Urban Ecosystem Challenges (13b)

Question 1

Urban ecosystem =?

Answer 1

Ecological/Green infrastructure.

Question 2

Roles of urban ecosystem? (2)

Answer 2

• Essential role in urban planning: using ecosystem approach.
• Provides a range of ES essential for urban resilience (for us to survive).

Question 3

Urban SES?

Answer 3

ES primarily seeks to improve human wellbeing & improve economy and livelihoods.

Question 4

What is city biodiversity influenced by? (6)

Answer 4

Presence of:
• Green spaces.
• Green roofs & walls along with tree-lined streets.
• Recreation parks & gardens.
• Unmanaged/managed natural open spaces.
• Wetlands.
• Rural lands.

Question 5

Quality of life for urban dwellers is related to what? Why?

Answer 5

Amount of green areas where they live.

Y? = Emotionally & Physically beneficial (cultural service).

Question 6

Benefits of greener in cities? (4)

Answer 6

• Filtering particles.
• Purification of water.
• Noise reduction.
• Buffering climate extremes like heat waves.

Question 7

These benefits are all.what kind of ES?

Answer 7

Regulating services.

Question 8

Urban climate?

Answer 8

Has high levels of cloudiness, fog and precipitation/temperatures compared to rural area climate.

Question 9

Factors affecting urban climate? How?(4)

Answer 9

● Solid structures, walls, paved areas, etc.
- higher heat conductivity & reflection capability leading to higher retention of heat.

● Heat produced by equipment
- like machinery, vehicles, heating & cooling systems.

● Evaporation decreases
- due to lack of trees & thus low humidity.

● Building change in air/wind movement.

Question 10

Consequences of urban climate?

Answer 10

Urban Heat Island (UHI).

Question 11

UHI?

Answer 11

= where the temperature of the air in the cities is relatively higher than their surrounding rural areas.

Question 12

Urban hydrology features? (4)

Answer 12

• the rain falling on roofs and roads are all lost into the city’s sewer system.
• a lot of surface runoff (doe to.paved roads).
• impervious cover funnels accumulate pollutants from buildings, roadways & parking lots into streams.
• more flooding damages.

Question 13

Solution to urban hydrology?(2) Why?

Answer 13

• Afforestation.
• Soil.

Y?
= These intercept and slow down the flow of rain reaching the ground which decreases the frequency & volume of storm water runoff, flooding damage, storm water treatment costs & other water quality issues.