Abstract
Humans have altered ecosystems to varying degrees, and the resulting array of natural, seminatural, and humanmade ecosystems within a landscape can be conceived as constituting both a readily measurable gradient of land use and a more complex gradient of anthropogenic effects. Urbanization is a massive, unplanned experiment that already affects large acreages and is spreading in many areas of the United States. Environmental consequences of urbanization are becoming important public issues, as evidenced by recent media coverage. The role of ecologists in any future discussion or study of the effects of urbanization on ecological systems in North America is unclear because ecologists have historically avoided urban systems. Yet many of the nonurban research sites we cherish are becoming engulfed by urban spread.
Discussion Group 4: E. Ames, B. Boeken, G. Likens, M. McDonnell (leader), S. Pickett (reporter), R. Waring, and C. White.
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© 1991 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
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McDonnell, M.J., Pickett, S.T.A. (1991). Comparative Analysis of Ecosystems along Gradients of Urbanization: Opportunities and Limitations. In: Cole, J., Lovett, G., Findlay, S. (eds) Comparative Analyses of Ecosystems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3122-6_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3122-6_21
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