Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 Introduction: Scope of the book and need for developing a comparative approach to the ecological study of cities and towns
- Part I Opportunities and challenges of conducting comparative studies
- Part II Ecological studies of cities and towns
- Part III Integrating science with management and planning
- Part IV Comments and synthesis
- 30 What is the main object of urban ecology? Determining demarcation using the example of research into urban flora
- 31 How to conduct comparative urban ecological research
- 32 Ecological scientific knowledge in urban and land-use planning
- 33 Envisioning further steps in comparative urban ecology
- 34 Towards a comparative ecology of cities and towns
- 35 A comparative ecology of cities and towns: synthesis of opportunities and limitations
- References
- Index
- Plate section
30 - What is the main object of urban ecology? Determining demarcation using the example of research into urban flora
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 March 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 Introduction: Scope of the book and need for developing a comparative approach to the ecological study of cities and towns
- Part I Opportunities and challenges of conducting comparative studies
- Part II Ecological studies of cities and towns
- Part III Integrating science with management and planning
- Part IV Comments and synthesis
- 30 What is the main object of urban ecology? Determining demarcation using the example of research into urban flora
- 31 How to conduct comparative urban ecological research
- 32 Ecological scientific knowledge in urban and land-use planning
- 33 Envisioning further steps in comparative urban ecology
- 34 Towards a comparative ecology of cities and towns
- 35 A comparative ecology of cities and towns: synthesis of opportunities and limitations
- References
- Index
- Plate section
Summary
Introduction
The term ‘urban ecology’ can be used on two different levels (Sukopp, 1998): on the one hand it is used to describe ‘urban design programmes at the political and planning level’ (see Deelstra, 1998), while on the level of natural sciences it refers to ‘that area of biology which is concerned with urban areas’.
Since Haeckel first introduced the term ‘ecology’ in 1870 (Haeckel, 1870), its meaning has changed from a purely biological science to a ‘transdisciplinary’ science covering not only biology but also including other areas of natural sciences and increasingly even areas of non-natural sciences. This is particularly true of the branch of ecology termed ‘urban ecology’. Wittig and Sukopp (1998) define urban ecology both in a narrow sense and in a broader sense. In a narrow sense urban ecology is the branch of ecology which deals with urban biocenoses, biotopes and ecosystems, their organisms and location conditions as well as with the structure, function and history of urban ecosystems. In a broader sense urban ecology is a field of work integrated into various areas of science and planning with the aim of improving living conditions while ensuring a long-term and environmentally friendly urban development.
Irrespective of whether the term urban ecology is defined in a narrow or a broader sense, the question arises as to the spatial demarcation of the area which is to be the subject of urban ecological research, i.e. the actual object of investigation.
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- Information
- Ecology of Cities and TownsA Comparative Approach, pp. 523 - 529Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009
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