Urban Ecology

The term ecology is commonly used to describe the study of the relationships of organisms and their environment. Urban ecology, therefore, is a field of science dedicated to studying the complex interactions of humans and other organisms that inhabit both the created and natural systems that collectively make up our cities and urban areas. Urban ecologists study patterns such as land use and drainage, and processes such as community development and erosion, to better understand the resources available in urban areas and the extent to which they are affected by anthropogenic pressures. As the principal driving force of change to the environment, humans and associated anthropogenic activity are most often the source of modifications to the systems of an urban environment. The objective of urban ecology is to discover ways in which humans can live constructively in urban environments in a sustainable manner.

Although scientists have long studied the interactions of organisms in the environment to better understand patterns of behaviors in our natural world, the existence of an urban environment is a newer phenomenon; thus, information and knowledge of processes and patterns in the forum of urban ecology are a recent development. History has shown that people have traditionally gathered in communities of cities and towns to provide safety and security as well as better access to commodities. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that a widespread, universal urban environment was created. As a result of this monumental event, our nation changed from a primarily rural, agrarian culture to an urban, industrial society in which cities emerged as the nucleus of the new urban culture. People [Page 827]flocked from poor, rural farming communities to the city, where they believed they could secure jobs, money, and a more stable way of life. With this transformation came a new environment that challenged and changed many existing philosophies of human behavior.

The urban environment, unlike the natural environment, is primarily created by humans, who alter existing systems to better fit the perceived needs and wants of the inhabitants. The unintended consequences of altering natural systems and pushing the carrying capacity of urban areas beyond biological sustainability were not immediately evident, nor were the harmful effects understood, for quite some time. Furthermore, the perception about arising complications often was that humans could engineer a solution to any problem by using inspiration and ingenuity, without consideration for the interdependence of individual systems as vital to the working of the whole environment. In the early stages of urban life, very little thought was given to the importance of natural systems in urban environments, such as rivers and other waterways, and as a result, many of these natural systems suffered severe misuse or were otherwise destroyed when they were deemed a nuisance or unnecessary. Instead of developing around such natural forces as climate, topography, and environmental conditions, the main drivers of urban development consisted of socioeconomic forces such as population and economic growth, land use policy, and infrastructure. This sole focus on the advancement of the created systems within the urban environment, without consideration of the functions of natural systems, resulted in the creation of numerous unexpected problems that only intensified as cities grew in population and size. In any case, with the relatively rapid transition to an urban society, the influences of these created systems acting on the new urban environment produced outcomes difficult to anticipate.

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