Urban Ecology (13a)

Question 1

Urban ecology?

Answer 1

= involves the study of the interactions between all organisms with the natural and built physical environment as well as the relationships of human & non-human organisms in urban areas.

Question 2

Urban ecology 2?

Answer 2

= applies the methods & concepts of the biological science of ecology to urban areas, but requires and integrates with the concerns, concepts, and approaches of social sciences to produce a hybrid discipline.

Question 3

What do urban ecological systems include? (6)

Answer 3

• Individual organisms.
• Populations.
• Communities.
• Landscapes.
• Buildings.
• Infrastructure.

Question 4

2 ways to look at urban ecology?

Answer 4

• Urban ecology of cities.
• Urban ecology in cities.

Question 5

Urban ecology of cities?

Answer 5

= we look at the effect of urbanization on the Ecology of living organisms as well as the differences between the ecological processes in cities & those in other environments.

Question 6

Urban ecology in cities?

Answer 6

= we look at the interactions between ecological & social systems in an urban environment.

Question 7

Ecosystem?

Answer 7

= a set of interacting species and their local environment working cooperatively to stay alive.

Question 8

City?

Answer 8

= it is one single ecosystem but can be seen as a collection of many individual ecosystems.

Question 9

Urban ecosystem?

Answer 9

= the whole ecosystem in a city which includes abiotic spheres & biotic spheres.

Question 10

Ecosystems found in cities? (5)

Answer 10

• Parks.
• Wetlands.
• Cultivated lands.
• Lakes.
• Urban forests.

Question 11

Abiotic spheres include? (4)

Answer 11

• Atmosphere.
• Hydrosphere.
• Lithosphere.
• Pedosphere (soil).

Question 12

Biotic spheres include? (2)

Answer 12

• Biosphere.
• Anthroposphere.

Question 13

Biotic spheres?

Answer 13

= an interacting biosphere of urban plants and animals plus the socio-economic world of people (anthroposphere).

Question 14

Sea & streams AKA?

Answer 14

Green & blue ecosystems

Question 15

Urban gradient/shifts? (4)

Answer 15

Urban area
|
Sub-urban area
|
Peri-urban area
|
Wildland area.

Question 16

From wildland to urban areas what kind of shifts do we see? (4)

Answer 16

• Imperviousness (paved).
• Vegetation.
• Biodiversity.
• Exotic species.

Question 17

Where do most human-wildlife interactions occur?

Answer 17

In urban & suburban areas.

Question 18

Energy in urban areas? (3)

Answer 18

• Low NPP.
• Energy comes from fossil fuels.
• Food resources are available to wildlife.

Question 19

Climate in cities? (2)

Answer 19

• Increased temperatures.
• Low humidity, high precipitation.

Question 20

Disturbance in cities?

Answer 20

• More anthropogenic disturbances.
• Suppression of large scale disturbances.

Question 21

Evolution in cities?

Answer 21

Selective pressures caused by humans are pronounced in Urban areas.

Question 22

Socioeconomics in cities?

Answer 22

Features of urbanisation are tied to social, economic & political realities.

Question 23

Soils in cities? (2)

Answer 23

• Compacted, sealed & impervious.
• Poor water retention.

Question 24

Hydrology in cities? (6)

Answer 24

• Reduced biodiversity.
• Increased surface runoff.
• Increased channel size.
• Increased water temperatures.
• Increased N & P.
• Increased pesticides & heavy metals.

Question 25

Urban vegetation categories? (3)

Answer 25

• Remnant.
• Colonizing.
• Planted.

Question 26

Remnant?

Answer 26

= native vegetation surrounded by development.

Question 27

Colonizing?

Answer 27

= invasive, exotic & early successional plants.

Question 28

Planted?

Answer 28

= managed communities of non-native grasses & planted shrubs, trees and ground cover.

Question 29

Eg of remnant vegetation?

Answer 29

• Klipriviersberg nature reserve.

Question 30

General characteristics of vegetation in cities? (4)

Answer 30

• Simplified with increasing urbanization.
• Widely spaced plantings of few species.
• Non-native plants dominate the core areas.
• Increased risk of drought due to runoff from impervious surfaces.

Question 31

Open spaces within utban areas? (2)

Answer 31

• Riparian buffers.
• Greenways/corridors and trails.

Question 32

Riparian buffers functions? (3)

Answer 32

• Stabilize stream banks.
• Reduce pollution.
• Provide wildlife habitat (large buffers).

Question 33

Greenways/corridors and trails?

Answer 33

= wider greenways (>150m) are best for most small/medium sized animals.

Question 34

Eg of riparian buffers?

Answer 34

Vegetation around streams.

Question 35

Categories of wildlife communities & urbanization? (3)

Answer 35

• Avoiders.
• Adapters.
• Exploiters.

Question 36

Avoiders?

Answer 36

= sensitive to human activities & not able to use the anthropogenic resources.

Question 37

Adapters?

Answer 37

= edge species that are well adapted to the typical suburban, backyard, forest-park matrix.

Question 38

Exploiters?

Answer 38

= homogenous group of species that are often not native to the region & are highly adapted to urban environment.

Question 39

Eg of avoiders?

Answer 39

Freshwater otters.

Question 40

General patterns of wildlife communities? (5)

Answer 40

• Diversity decreases in city center.

• Diversity decreases but may increase with low-level of urbanization.

• Densities & biomass of wildlife are high.

• Invasive non-native species have replaced native wildlife (filling ecological vacuum).

• Urbanisation causes extinction & local extirpation of native vertebrates.

Question 41

Egs of Adapters? (2)

Answer 41

• Vervet monkeys.
• Bush babies.

Question 42

Eg of exploiters?

Answer 42

Indian mynas.

Question 43

Wildlife populations in terms of demographics? (2)

Answer 43

• Anthropogenic causes of mortality.
• Higher densities, fecundity & survival rates.

Question 44

Wildlife populations in terms of behaviours? (4)

Answer 44

• Altered diets.
• Reduced migration.
• Reduced responses to humans.
• Altered activity patterns.