Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities [electronic resource] : A Global Assessment / edited by Thomas Elmqvist, Michail Fragkias, Julie Goodness, Burak Güneralp, Peter J. Marcotullio, Robert I. McDonald, Susan Parnell, Maria Schewenius, Marte Sendstad, Karen C. Seto, Cathy Wilkinson.

1. A global outlook on urbanization -- 2. History of urbanization and the missing ecology -- 3. Urbanization and global trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services -- 4. Regional assessment of Asia.- 5. Sub-regional assessment of China: Urbanization in biodiversity hotspots -- 6. Sub-regional assessment of India -- 7. Local assessment of Bangalore.- 8. Local assessment of Tokyo -- 9. Local assessment of Shanghai -- 10. Patterns and trends in urban biodiversity and landscape design -- 11. Urban ecosystem services.- 12. Shrinking cities, biodiversity and ecosystem services -- 13. Regional assessments of Europe -- 14. Regional assessment of North America -- 15. Regional assessment of Oceania -- 16. Local assessment of Istanbul: Biodiversity and ecosystem services -- 17. Local assessment of Stockholm -- 18. Local assessment of Chicago -- 19. Local assessment of New York City.-20. Local assessment of Melbourne -- 21. A synthesis of global urbanization projections -- 22. Urbanization forecasts, effects on land use, biodiversity, and ecosystem services -- 23. Regional assessment of Africa -- 24. Local assessment of Cape Town.- 25. Climate change and urban biodiversity vulnerability -- 26. Feeding cities -- 27. Urban governance of biodiversity and ecosystem services -- 28. Regional assessment of Latin America -- 29. Local assessment of Rio de Janeiro.- 30. Urban landscapes as learning arenas for biodiversity and ecosystem services management -- 31. Restoration ecology in an urbanizing world -- 32. Indicators for management of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services -- 33. Stewardship of the Biosphere in the Urban Era.

Open Access

To understand how the world’s ecosystems are changing we need to understand cities, and to create better cities we need to understand the ecosystems they depend on. The failure of most markets, government policies and even urban studies to take these relations into account has put cities, and increasingly the whole world, in a difficult position. Studies like Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services can help us to extricate ourselves, provided we act on the knowledge they provide. Gordon McGranahan International Institute for Environment and Development The challenges of urbanization are profound, but so too are the opportunities. Cities can reconcile human society and biodiversity by creating environments that are ecologically sustainable, economically productive, socially just, politically participatory and culturally vibrant. I commend this study to all who have a stake in creating ecologically sustainable urbanization for the benefit of humanity and the planet. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General, United Nations.