Understanding Urban Ecosystems : A New Frontier for Science and Education 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. Introduction: Ecosystem Understanding Is a Key to Understanding Cities Introduction: Ecosystem Understanding Is a Key to Understanding Cities The Importance of Understanding Urban Ecosystems: Themes Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems an Important Frontier for Education and Educators The Role of Understanding Urban Ecosystems in Community Development Why Is Understanding Urban Ecosystems Important to People Concerned About Environmental Justice Why Is Developing a Broad Understanding of Urban Ecosystems Important to Science and Scientists Foundations and Frontiers from the Natural and Social Sciences: Themes Natural Ecosystems in Cities: A Model for Cities as Ecosystems An Ecosystem Approach to Understanding Cities: Familiar Foundations and Uncharted Frontiers Understanding Urban Ecosystems: An Ecological Economics Perspective Social Science Concepts and Frameworks for Understanding Urban Ecosystems The Future of Urban Ecosystem Education from a Social Scientist’s Perspective: The Value of Involving the People You Are Studying in Your Work A Social Ecology Approach to Understanding Urban Ecosystems and Landscapes The Historical Dimension of Urban Ecology: Frameworks and Concepts Urban Ecosystems City Planning and Environmental Education: Literature Precedents Key Concepts and Prospects A Human Ecology Model for the Tianjin Urban Ecosystem: Integrating Human Ecology Ecosystem Science and Philosophical Views into an Urban Eco Complex Study Foundations and Frontiers from Education Theory and Practice: Themes Psychological and Ecological Perspectives on the Development of Systems Thinking Toward Ecology Literacy: Contributions from Project 2061 Science Literacy Reform Tools An Interdisciplinary Approach to Urban Ecosystems Children for Cities and Cities for Children: Learning to Know and Care About Urban Ecosystems “Ecological Thinking” as a Tool for Understanding Urban Ecosystems: A Model from Israel Systems Thinking and Urban Ecosystem Education Approaches to Urban Ecosystem Education in Chicago: Perspectives and Processes from an Environmental Educator “Campus Ecology” Curriculum as a Means to Teach Urban Environmental Literacy Ecosystem Management Education: Teaching and Learning Principles and Applications with Problem Based Learning Using the Development of an Environmental Management System to Develop and Promote a More Holistic Understanding of Urban Ecosystems in Durban South Africa Visions for the Future of Urban Ecosystem Education: Themes Urban Ecosystems and the Twenty First Century—A Global Imperative Out the Door and Down the Street—Enhancing Play Community and Work Environments as If Adulthood Mattered Integrating Urban Ecosystem Education into Educational Reform The Contribution of Urban Ecosystem Education to the Development of Sustainable Communities and Cities Perspectives on the Future of Urban Ecosystem Education: A Summary of Cary Conference VIII Urban Ecosystem Education in the Coming Decade: What Is Possible and How Can We Get There.