Urban ecology articles from across Nature Portfolio

Urban ecology is the study of ecological processes in urban environments. This includes all aspects of the ecology of any organisms found in urban areas as well as large scale considerations of the ecological sustainability of cities.

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  • Comments & Opinion
    | Open Access

    Cities around the world are promoting tree-planting initiatives to mitigate climate change. The potential of such efforts to assist tree migration has often been overlooked. Due to the urban heat island effect, cities could provide suitable climates for the establishment of outlier populations, serving as propagule sources for poleward tree migration.

    • Qiyao Han
    • , Greg Keeffe
    •  & Alan Simson
    npj Urban Sustainability 1, 12

  • Comments & Opinion
    | Open Access

    Cities globally are greening their urban fabric, but to contribute positively to the biodiversity extinction crisis, local governments must explicitly target actions for biodiversity. We apply the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) framework — nature for nature, society and culture — to elevate local governments’ efforts in the lead up to the 2021 UN Biodiversity Conference. The UN’s Vision of Living in Harmony with Nature can only be realised if cities are recognised and resourced for their roles in biodiversity protection — for nature, for society and for culture.

    • Cathy Oke
    • , Sarah A. Bekessy
    •  & Steve Gawler
    npj Urban Sustainability 1, 11

  • Editorial |

    A wealth of potential exists for citizen science to contribute to major ecological and societal challenges. We can all play a part by contributing to these projects, and encouraging our networks to do so too.

    Nature Ecology & Evolution 4, 1433-1434

  • Research Highlights |

    A recent study reports that anthropogenic land use causes major changes in the diversity and taxonomic composition of reservoir hosts for pathogens, with implications for the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

    • Ashley York
    Nature Reviews Microbiology 18, 543

  • Comments & Opinion
    | Open Access

    As investment in urban conservation grows, researchers must balance the needs of residents and conservation targets. We discuss some of the challenges we have encountered and the importance of taking a transdisciplinary approach informed by design and social knowledge.

    • Katherine J. Turo
    •  & Mary M. Gardiner
    Nature Communications 11, 3773
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