Urban ecology

Urban ecology

Urban ecology is the subfield of ecology which deals with the interaction of plants, animals and humans with each other and with their environment in urban or urbanizing settings. Analysis of urban settings in the context of ecosystem ecology (looking at the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through the ecosystem) hopes to result in healthier, better managed communities. Studying the factors which allow wild plants and animals to survive (and sometimes thrive) in built environments can also create more livable spaces.

Urban ecology also involves the study of the effects of urban development patterns on ecological conditions. Emphasis is also placed on planning communities with environmentally sustainable methods via design and building materials in order to promote a healthy and biodiverse urban ecosystem.

Overview

Presently, 58% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas; by 2030 it is estimated that 60% of the global population will live in a metropolitan setting.Fact|date=September 2008 Interactions between non-living factors, such as sunlight or water, and biological factors, such as plants and microbes, take place in all environments, including cities. By concentrating humans and the resources they consume, metropolitan areas alter soil drainage, water flow, and light availability. Urban ecologists think of how architecture, such as sidewalks and rooftops, impacts the way rainwater is received and transported and the way garbage dumps and sewage plants centralize waste products.

Urban Animals

Some species of animals have been able to survive or thrive in a non-natural urban setting. These include rats, Feral Pigeons, and cockroaches.

ee also

* Urban planning

External links

* [http://www.bcnecologia.net Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona]
* [http://www.beslter.org Baltimore Ecosystem Study]
* [http://caplter.asu.edu/home/index.jsp Central Arizona - Phoenix LTER]
* [http://www.oasisdesign.net/design/principles.htm Principles of Ecological Design] - book
* [http://www.archinode.com Ecological Urban Design - Archinode Studio]
* [http://arcue.botany.unimelb.edu.au/ ARCUE] Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology
* [http://www.urbanecologycenter.org Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, WI]
* [http://www.urbaneco.washington.edu/ Urban Ecology Research Laboratory at the University of Washington]
* [http://www.ithacahours.com/losangeles.html Los Angeles: A History of the Future]
* [http://www.urbaneco.org Urban Ecology Institute (Newton, MA)]
*
* [http://www.i-cure.org/ Center for Urban Restoration Ecology]
* [http://www.biocityatunisa.edu.au/ BioCity@UniSA research centre]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • urban ecology — Urban ecology, pioneered by Chicago sociologists in the 1920s, was central to the development of human ecology . Indeed the two terms are often used interchangeably. Urban ecology applies principles derived from biological science to the… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Urban agriculture — and Peri Urban Agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around (peri urban), a village, town or city. [Bailkey, M. and J. Nasr. 2000. From Brownfields to Greenfields: Producing Food in North American… …   Wikipedia

  • Ecology (disciplines) — Ecology is a broad biological science and can thus be divided into many sub disciplines using various criteria. For example, one such categorization, based on overall complexity (from the least complex to the most), is:* Behavioral ecology, which …   Wikipedia

  • ecology — is the scientific study of the interactions that determine the territorial distribution and abundance of organisms. The term was first used scientifically in 1869 by the German biologist Haekel in a study of plant ecology. Darwin s theory of the… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Urban geography — is the study of urban areas. That is the study of areas which have a high concentration of buildings and infrastructure. These are areas where the majority of economic activities are in the secondary sector and tertiary sectors. They probably… …   Wikipedia

  • Ecology — For other uses, see Ecology (disambiguation). Ecology …   Wikipedia

  • Ecology movement — The global ecology movement is based upon environmental protection, and is one of several new social movements that emerged at the end of the sixties. As a values driven social movement, it should be distinguished from the pre existing science of …   Wikipedia

  • urban culture — ▪ sociology Introduction       any of the behavioral patterns of the various types of cities and urban areas, both past and present. Definitions of the city and urban cultures       Research on urban cultures naturally focuses on their defining… …   Universalium

  • Urban wilderness — Where appreciation for the importance of biodiversity meets the New Urbanism movement, one can find the pursuit of the creation of urban wilderness. Key traits of urban wilderness that differentiate it from lawns and other ecologically… …   Wikipedia

  • ecology, urban — See urban ecology …   Dictionary of sociology

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”