Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understanding
greater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe where
human activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand how
cities work as ecological systems so they can take control of the
vital links between human actions and environmental quality, and work
for an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystem
approach integrates biological, physical and social factors and
embraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our best
hope for coping with the complexity of cities.
This book is a first of its kind effort to bring together leaders in
the biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystem
research with leading education researchers, administrators and
practitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems is
vital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological and
environmental science, and to understand their own environment.