Citizen Science Approaches to Describing Urban Herbaceous Covers for Assessing Their Ecosystem Services

The article explores the opportunities and limitations of employing Citizen Science approaches to describe and assess Urban Herbaceous Covers (UHC), including lawns, meadows, and weeds, within the framework of evaluating their ecosystem services. This research has led to the development of a methodology for mapping and describing urban areas characterized by herbaceous vegetation, designed for use by people without professional skills in green space inventory and botany. The methodology encompasses several components: guidelines for online mapping using the publicly available Yandex map builder for UHC areas within urban residential zones; a description form for volunteer participants to report on the condition and urban context of the selected sites; and recommendations for utilizing the iNaturalist platform for the photographic documentation of plant species diversity in the studied areas. This methodology aims to classify areas based on their roles as components of urban green infrastructure (UGI) and to provide a preliminary assessment of species composition and condition of UHC to identify ecosystem services. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable tool for enhancing public awareness of the significance and diversity of urban herbaceous vegetation and its ecosystem services, as well as supporting the sustainable development of urban environments. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.