Urban Ecology is the study of ecosystems that include humans living in cities and urbanizing landscapes. This book introduces students and practitioners of urban ecology to its roots, bases, and prospects by way of a diverse collection of historical and modern foundational readings. Its aim is to provide a rich background in some of the core facets of Urban Ecology. The editors are urban ecologists from the United States, Italy, and Germany who together view these readings as a fair representation of the importance of both natural and social sciences to Urban Ecology. The book presents important papers that both set the foundations for the discipline and illustrate modern approaches, from a variety of perspectives and regions of the world. The editors do this by reprinting important publications, filling gaps in the published literature with a few targeted original works, and translating several key works originally published in German.

From the reviews:

"This impressive volume is a collection of important papers on Urban Ecology ? . Anyone who picks up this book and starts reading, either from the start, or from anywhere in between, will not lay it down easily. ? It is highly recommended for everyone interested in the nature of interactions of organisms and their environment." (Hannelore Hoch, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 55 (2), 2009)