Plant Ecology in a Changing World
  • Topics
    • Topic Overview
    • Biomes and Climates in a Changing World >
      • Adaptation, biodiversity, and environment
      • Climate constrains plant distributions
      • Biome and climate relationships
      • Deserts
      • Grassland, savanna, and shrub biomes
      • Forest biomes
      • Alpine and tundra biomes
    • Plant adaptation >
      • Plant microclimate 1
      • Plant microclimate 2
      • Leaf energy budgets
      • Water movement through the soil-plant continuum
      • Principles of photosynthesis
      • Photosynthesis responses to light and temperature
      • Environmental stresses limit resource capture and use
      • Nutrients in the environment
      • Adaptation to environmental stress
    • Resource Allocation Changes with Environment >
      • Architecture and canopy processes
      • Plant phenology and resource allocation enhance performance
      • Leaf economic spectrum
      • Life history and reproduction
      • Defense against herbivory
      • Plant competition
    • Plant Responses to a Changing World >
      • Global changes occurring today
      • Invasive species
      • Atmospheric CO2 impacts plant
      • C3/C4 photosynthesis and climate
      • Climate change and the global carbon cycle
      • Climate warming and its impacts
    • Engineering Plant Communities >
      • Remember Utah's past and envision our future
      • Restoration ecology
      • Managed ecosystems
      • Utah urban ecology
      • Urban ecological futures
  • Assignments
    • Assignment Overview
    • Discussion
    • Problem sets
    • Ecology & Global Changes
    • Plant ecology policy
    • Defense of policy
    • Exam #1
    • Exam #2
  • Campus
    • Campus Overview
    • Grasses
    • Green infrastructure >
      • GI Overview
      • Stormwater >
        • GI 1
        • GI 2
        • GI 3
        • GI 4
        • GI 10
      • Green roof
      • Pollinator >
        • Pollinator species
    • Conifers
    • Deciduous
    • Invasives
  • Biomes
    • Biome Overview
    • Climate diagrams
    • Vegetation sight-seeing trip
    • Biome images
  • Models
  • Lab
Urban ecological futures
Essential elements from today’s lecture:

With urbanization comes the need to redesign the ecology of the urban landscape and to re-insert elements that make the urban ecosystem more functional as well as aesthetically attractive.  In this lecture, we will 
  1. Broadly define the term green infrastructure and how it is interpreted by ecologists, engineers, planners, and social scientists.
  2. Describe how bioretention systems can be used to increase water infiltration locally, to cycle nutrients, to process toxic elements from impervious surfaces, and to add to the richness of a community.
  3. Describe how porous pavements can be used to alter water runoff flows and to serve as a deep water sources for urban trees.
  4. Describe green roof systems as a functional and attractive green infrastructure.
  5. Explore the options for green infrastructure research, testing, and implementation, on our own campus, especially opportunities connected with the restoration of Red Butte Creek.


Click here to download PDF of lecture
Jim Ehleringer, University of Utah