Urban Ecological Systems: Linking Terrestrial Ecological, Physical, and Socioeconomic Components of Metropolitan Areas

Pickett, Steward T. A.; Cadenasso, Mary L.; Grove, J. Morgan; Nilon, Charles H.; Pouyat, Richard V.; Zipperer, Wayne C.; Costanza, Robert

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-73412-5_7

Cited by 386 publications

(484 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…To address these challenges, we utilized an urban-rural macroclimatic gradient that had been characterized previously (Ziska et al 2004;George et al 2007). These characterizations were consistent with other evaluations of urban macroclimate with respect to carbon dioxide (Berry and Colls 1990;Idso et al 2001;Day et al 2002;Gregg et al 2003;Pataki et al 2007) and near-surface air temperature (McDonnell et al 1993;Brazel et al 2000;Pickett et al 2001).…”

supporting

confidence: 88%

Macroclimate associated with urbanization increases the rate of secondary succession from fallow soil

et al. 2008

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To examine the impact of projected climate changes on secondary succession, we exposed the same fallow soil with a common seed bank to an in situ gradient of urban to rural macroenvironments that differed in temperature and CO2 concentration ([CO2]). This gradient was established at three locations: Baltimore city center (urban), a city park on the outskirts of Baltimore (suburban), and an organic farm 87 km from the Baltimore city center site (rural). Over a five-year period, the urban site averaged 2.1 degrees C warmer and had a [CO2] that was ~20% higher than at the rural location, indicating that this gradient was a reasonable surrogate for projected changes in those variables for this century. Previous work had demonstrated that other abiotic variables measured across the transect, including tropospheric ozone and nitrogen deposition, did not differ consistently. The first year of exposure resulted in (two- to threefold) greater aboveground biomass in the urban relative to the rural site, but with uniform species composition across sites. Simple regression of abiotic variables indicated that temperature and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) were the best predictors of plant biomass among locations. Stepwise multiple regressions were also performed to analyze the effect of more than one macroenvironmental variable on total plant biomass. The combination of daily CO2 concentration and nighttime temperature explained 87% (P < 0.01) of the variability in total biomass between sites. After five years, the species demography of the plant communities had changed significantly, with a greater ratio of perennials to annuals for the urban relative to the rural location. Greater first-year biomass and litter accumulation at the urban site may have suppressed the subsequent seed germination of annual species, accelerating changes in species composition. If urban macroenvironments reflect future global change conditions, these data suggest a faster rate of secondary succession in a warmer, higher [CO2] world.

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supporting

confidence: 88%

Macroclimate associated with urbanization increases the rate of secondary succession from fallow soil

et al. 2008

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“…Urbanization is a worldwide phenomenon (Pickett et al 2001). Typically, conservation biologists have focused on the associated loss and degradation of rural and natural habitats, but there has been recent interest in the novel value of these transformed environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Typically, conservation biologists have focused on the associated loss and degradation of rural and natural habitats, but there has been recent interest in the novel value of these transformed environments. Urban areascities in particular-are typified by higher levels of chemical and physical pollution, warmer local climatic conditions and a higher prevalence of exotic species (Pickett et al 2001;McKinney 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecotypic differentiation between urban and rural populations of the grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus relative to climate and habitat fragmentation

Martin

Dyck

2011

Oecologia

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Urbanization alters environmental conditions in multiple ways and offers an ecological or evolutionary challenge for organisms to cope with. Urban areas typically have a warmer climate and strongly fragmented herbaceous vegetation; the urban landscape matrix is often assumed to be hostile for many organisms. Here, we addressed the issue of evolutionary differentiation between urban and rural populations of an ectotherm insect, the grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus. We compared mobility-related morphology and climate-related life history traits measured on the first generation offspring of grasshoppers from urban and rural populations reared in a common garden laboratory experiment. We predicted (1) the urban phenotype to be more mobile (i.e., lower mass allocation to the abdomen, longer relative femur and wing lengths) than the rural phenotype; (2) the urban phenotype to be more warm adapted (e.g., higher female body mass); and (3) further evidence of local adaptation in the form of significant interaction effects between landscape of origin and breeding temperature. Both males and females of urban origin had significantly longer relative femur and wing lengths and lower mass allocation to the abdomen (i.e., higher investment in thorax and flight muscles) relative to individuals of rural origin. The results were overall significant but small (2-4%). Body mass and larval growth rate were much higher (+10%) in females of urban origin. For the life history traits, we did not find evidence for significant interaction effects between the landscape of origin and the two breeding temperatures. Our results point to ecotypic differentiation with urbanization for mobility-related morphology and climate-related life history traits. We argue that the warmer urban environment has an indirect effect through longer growth season rather than direct effects on the development.

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“…We now understand that it is both cultural and biological diversity that underpin resilience and sustainability (Anderssen 2006). Urban ecological research has materialized in two forms recognized now as ecology in and ecology of the city (Pickett et al 2001, MacDonnell 2011. Ecology in the city speaks to those studies that are local in scale while ecology of the city speaks to research that is multi-scalar, and inter-disciplinary (Grimm et al 2008, Pickett et al 2001.…”

Section: A Short Overview Of the Emergence Of The 'Discipline'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Urban ecological research has materialized in two forms recognized now as ecology in and ecology of the city (Pickett et al 2001, MacDonnell 2011. Ecology in the city speaks to those studies that are local in scale while ecology of the city speaks to research that is multi-scalar, and inter-disciplinary (Grimm et al 2008, Pickett et al 2001. While there is a fair amount of research on the ecology in the urban, the ecology of the urban is somewhat further behind (MacDonnell 2011).…”

Section: A Short Overview Of the Emergence Of The 'Discipline'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Ecological and Social-Ecological Research in the City of Cape Town: Insights Emerging from an Urban Ecology CityLab

Anderson¹,

Elmqvist²

2012

E&S

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Urban Ecological Systems: Linking Terrestrial Ecological, Physical, and Socioeconomic Components of Metropolitan Areas

Cited by 386 publications

References 78 publications

Macroclimate associated with urbanization increases the rate of secondary succession from fallow soil

Macroclimate associated with urbanization increases the rate of secondary succession from fallow soil

Ecotypic differentiation between urban and rural populations of the grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus relative to climate and habitat fragmentation

Urban Ecological and Social-Ecological Research in the City of Cape Town: Insights Emerging from an Urban Ecology CityLab

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