What is Urban Ecology?

Notes

Social Factors

• Interactions between humans

• Interactions between humans and their environment

• Health of people

• Government support

• Economic development

• Public transportation

Biological Factors

• Biodiversity

• Health of life forms

• Disease

• Wildlife

• Vegetation -plants, trees, grass, bushes,

Physical Factors

• Location and layout• Mountains, rivers, creeks, valleys, hills,

trees• Buildings, parking lots, roads, homes, • Climate, temperature, atmosphere• Electricity• Food availability• Clean / dirty

Chemical Factors

• Quality of air, water, soil, pollution

Urban Ecology

• New branch in environmental science

• Understand the health of cities and the threats that face them

Urban Ecology

• Study of trees, rivers, wildlife, and open spaces

• City resources - water, air, soil

• Affects of pollution, overdevelopment, and over population

Why study urban ecology?

• Cities are living ecosystems

• To promote the health of people and their environment

• Help residents and policy makers make better decisions and take action

Why study urban ecology?

• Observe local birds• Clean up water• Clean up air• Clean up abandoned property

(brownfields)• Create parks and gardens • Plant trees• Social connection with environment

Urban Ecosystems

Include an interaction of biotic factors• People• Living organisms

Abiotic Factors• Water, soil, air

Man Made Factors• Buildings, roads, cars….

Connection between Humans and Ecology

Humans influence ecological factors

• plants, animals, air, and soil

Ecological factors influence human decisions

• Where to build houses, parks, highways, schools, hospitals

Puzzle

• Take out page 30 in your packet

• 6. Cities are complex urban ecosystems

• Urban ecosystems are like a puzzle

• Social, biological, physical, and chemical

• To understand how an urban ecosystem works you need to understand that the four factors have impacts on each other

Assignment

What biological factors in cities are impacted by the presence humans?

What physical factors in cities are impacted by the presence humans?

What social factors in cities are impacted by the presence or absence humans?

What chemical factors in cities are impacted by the presence humans?