) Willd. in inner Melbourne with creeping mistletoe Muellerina eucalyptoides (DC.) Barlow, a locally rare species. Branch dimensions and aspect had no discernible effect on germination or seedling emergence, but trees where access to possums (Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792) and Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Boddaert, 1785)) was restricted were 30% more likely to host seedlings. Five years after inoculation, seven mistletoes successfully established on five trees, with two mistletoes bearing fruit. Communications with residents and city users elicited positive feedback, catalysing four additional inoculation trials in urban and forest settings elsewhere. In addition to representing a cost-effective means of enhancing habitat values, mistletoe restoration is useful for addressing open questions about mistletoe ecology and educating the community about the functional roles these parasitic plants play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underutilised public spaces such as streetscapes offer substantial opportunities to integrate habitats that increase biodiversity into existing urban landscapes and create more ecologically connected cities. Cooperation and collaboration from diverse stakeholders are paramount to achieving this because growing conditions for plants in streetscapes are often much harsher than remnant habitats or urban parks and little is known about the horticultural performance of many native understorey species in these novel urban environments. This paper describes how the City of Melbourne collaborated with researchers from the University of Melbourne to develop and test a suite of understorey plant species to increase streetscape biodiversity. To do so, we selected species using criteria from a horticultural planting guide which guided the design and creation of four streetscape plantings within the municipality. Here, we document the process and discuss lessons learnt from this project to assist other cities to design, construct and maintain streetscapes with successful, cost-effective plantings that improve urban biodiversity and aesthetic value. Key to the long-term success of these biodiverse plantings was thorough soil preparation and weed management before planting, and the implementation of a clear, ecologically sensitive management plan. To support this plan, suitably qualified and experienced landscape maintenance staff were essential, particularly those with horticultural knowledge and experience with indigenous and native plant species. Our project highlights the often conflicting needs of local authorities and ecological researchers and the necessary trade-offs needed to meet realistic goals and achieve successful project outcomes for creating more biodiverse urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Increasing integration of urban ecology science strengthens actions for biodiversity. • Collaboration between ecologists and land managers underpins landscape stewardship. • Adaptive management addresses novel ecosystems and impacts of urbanisation and climate change. Cities have important roles in biodiversity restoration and management. Local municipalities, as key land managers, play critical roles since some species are restricted to small patches of urban habitat, and some are considered threatened. Evolving approaches to urban nature policy, strategy and implementation demonstrate increasing sophistication and complexity, with approaches transitioning towards the adoption of more complex objectives, that address a wider range of urban nature forms, species and ecosystems. These objectives are increasingly underpinned by urban ecology research, citizen science participation and political championing. This paper adopts a 'dialogue'-adapted research approach to examine the evolution of the City of Melbourne's urban nature policies and actions across the decade from 2010 to 2020. We identify the key factors that enabled the endorsement and implementation of this capital city's Nature in the City strategy, analysing the science-policy interface and governance aspects that underpinned this significant policy transition. Through interviews and workshops with a range of actors involved in the implementation of the City of Melbourne's urban nature policies and activities over the last 10 years, we identify lessons learned that can be applied in other cities by urban land managers. In doing so, we argue that Melbourne's focus on biodiversity conservation and opportunities for restoration of species and ecological processes constitute important innovations in urban landscape policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid increase in urbanization, local governments and organizations are searching for opportunities to improve the social resilience, health, and wellbeing of urban residents by increasing their connection to nature. However, these urban communities are highly heterogenous, and tailored nature engagement and conservation programs will be necessary for building nature connection across diverse segments of the population. Here, we surveyed Melbourne community members (n = 1585) to understand their connection to nature and other aspects of their relationship with nature to aid in designing and prioritizing new conservation programs across the city. We determined demographic, psychographic, and behavioral factors associated with an individual's connection to nature, characterized unique segments of the population, and identified neighborhoods with greater concentrations of residents with high and low connection to nature. Overall, we found that community members have relatively high connection to nature, are concerned about environmental issues, and frequently participate in nature-related activities. New and older Melbourne residents tend to be more connected to nature, though there is important variation within these populations. Of the six distinct types of community members we identified, students that have lived in Melbourne for most of their lives exhibited the lowest connection to nature of all other typologies. Furthermore, residents in neighborhoods south of the Yarra River are the least connected to nature. We discuss the importance of such multifaceted approaches for understanding nature connection in urban populations and outline important strategies and priorities based on individual, community, and geographic targets for conservation programming across the Greater Melbourne area. • Multifaceted approaches to understanding nature connection in urban populations can help prioritize conservation programming • We segmented community members based on their connection to nature, demographics, and behaviors • A hotspot analysis identified areas of greater concentrations of residents with high and low connection to nature • Less connected participants stated that greater access to nature would not increase their nature engagement • Students that have lived in Melbourne for most of their lives exhibited the lowest connection to nature of all typologies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]