Understanding Urban Ecosystems

出版者:Springer Verlag

作者:Cary Conference 1999 (Institute of Ecosystem Studies)/ Nilon, Charles H. (EDT)/ Hollweg, Karen S. (E

页数:554

出版时间:2002-12

价格:$ 111.87

装帧:Pap

isbn号码:9780387952376

具体描述

Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understanding greater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe where human activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand how cities work as ecological systems so they can take control of the vital links between human actions and environmental quality, and work for an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystem approach integrates biological, physical and social factors and embraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our best hope for coping with the complexity of cities. This book is a first of its kind effort to bring together leaders in the biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystem research with leading education researchers, administrators and practitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems is vital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological and environmental science, and to understand their own environment.

目录信息

Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
Participants xvii
Contributors xxv
1 Introduction: Ecosystem Understanding Is a Key to Understanding Cities 1
Charles H. Nilon, Alan R. Berkowitz, and Karen S. Hollweg
Section I The Importance of Understanding Urban Ecosystems: Themes 15
Alan R. Berkowitz, Charles H. Nilon, and Karen S. Hollweg
2 Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems an Important Frontier for Education and Educators? 19
Karen S. Hollweg, Celestine H. Pea, and Alan R. Berkowitz
3 The Role of Understanding Urban Ecosystems in Community Development 39
Jack K. Shu
4 Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems Important to People Concerned About Environmental Justice? 46
Bunyan Bryant and John Callewaert
5 Why Is Developing a Broad Understanding of Urban Ecosystems Important to Science and Scientists? 58
Steward T.A. Pickett
Section II Foundations and Frontiers from the
Natural and Social Sciences: Themes 73
Charles H. Nilon, Alan R. Berkowitz, and
Karen S. Hollweg
6 Natural Ecosystems in Cities: A Model for Cities as Ecosystems 77
Anthony D. Bradshaw
7 An Ecosystem Approach to Understanding Cities: Familiar Foundations and Uncharted Frontiers 95
Nancy B. Grimm, Lawrence J. Baker, and Diane Hope
8 Understanding Urban Ecosystems: An Ecological Economics Perspective 115
William E. Rees
9 Social Science Concepts and Frameworks for Understanding Urban Ecosystems 137
Carolyn Harrison and Jacquie Burgess
10 The Future of Urban Ecosystem Education from a Social Scientist’s Perspective: The Value of Involving the People You Are Studying in Your Work 150
John B.Wolford
11 A Social Ecology Approach to Understanding Urban Ecosystems and Landscapes 167
J. Morgan Grove, Karen E. Hinson, and Robert J. Northrop
12 The Historical Dimension of Urban Ecology: Frameworks and Concepts 187
Martin V. Melosi
13 Urban Ecosystems, City Planning, and Environmental Education: Literature, Precedents, Key Concepts, and Prospects 201
Anne Whiston Spirn
14 A Human Ecology Model for the Tianjin Urban Ecosystem: Integrating Human Ecology, Ecosystem Science, and Philosophical Views into Urban Eco-Complex Study 213
Rusong Wang and Zhiyun Ouyang
Section III Foundations and Frontiers from Education Theory and Practice: Themes 229
Karen S. Hollweg, Alan R. Berkowitz, and Charles H. Nilon
15 Psychological and Ecological Perspectives on the Development of Systems Thinking 233
Kathleen Hogan and Kathleen C.Weathers
16 Toward Ecology Literacy: Contributions from Project 2061 Science Literacy Reform Tools 261
Jo Ellen Roseman and Luli Stern
17 An Interdisciplinary Approach to Urban Ecosystems 282
Bora Simmons
18 Children for Cities and Cities for Children: Learning to Know and Care About Urban Ecosystems 294
Louise Chawla with Ilaria Salvadori
19 “Ecological Thinking” as a Tool for Understanding Urban Ecosystems: A Model from Israel 315
Shoshana Keiny, Moshe Shachak, and Noa Avriel-Avni
20 Systems Thinking and Urban Ecosystem Education 328
Gary C. Smith
21 Approaches to Urban Ecosystem Education in Chicago: Perspectives and Processes from an Environmental Educator 343
Carol Fialkowski
22 “Campus Ecology” Curriculum as a Means to Teach Urban Environmental Literacy 355
Bruce W. Grant
23 Ecosystem Management Education: Teaching and Learning Principles and Applications with Problem-Based Learning 370
Henry Campa III, Delia F. Raymer, and Christine Hanaburgh
24 Using the Development of an Environmental Management System to Develop and Promote a More Holistic Understanding of Urban Ecosystems in Durban, South Africa 384
Debra C. Roberts
Section IV Visions for the Future of Urban Ecosystem Education: Themes 399
Alan R. Berkowitz, Karen S. Hollweg, and Charles H. Nilon
25 Urban Ecosystems and the Twenty-First Century— A Global Imperative 401
Frank B. Golley
26 Out the Door and Down the Street—Enhancing Play, Community, and Work Environments as If Adulthood Mattered 417
William R. Burch, Jr., and Jacqueline M. Carrera
27 Integrating Urban Ecosystem Education into Educational Reform 430
Rodger W. Bybee
28 The Contribution of Urban Ecosystem Education to the Development of Sustainable Communities and Cities 450
Julian Agyeman
29 Perspectives on the Future of Urban Ecosystem Education: A Summary of Cary Conference VIII 465
Peter Cullen
30 Urban Ecosystem Education in the Coming Decade: What Is Possible and How Can We Get There? 476
Alan R. Berkowitz, Karen S. Hollweg, and Charles H. Nilon
Index 503
· · · · · · (收起)

用户评价

我花了整整一个周末才勉强读完这本书的前三分之一，原因并非内容枯燥，恰恰相反，是因为它激发了我太多的联想和需要查阅的“附加阅读”。这本书的论证逻辑非常严密，它没有停留在对城市生态现象的表面描述，而是深入挖掘了驱动这些现象背后的社会经济驱动力。举个例子，书中对城市热岛效应的分析，不仅仅停留在温度数据的罗列上，而是追溯了不同时期建筑材料的选择、能源消耗模式的演变，甚至还探讨了不同阶层居民对空调使用的差异如何加剧了这种气候不公。这种多维度、交叉学科的分析视角，让我感到震撼。我尤其对书中关于“城市破碎化景观”的论述印象深刻，作者用精确的数据模型展示了连续的绿地如何被道路和建筑切割，以及这对本地昆虫和小型哺乳动物的迁徙和遗传多样性造成了怎样的致命影响。读完这部分，我开始重新审视自己每天通勤的路线，那熟悉的街道似乎在一瞬间变得陌生而脆弱。这本书强迫你进行批判性思考，它不是在“告知”你事实，而是在“训练”你如何去看待世界。

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作为一个长期在城市中生活、工作的人，这本书为我提供了一种全新的“城市感知滤镜”。它改变了我观察城市中人与非人元素互动的方式。阅读过程中，我不断地在脑海中构建一个模型：哪里是生物走廊？哪栋建筑的隔热性能可能导致了局部的热量堆积？河流被硬化岸堤后，对两岸的植被群落造成了何种影响？作者在讨论城市中的生物多样性时，并没有仅仅聚焦于大型动物，而是花费了大量篇幅来研究那些被我们忽视的“微观公民”——城市土壤中的微生物群落、墙缝里的苔藓，以及昆虫的“信息素高速公路”。这种对微观世界的关注，极大地丰富了我对城市复杂性的理解。这本书不仅是一本关于生态学的教材，更是一部关于“如何成为一个更负责任的城市居民”的指南。它成功地在知识传授和个人觉醒之间架起了一座坚实的桥梁，读完之后，我无法再以旧有的麻木视角来看待我所居住的这片土地了。

从排版和图表设计的角度来看，这本书的处理手法实在称得上是典范。很多关于环境科学的著作，往往牺牲了美观性来追求信息的密度，导致图表拥挤不堪，令人望而生畏。然而，这本书在视觉传达上做到了极佳的平衡。那些用以解释复杂概念的示意图，线条清晰，色彩运用大胆却不失专业性，比如关于城市水文循环的流程图，用不同深浅的蓝色和绿色区分了渗透、径流和蒸发，即便是第一次接触水文模型的人也能迅速掌握其基本原理。更值得称赞的是，作者在关键的概念阐述后，总会穿插一些精心挑选的案例研究，这些案例来自全球不同的城市——从亚洲的超级都市到欧洲的历史名城，它们提供了一种全球视野下的对比参照。这使得抽象的理论立刻落地生根，富有现实意义。我特别喜欢书中所使用的那种高质量的卫星影像截图，它们揭示了肉眼难以察觉的城市扩张模式和植被覆盖的变化，每次翻到这些插页，都像是在进行一次高空俯瞰，思绪万千。

这本书的语调是极其坦诚且略带忧患意识的，但它绝不是一本纯粹的“悲观主义报告”。尽管作者毫不留情地指出了当前城市化进程中对自然环境所造成的不可逆转的伤害，但其核心力量在于提出切实可行的解决方案和创新性的思维框架。它没有沉溺于对“逝去的美好”的怀旧，而是专注于“如何建设更具韧性的未来”。书中提出的“生态基础设施”概念，对我个人影响很大。我过去总把“基础设施”和“灰色工程”等同起来，但这本书让我明白了，将湿地恢复、屋顶绿化甚至透水路面纳入城市核心规划的重要性，实际上就是在构建城市自身的免疫系统。作者在介绍这些策略时，引用了大量的工程学和生态修复学的成功案例，并且清晰地量化了实施这些策略对提升城市宜居度和降低维护成本的潜在效益。这种务实而又充满前瞻性的论述，让人感到振奋，仿佛手中握着一份可以改变城市命运的蓝图，而不是一本干巴巴的学术著作。