Nature in Fragments: The Legacy of Sprawl

by Elizabeth Johnson (Editor), Michael Klemens (Editor)

Overview

This new collection focuses on the impact of sprawl on biodiversity and the measures that can be taken to alleviate it. Leading biological and social scientists, conservationists, and land-use professionals examine how sprawl affects species and alters natural communities, ecosystems, and natural processes. The contributors integrate biodiversity issues, concerns, and needs into the growing number of anti-sprawl initiatives, including the "smart growth" and "new urbanist" movements.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231127790
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	10/05/2005
Series:	American Museum of Natural History, Center for Biodiversity Conservation, Series on Biodiversity
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth A. Johnson is manager of the Metropolitan Biodiversity Program of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History.

Michael W. Klemens is a senior conservationist at the Wildlife Conservation Society and director of its Metropolitan Conservation Alliance.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Contributors
Part I Biodiversity and the Genesis of Sprawl
1. The Context and Causes of Sprawl, by Barbara L. Lawrence
2. The Impacts of Sprawl on Biodiversity, by Elizabeth A. Johnson and Michael W. Klemens
Part II Sprawl, Ecosystems, and Processes
3. Freshwater Wetland Biodiversity in an Urbanizing World, by Nicholas A. Miller and Michael W. Klemens
4. Ecosystems, Disturbance, and the Impact of Sprawl, by Seth R. Reice
5. Bees, Pollination, and the Challenges of Sprawl, by James H. Cane
6. Effects of Urbanization on Decomposer Communities and Soil Processes in Forest Remnants, by Margaret M. Carreiro
7. Sprawl and Disease, by Fred W. Koontz and Peter Daszak
Part III Sprawl and Species
8. Sprawl and Species with Limited Dispersal Abilities, by Diane L. Byers and Joseph C. Mitchell
9. Sprawl and Highly Mobile or Wide-Ranging Species, by Justina C. Ray
10. Species that Benefit from Sprawl, by Stephen DeStefano and Elizabeth A. Johnson
Part IV Identifying and Meeting the Challenges of Sprawl
11. Maintaining Connectivity in Urbanizing Landscapes, by M. A. Sanjayan and Kevin R. Crooks
12. The Economics of Biodiversity in Urbanizing Ecosystems, by Stephen Farber
13. Conserving Biodiversity Through State and Regional Planning, by Jessica Wilkinson, Sara Vickerman, and Jeff Lerner
14. Integrating Conservation of Biodiversity into Local Planning, by Jayne Daly and Michael W. Klemens
15. Building Public Awareness About the Effects of Sprawl on Biodiversity, by Cynthia Coffin and Jane Elder
16. Creating a Framework for Change, by Michael W. Klemens and Elizabeth A. Johnson
Index

What People are Saying About This

Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.

Buildings and roads sprawling willy-nilly across the landscape are the clearest manifestation of the processes -- overpopulation and overconsumption -- that ultimately threaten Earth's biological diversity. In this volume, leading scientists and conservationists provide an articulate assessment of this fundamental issue and chart a course for addressing it.

— Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Libra Professor of Conservation Biology, University of Maine

Dwight Merriam

Planners, developers, public officials, environmental scientists, conservation advocates, and everyone interested in the fate of our planet should read this definitive work. No book has previously defined the problem of sprawl so well, linked it to biodiversity and offered such solid, practical advice on how we can continue to develop and still maintain sustainable human environments.

— Dwight Merriam, past president and fellowof the American Institute of Certified Planners

Editorial Reviews

This book provides on of the most comprehensive treatises on sprawl available.

Ecology - Elizabeth Farnsworth

This book provides on of the most comprehensive treatises on sprawl available.

— Elizabeth Farnsworth

Ecology