Understanding Urban Ecosystems: A New Frontier for Science and Education [Hardcover]

Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understandinggreater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe wherehuman activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand howcities work as ecological systems so they can take control of thevital links between human actions and environmental quality, and workfor an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystemapproach integrates biological, physical and social factors andembraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our besthope for coping with the complexity of cities.This book is a first of its kind effort to bring together leaders inthe biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystemresearch with leading education researchers, administrators andpractitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems isvital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological andenvironmental science, and to understand their own environment.Introduction: Ecosystem Understanding Is a Key to Understanding Cities.- Introduction: Ecosystem Understanding Is a Key to Understanding Cities.- The Importance of Understanding Urban Ecosystems: Themes.- Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems an Important Frontier for Education and Educators?.- The Role of Understanding Urban Ecosystems in Community Development.- Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems Important to People Concerned About Environmental Justice?.- Why Is Developing a Broad Understanding of Urban Ecosystems Important to Science and Scientists?.- Foundations and Frontiers from the Natural and Social Sciences: Themes.- Natural Ecosystems in Cities: A Model for Cities as Ecosystems.- An Ecosystem Approach to Understanding Cities: Familiar Foundations and Uncharted Frontiers.- Understanding Urban Ecosystems: An Ecological Economics Perspective.- Social Science Concepts and Frameworks for Understanding Urban Ecosystems.- The Future of Urban Ecosystem Education from a Social Scientists Perspective: The Vallƒ1