Beyond Urban Legends: An Emerging Framework of Urban Ecology, as Illustrated by the Baltimore Ecosystem Study

Pickett, Steward T. A.; Cadenasso, Mary L.; Grove, J. Morgan; Groffman, Peter M.; Band, Lawrence E.; Boone, Christopher G.; Burch, William R.; Grimmond, Sue; Hom, John; Jenkins, Jennifer C.; Law, Neely; Nilon, Charles H.; Pouyat, Richard V.; Szlávecz, Katalin; Warren, Paige S.; Wilson, Matthew A.

doi:10.1641/b580208

Cited by 306 publications

(220 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…However, given the limitation of two study sites from a single metropolitan area, our results only represent an initial step toward understanding the ecology of raccoons in the urban matrix. Recent research on commensal bird species demonstrated they actually exhibited highly variable spatial distributions across the Baltimore metropolitan area, despite their close association with urban areas and a perception of a ubiquitous distribution across the landscape (Pickett et al 2008). Clearly, additional research on raccoons and other urbanassociated species is needed on a larger scale and in a variety of urban systems given the limitations of our study and the complexities of urban landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Raccoon use of the urban matrix in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, Maryland

et al. 2011

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The raccoon is often considered a synanthropic species; however, most urban research on this species has been restricted to urban parks or green spaces. Little is known about the persistence of synanthropic characteristics in the raccoon within the urban matrix. We examined density, den selection, home range size, habitat selection, and survival for adult raccoons (Procyon lotor) during summer (June-August) and autumn (September-November) in two residential neighborhoods, Linthicum located inland, and Riviera Beach on a peninsula in the Potomac river, in Southern Maryland. Den site selection varied by gender (P=0.0002) and study site (P=0.052), and study site interacted with gender (P=0.0063), with female raccoons denning preferentially on the ground and male raccoons in human structures in Riviera Beach while in Linthicum females denned preferentially in trees and males avoided human structures. Seasonal home range size was larger for males (P<0.0001) than females at both sites. Habitat selection varied at different hierarchical levels, and between gender, season and site. Intersite differences in habitat selection were apparent at the second order and third order scale. Aquatic and urban habitat was ranked high and woodland consistently lowest in second order scale at Riviera Beach while urban habitat was consistently ranked lowest at Linthicum where woodland ranked highest. Between the hierarchal scales (2nd and 3rd order) a difference in habitat selection occurred at Linthicum only where urban habitats ranked lowest at 3rd order. The differences in patterns of habitat selection we observed between two urban sites at different hierarchical scales suggest that resource selection is dependent upon the specific characteristics of the site and that raccoons exhibit variable responses to changes in landscape features. Finally, male survival tended to be lower (P=0.079) than female survival in both study sites. Our results reveal that raccoons can continue to exhibit synanthropic characteristics within the urban matrix even in areas with little natural habitat. This ability to adjust to different levels of development allows the raccoon to occur throughout most parts of the urban landscape, which has important management implications for human-raccoon conflicts and disease management.Urban Ecosyst (2012) 15:667-682 DOI 10.1007/s11252-011-0218-

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Raccoon use of the urban matrix in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, Maryland

et al. 2011

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“…However, there is a lack of theory that links the scale of the city (resilience in cities), to the scale of ''systems of cities'' (resilience of cities). More explicitly, we lack theory to analyze the panarchies of urban networks, i.e., the dynamic interlinkages between social and technical networks that sustain energy, matter, and information, and how these dynamic networks influence ecological networks and the capacity to generate local-to-regional ecosystem services (but see Alberti and Marzluff 2004;Pickett et al 2008). For instance, how do technical networks shape urban land-use patterns and influence urban ecosystems?…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A presumption in this article is that such services are inextricably linked to ecological processes and the focus lies on such ''ecosystem services,'' i.e., the benefits urban inhabitants and cities derive from ecosystem processes including, e.g., improved water and air quality, storm protection, flood mitigation, sewage treatment, micro climate regulation, and recreation and health values (Daily 1997;Bolund and Hunhammar 1999;Elmqvist et al 2008). As ecological processes are in turn modified and entangled in social, and therefore political processes (most obviously through competing landuses), the city comes into view as constituted out of political social-ecological processes (Swyngedouw 2006;Pickett et al 2008;Grimm et al 2008). Based on this, a normative strategy for urban governance would be to maintain or even enhance essential ecosystem services and to accomplish this in ways that recognize the spatial distribution of ecosystem services and their relation to social equity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Transitions: On Urban Resilience and Human-Dominated Ecosystems

Ernstson

Leeuw

Redman

et al. 2010

AMBIO

496

243

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Urbanization is a global multidimensional process paired with increasing uncertainty due to climate change, migration of people, and changes in the capacity to sustain ecosystem services. This article lays a foundation for discussing transitions in urban governance, which enable cities to navigate change, build capacity to withstand shocks, and use experimentation and innovation in face of uncertainty. Using the three concrete case citiesNew Orleans, Cape Town, and Phoenix-the article analyzes thresholds and cross-scale interactions, and expands the scale at which urban resilience has been discussed by integrating the idea from geography that cities form part of ''system of cities'' (i.e., they cannot be seen as single entities). Based on this, the article argues that urban governance need to harness social networks of urban innovation to sustain ecosystem services, while nurturing discourses that situate the city as part of regional ecosystems. The article broadens the discussion on urban resilience while challenging resilience theory when addressing human-dominated ecosystems. Practical examples of harnessing urban innovation are presented, paired with an agenda for research and policy.

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“…That being the case, it is imperative to know why trees thrive in some communities and not in others, beyond the physical properties of the sites. Stormwater management, including reduction of impervious surfaces and protection of the Chesapeake from fertilizer runoff, will be most effective if managers understand relationships between social characteristics and vegetation cover Pickett et al 2008). Since the vast majority of land is privately owned, it is the decisions of individuals and households, which often reflect characteristics of neighborhoods, that are crucial to understand.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape, vegetation characteristics, and group identity in an urban and suburban watershed: why the 60s matter

et al. 2009

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As highly managed ecosystems, urban areas should reflect the social characteristics of their managers, who are primarily residents. Since landscape features develop over time, we hypothesize that present-day vegetation should also reflect social characteristics of past residents. Using an urban-to-suburban watershed in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region, this paper examines the relationship between demographics, housing character-

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Beyond Urban Legends: An Emerging Framework of Urban Ecology, as Illustrated by the Baltimore Ecosystem Study

Cited by 306 publications

References 44 publications

Raccoon use of the urban matrix in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, Maryland

Raccoon use of the urban matrix in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, Maryland

Urban Transitions: On Urban Resilience and Human-Dominated Ecosystems

Landscape, vegetation characteristics, and group identity in an urban and suburban watershed: why the 60s matter

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