Advances in Urban Ecology
Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems

The future of Earth's ecosystems is increasingly influenced by the pace and patterns of urbanization. Advances in Urban Ecology articulates the challenge for scholars of urban ecosystems by presenting a unified theory linking human and ecological processes.

This groundbreaking work is an attempt at providing a conceptual framework to synthesize urban and ecological dynamics into a common framework. The greatest challenge for urban ecologists in the next few decades is to understand the role humans play in urban ecosystems. The development of an integrated urban ecological approach is crucial to advance ecological research and to help planners and managers solve complex urban environmental issues. This book is a major step forward.

The Urban Ecosystem.- Humans as Components of Ecosystems.- Urban Patterns and Ecosystem Dynamics.- Land Use and Land-Cover Change.- The Water Cycle.- Biogeochemical Cycles.- Atmosphere and Climate.- Population and Community Dynamics.- Patterns, Processes, and Scale.- Urban Ecology: A Synthesis.