PNAS Science Sessions

How redlining affects biodiversity

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Cesar Estien explores the legacy of mid-20th century redlining through the biodiversity of disadvantaged neighborhoods.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction
•[1:04] Cesar Estien, an urban ecologist at the University of Washington, describes the practice of redlining.
•[2:50] He tells how a study of redlining and environmental quality led to a study of animal diversity.
•[3:33] Estien describes why the study cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego were chosen for the study.
•[4:25] He explains the difference between species richness and community composition.
•[5:31] He reports the study findings regarding species richness and community composition in redlined and greenlined neighborhoods.
•[6:55] Estien talks about the lasting legacy of racial injustice on the ecology of cities.
•[7:52] He explains why equitable access to biodiversity matters.
•[9:04] Caveats and limitations of the study.
•[10:09] Conclusion.

About Our Guest:

Cesar Estien
Ph.D. Candidate
University of California, Berkeley

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321441121

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