Urban Ecosystem Ecology

If more than half of the Earth’s people live in cities and the amount of paved surfaces in the United States is equivalent to the area of Ohio, shouldn’t our sciences thrive in the city? Urban Ecosystem Ecology takes on the important task of reconciling environmental sciences with the world’s growing urbanization. From wildlife to water, from urban agriculture to low-impact development, we need a better understanding of the urban ecosystem. Foreword ix

Preface xi

Contributors xiii

Conversion Factors for SI and Non-SI Units xv

1 Urbanization: Impacts on Clouds, Precipitation, and Lightning 1
J.M. Shepherd, J.A. Stallins, M.L. Jin, T.L. Mote

2 The Urban Physical Environment: Temperature and Urban Heat Islands 29
Gordon M. Heisler, Anthony J. Brazel

3 Urban Air Quality 57
Sri Juari Santosa

4 Birds in Urban Ecosystems: Population Dynamics, Community Structure, Biodiversity, and Conservation 75
Eyal Shochat, Susannah Lerman, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

5 Urban Mammals 87
Robert McCleery

6 Habitat Function in Urban Riparian Zones 103
Joan G. Ehrenfeld, Emilie K. Stander

7 Chemical, Physical, and Biological Characteristics of Urban Soils 119
Richard V. Pouyat, Katalin Szlavecz, Ian D. Yesilonis, Peter M. Groffman, Kirsten Schwarz

8 Lawn Ecology 153
Thomas W. Cook, Erik H. Ervin

9 Urban Plant Ecology 179
Astrid Volder

10 Urban Agriculture: A Comparative Review of Allotment and Community Gardens 199
David L. Iaquinta, Axel W. Drescher

11 Urban Forestry 227
Astrid Volder, W. Todd Watson

12 Inside Out: Invasive Plants and Urban Environments 241
Sarah Hayden Reichard

13 Urban Riparian Function 253
Emilie K. Stander, Joan G. Ehrenfeld

14 Urban Impacts on the Water Cycle and Potential Green Infrastructure Implications 277
Steven J. Burian, Christine A. Pomeroy

15 Chemistry of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Surface Waters 297
Meredith K Steele, William H. McDowell, Jacqueline A. Aitkenhead-Peterson

16 Urban Stream Ecology 341
Allison H. Roy, Michael J. Paul, Seth J. Wenger

17 Water Use in Urban Ecosystems: Complexity, Costs, and Services of Urban Ecohydrology 353
G. Darrel Jenerette, Karrin P. Alstad

18 Services in Natural and Human Dominated Ecosystems 373
Jacqueline A. Aitkenhead-Peterson, Meredith K. Steele, Astrid Volder

19 Green Roofs and Garden Roofs 391
D. Bradley Rowe, Kristin L. Getter

20 Bioretention, Low Impact Development, and Stormwater Management 413
Ming-Han Li, Bruce Dvorak, Chan Yong Sung

21 Greenspaces, Green Structure, and Green Infrastructure Planning 431
Anne R. Beer

Subject Index 449

Jacqueline Aitkenhead-Peterson is an Assistant Professor of Urban Water and Nutrient Management within the Soil and Crop Science department at Texas A&M University. Her research and teaching have focused on stream chemistry and the impact of land use/land cover management on soil and freshwater nutrient dynamics.

Astrid Volder is an Assistant Professor of Horticultural Landscape Ecology within the Horticultural Sciences department at Texas A&M University. Her research and teaching focus on plant stress response and belowground ecology as affected by climate change, urbanization and ecosystem management.