1st Edition

Urban Landscape Ecology Science, policy and practice

    318 Pages 91 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    336 Pages 91 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The growth of cities poses ever-increasing challenges for the natural environment on which they impact and depend, not only within their boundaries but also in surrounding peri-urban areas. Landscape ecology – the study of interactions across space and time between the structure and function of physical, biological and cultural components of landscapes – has a pivotal role to play in identifying sustainable solutions. 

    This book brings together examples of research at the cutting edge of urban landscape ecology across multiple contexts that investigate the state, maintenance and restoration of healthy and functional natural environments across urban and peri-urban landscapes. An explicit focus is on urban landscapes in contrast to other books which have considered urban ecosystems and ecology without specific focus on spatial connections. It integrates research and perspectives from across academia, public and private practitioners of urban conservation, planning and design. It provides a much needed summary of current thinking on how urban landscapes can provide the foundation of sustained economic growth, prospering communities and personal well-being.

    1. Introduction: An Overview of Landscape Ecology in Cities

    Robert A. Francis, James D.A. Millington and Michael A. Chadwick

    2. Drivers of Soil Heterogeneity in the Urban Landscape

    Alessandro Ossola and Stephen J. Livesley

    3. Bees in a Peri-urban Landscape: A Synthesis of Research from East Contra Costa County, California 

    Misha Leong 

    4. Socioeconomics and Neighbor Mimicry Drive Yard and Neighborhood Vegetation Patterns 

    Emily Minor, J. Amy Belaire, Amélie Davis, Magaly Franco and Meimei Lin 

    5. An Exploration of the Relationships between Landscape Metrics and Tree Diversity in Urban Forests 

    Mikaël Maes 

    6. Edge Habitat of Urban Green Spaces: A Case Study in London (UK) 

    Marleen Feldbrugge, Patrick. G. Meirmans and Robert A. Francis 

    7. A Lawn without Grass: a New Tool for Landscape Ecologists 

    Lionel S. Smith 

    8. The Ecology and Management of Urban Pondscapes 

    Christopher Hassall, Matthew Hill, David Gledhill and Jeremy Biggs 

    9. The Value of a Small Urban River: Past, Present and Future 

    Rob C. Gray 

    10. Urban Ponds For People and By People 

    Malgorzata Blicharska and Frank Johansson 

    11. Modeling the Effects of Land Cover and Use on Landscape Capability for Urban Ungulate Populations 

    H. Brian Underwood and Chellby R. Kilheffer 

    12. Outdoor Recreation in Urban Forests – User Patterns and Impacts: Examples from Southern Germany 

    Gerd Lupp, Markus Melber, Theresia Hirschbeck, Anna Ritter, Martina Brockard, Valerie Kantelberg and Stephan Pauleit 

    13. Strengthening Urban Landscape Planning: A Metapopulation Modelling Framework 

    Laura J. Graham, Richard Field and Roy H. Haines-Young 

    14. Visualising Ecosystem Services using Historical Publications 

    Philip James, B.A. Law and Norman Redhead 

    15. What is Landscape Sensitivity? A Review of Two UK Coastal Case Studies 

    Josh Peacock 

    16. Urban Green Infrastructure in London: the Role of Landscape Ecology in Informing the Future of Parks and Green Space Policy in the City 

    Peter Massini 

    17. Urban Biodiversity Management in Ireland: Capturing the Experience of Practitioners 

    Maryann Harris, Tamara Hochstrasser, Karen Foley and Claire Cave

    Biography

      Robert A. Francis is Senior Lecturer in Ecology, King’s College London, UK. 

      James D. A. Millington is a Lecturer in Physical Geography, King’s College London, UK. 

      Michael A. Chadwick is a Lecturer in Freshwater Ecology, King’s College London, UK.