Urban Horticulture: Ecology, Landscape, and Agriculture

Summary

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters.

Urban horticulture, referring to the study and cultivation of the relationship between plants and the urban environment, is gaining more attention as the world rapidly urbanizes and cities expand. While plants have been grown in urban areas for millennia, it is now recognized that they not only provide food, ornament, and recreation, but also supply invaluable ecological services that help mitigate potentially negative impacts of urban ecosystems, and thus increase the livability of cities. This book provides background on key issues in this growing field.

Table of Contents

Part I: Urban Horticulture and Ecological Landscaping. Introduction to Ecological Landscaping: A Holistic Description and Framework to Guide the Study and Management of Urban Landscape Parcels. New Approaches to Ecologically Based, Designed Urban Plant Communities in Britain: Do These Have Any Relevance in the United States? Part II: Urban Soil and Water. Urban Cultivation in Allotments Maintains Soil Qualities Adversely Affected by Conventional Agriculture. Lead Levels in Urban Gardens. Urban Community Gardeners’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Soil Contaminant Risks. Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture, Gardens and Public Open Space Irrigation: A Case Study in Perth. Part III: Urban Pollination. Where Is the UK’s Pollinator Biodiversity? The Importance of Urban Areas for Flower-Visiting Insects. The Influence of Garden Size and Floral Cover on Pollen Deposition in Urban Community Gardens. Bumble Bee Abundance in New York City Community Gardens: Implications for Urban Agriculture. Modification of a Community Garden to Attract Native Bee Pollinators in Urban San Luis Obispo, California. Part IV: Urban Home and Community Gardening. Urban Home Gardens in the Global North: A Mixed Methods Study of Ethnic and Migrant Home Gardens in Chicago, IL. Community Gardens as Contexts for Science, Stewardship, and Civic Action Learning.