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Zusatztext "This primer of urban ecology spans an impressive breadth! viewing cities through the lenses of ecosystem! community! population! behavioral! and evolutionary ecology. Adler and Tanner bring these ideas together in a way that highlights the connections between urban ecology and human health! urban planning! and policy. The ability of the authors to communicate complex ideas in straightforward manner makes the book accessible to those new to the emerging discipline of urban ecology. The suggested discussion questions and exercises will surely prove to be useful resources for educators and students alike." Amanda D. Rodewald! Cornell University Informationen zum Autor Frederick R. Adler is a professor in the Departments of Biology and Mathematics at the University of Utah. He has published research in a broad range of topics throughout mathematical biology, including biodiversity, population dynamics and spatial ecology. He was awarded the University of Utah's Distinguished Mentor Award in 2009. Colby J. Tanner is currently a visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne. His work focuses on the interface between the local environment and the social aspects of animal behaviour. Klappentext An accessible introduction to the unifying principles of ecology through the exploration of urban ecosystems. "The urban environment is proliferating worldwide, and increasingly is becoming the habitat for humanity. As the authors point out, whereas in 1700 less than 1/10 of people lived in cities, today that fraction exceeds half the world's population. It is urgent to understand what the implications of this change are, and to form an ecosystem perspective on the city. Adler and Tanner have done so brilliantly in this wonderful and scholarly book, which manages to be simultaneously charming and educational. The book is constructed as an unfolding play, a comedy or tragedy depending on one's perspective, beginning with the introduction of the dramatis personae. This is followed by the action, in which the winners and losers of citification are identified, and the effects on the dynamics of materials and energy, culminating with a look to the future. The book can be read from beginning to end as a novel, but also is organized, with exercises, in such a way that it will make a superb text, providing a solid scientific perspective painlessly. This is, to my knowledge, an effort without peer, and certainly makes me want to teach such a course, or at least to take it. The authors have done a superb job, and the reader will be well rewarded." Simon A. Levin, Princeton University "This primer of urban ecology spans an impressive breadth, viewing cities through the lenses of ecosystem, community, population, behavioral, and evolutionary ecology. Adler and Tanner bring these ideas together in a way that highlights the connections between urban ecology and human health, urban planning, and policy. The ability of the authors to communicate complex ideas in straightforward manner makes the book accessible to those new to the emerging discipline of urban ecology. The suggested discussion questions and exercises will surely prove to be useful resources for educators and students alike." Amanda D. Rodewald, Cornell University Zusammenfassung This book provides the tools students need to understand how urban ecosystems work. It uses a comparative approach that is ideal for students new to the field! demonstrating that ecological mechanisms! rather than simple rules! are the key to understanding how ecological principles play out in cities around the world. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface; 1. Urban ecosystems and the science of ecology; 2. Urban accounting; 3. Urban ecosystem processes; 4. The ecology of urban organisms; 5. Implications of urban ecology; Glossary; Bibliography; Index....
