Understanding ecological processes in cities is a key challenge for ecology due to the continued expansion of urban areas and because cities have been studied less intensively over time relative to many other ecosystems. Within urban areas, one component that is of particular importance is the urban green space. However, it is not well established how urban green spaces in cities support ecological processes nor is the relationship between urban green spaces and the surrounding landscape well defined. Urban green spaces have been considered from many perspectives because they comprise a range of habitat types that cross a continuum from intact remnant patches of native vegetation, brownfields, gardens, and yards, to essentially terraformed patches of vegetation that may or may not be representative of native community associations. Moreover, many urban green spaces represent novel ecosystems. Though urban green spaces can vary markedly, they support the majority of biodiversity found in urban areas, and they are critical to the health and well-being of urbanites.
Results/Conclusions
To illustrate the importance of urban green spaces, we focus on how they can support ecological processes and where gaps in our knowledge lie. In particular we will consider their role in community and population dynamics, as filters, and as conduits of flux. Furthermore, we will discuss the connections among urban green spaces and the surrounding area, and how these connections can act to support biodiversity at the city and regional scales. Ultimately, understanding ecological processes within, across, and among cities and their surrounding landscapes is critical to biodiversity conservation. The notion that cities are concrete jungles is no more, instead, our new ecological paradigm should be one where cities are integrated into regional biodiversity conservation and understanding how urban green spaces support ecological processes is the first step in this paradigm shift.