Urban ecology

For the journal, see Urban Ecology (journal).
Central Park represents an ecosystem fragment within a larger urban environment.

Urban ecology is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings in an urban environment. An urban environment refers to environments dominated by high-density residential and commercial buildings, paved surfaces, and other urban-related factors that create a unique landscape. The goal of urban ecology is to achieve a balance between human culture and the natural environment.[1][2]

Urban ecology is a recent field of study compared to ecology.[3] Currently, most of the information in this field is based on the easier to study species of mammals and birds [source needed]. To close the gap in knowledge, attention should be paid to all species in the urban space like insects and fish [says who?]. This study should also expand to suburban spaces with its unique mix of development and surrounding nature.[4] The methods and studies of urban ecology is a subset of ecology. The study of urban ecology carries increasing importance because more than 50% of the world's population today lives in urban areas.[5] It is also estimated that within the next 40 years, two-thirds of the world's population will be living in expanding urban centers.[6] The ecological processes in the urban environment are comparable to those outside the urban context. However, the types of urban habitats and the species that inhabit them are poorly documented which is why more research should be done in urban ecology.

  1. ^ Niemelä, Jari (1999). "Ecology and urban planning". Biodiversity and Conservation. 8 (1): 119–131. doi:10.1023/a:1008817325994. ISSN 0960-3115. S2CID 36775732.
  2. ^ McDonnell, Mark J.; MacGregor-Fors, Ian (2016). "The ecological future of cities". Science. 352 (6288): 936–938. Bibcode:2016Sci...352..936M. doi:10.1126/science.aaf3630. PMID 27199416. S2CID 206647864.
  3. ^ Monge-Nájera, Julián (2018-02-28). "Las cuatro etapas históricas de la ecología urbana en Costa Rica". UNED Research Journal (in Spanish). 10. doi:10.22458/urj.v10i1.2034. ISSN 1659-441X.
  4. ^ Magle, Seth (2018-12-17), "Human–animal relationships in the urban wild", Anthrozoology, Oxford University Press, pp. 119–141, doi:10.1093/oso/9780198753629.003.0007, ISBN 978-0-19-875362-9, retrieved 2023-11-03
  5. ^ "More than half of world's population now living in urban areas, UN survey finds". UN News. 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  6. ^ Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max (2018-06-13). "Urbanization". Our World in Data.