Urban ecology Machine generated contents note: List of contributors; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Urban ecology Kevin J. Gaston; 2. Urbanisation Kevin J. Gaston; 3. Urban environments and ecosystem functions Kevin J. Gaston Zoe G. Davies and Jill L. Edmondson; 4. Individual species and urbanisation Karl L. Evans; 5. Species diversity and urbanisation: patterns drivers and implications Gary W. Luck and Lisa T. Smallbone; 6. Urbanisation and alien invasion Stefan Klotz and Ingolf Kühn; 7. Interactions between people and nature in urban environments Richard A. Fuller and Katherine N. Irvine; 8. Urban ecology and human social organisation Paige S. Warren Sharon Harlan Christopher Boone Susannah B. Lerman Eyal Shochat and Ann P. Kinzig; 9. Urban ecology and human health and wellbeing Jo Barton and Jules Pretty; 10. Bringing cities alive: the importance of urban greenspaces for people and biodiversity Jon Sadler Adam Bates James Hale and Philip James; 11. Integrating nature values in urban planning and design Robbert Snep and Paul Opdam; 12. Urban futures Michael L. McKinney; Index This is the urban century in which for the first time the majority of people live in towns and cities. Understanding how people influence and are influenced by the green component of these environments is therefore of enormous significance. Providing an overview of the essentials of urban ecology the book begins by covering the vital background concepts of the urbanisation process and the effect that it can have on ecosystem functions and services. Later sections are devoted to examining how species respond to urbanisation the many facets of human ecology interactions and the issues surrounding urban planning and the provision of urban green spaces. Drawing on examples from urban settlements around the world it highlights the progress to date in this burgeoning field as well as the challenges that lie ahead