The Various Challenges in Urban Ecosystem Research
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The Various Challenges in Urban Ecosystem Research Heikki Setälä University of Helsinki Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences
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The Various Challenges in Urban Ecosystem Research. Heikki Setälä University of Helsinki Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences. Pori, August 2007. Increased temperature. 20 milj. Euros. Hot future topic. Climate change. Other negative consequences. Drastic Increase in - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of The Various Challenges in Urban Ecosystem Research
The Various Challenges in Urban Ecosystem Research
Heikki SetäläUniversity of Helsinki
Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences
Hot future topic Climate change
Increased temperature
Pori, August 2007
20 milj. Euros
20 milj. Euros Other negative
consequences ...
CITIES and global change
Climate change- precipitation- temperature
Land use change- urbanisationn- agriculture etc.
Drastic Increase in sealed surfaces
City floods Contamination of surface waters (= hulevedet)
problems
1) Ecologists’s perspective Problems with hydrological cycles
2) Ecologist’s perspective Problems with Urban land use
Why to worry about impermeable, covered soils
Soils are an essential FUNCTIONAL UNITin all terrestrial ecosystems
Ecoystem Services
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
- food
- Water purification- Nutrient cycling- Detoxification- etc.
”Living soil””
Outcomes of urban land use
Down-town Lahti:> million m3 stormwaters to lake Vesijärvi
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Outcomes of urban land use
2 Reduced and fragmented urban green space
Biodiversity aspects?Esthetical aspects?ELSE?
HOLISTIC view of urban systems:
Urban ecosystemservice network
Decisions/advice for City officials?
More appreciation towards urban green areas
ESPECIALLY
To consider urban systems as ECOSYSTEMS with essentiallife-supprting services
Sustainable future for cities and their inhabitants
