Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Principles for the Built Environment

Adler, Frederick R.

ISBN 10: 0521746132 / ISBN 13: 9780521746137

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2013

About this Item

An accessible introduction to the unifying principles of ecology through the exploration of urban ecosystems. Num Pages: 353 pages, 100 b/w illus. 89 colour illus. BIC Classification: PSAF. Category: (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 248 x 176 x 20. Weight in Grams: 714. . 2013. paperback. . . . .

Seller Inventory # V9780521746137

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Principles for the Built Environment
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521746132
• ISBN 13: 9780521746137
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

As humans have come to dominate the earth, the ideal of studying and teaching ecology in pristine ecosystems has become impossible to achieve. Our planet is now a mosaic of ecosystems ranging from the relatively undisturbed to the completely built, with the majority of people living in urban environments. This accessible introduction to the principles of urban ecology provides students with the tools they need to understand these increasingly important urban ecosystems. It builds upon the themes of habitat modification and resource use to demonstrate how multiple ecological processes interact in cities and how human activity initiates chains of unpredictable unintended ecological consequences. Broad principles are supported throughout by detailed examples from around the world and a comprehensive list of readings from the primary literature. Questions, exercises and laboratories at the end of each chapter encourage discussion, hands-on study, active learning, and engagement with the world outside the classroom window.

About the Authors

Frederick R. Adler is a professor in the Departments of Biology and Mathematics at the University of Utah. He has published research in a broad range of topics throughout mathematical biology, including biodiversity, population dynamics and spatial ecology. He was awarded the University of Utah's Distinguished Mentor Award in 2009.

Colby J. Tanner is currently a visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne. His work focuses on the interface between the local environment and the social aspects of animal behaviour.