Urban wild
Encyclopedia
An urban wild is a remnant of a natural ecosystem
found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area
.
, the storing and slowing the flow of stormwater
, amelioration
of the warming effect of urban development, and generally benefiting local air quality.
Typically, urban wilds are home to native vegetation
and animal
life as well as some introduced species
. Urban wilds are vital to species
of migratory birds that have nest
ed in a given area since prior to its urbanization
.
Without formal protection, urban wilds are vulnerable to development. However, achieving formal protection of a large urban wild can be difficult. Land tenure
of a single ecological area can be complex, with multiple public and private entities owning adjacent properties.
Key strategies used in the preservation of urban wilds have included conservation restrictions that keep complex land tenure systems in place while protecting the entire landscape
. Public/private partnerships have also been successful in protecting urban wilds.
The urban wilds prioritized by municipalities tend to be partial wetlands that perform a range of ecological services while contributing to the biological diversity of the region.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
.
Utility
Urban wilds, particularly those of several acres or more, are often intact ecological systems that can provide essential ecosystem functions such as the filtering of urban run-offSurface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
, the storing and slowing the flow of stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
, amelioration
Amelioration
Amelioration may refer to one of the following:*Amelioration means "to make better" or "to improve upon" most often in context of or in reference to ill health of a person but could also be in reference to healing the land, plant, tree, etc....
of the warming effect of urban development, and generally benefiting local air quality.
Typically, urban wilds are home to native vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
life as well as some introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. Urban wilds are vital to species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of migratory birds that have nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
ed in a given area since prior to its urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
.
Preservation
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
of a single ecological area can be complex, with multiple public and private entities owning adjacent properties.
Key strategies used in the preservation of urban wilds have included conservation restrictions that keep complex land tenure systems in place while protecting the entire landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
. Public/private partnerships have also been successful in protecting urban wilds.
The urban wilds prioritized by municipalities tend to be partial wetlands that perform a range of ecological services while contributing to the biological diversity of the region.