An urban wild is a remnant of a natural ecosystem found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area. [1] [2]
One of the most expansive efforts to protect and foster urban wilds is the aptly titled "Urban Wilds program" conducted in Boston, which had its start in 1977 off the back of a 1976 report by the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). [3] [4]
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-off, the storing and slowing the flow of stormwater, amelioration of the warming effect of urban development, and generally benefiting local air quality. [1] [5]
Typically, urban wilds are home to native vegetation and animal life as well as some introduced species. [6] [7] [8] Urban wilds are vital to species of migratory birds that have nested in a given area since prior to its urbanization. [5] [7] [9]
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. [10] [11]
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. [10]
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. [12]
There is some discussion about whether natural areas that are not at an appropriate scale to perform significant ecosystem services should instead be categorized as passive parks as opposed to urban wilds. Smaller urban wilds are used for passive recreation and have less value to the city in terms of enhancing ecosystem function. [13]
A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. Biotope is almost synonymous with the term "habitat", which is more commonly used in English-speaking countries. However, in some countries these two terms are distinguished: the subject of a habitat is a population, the subject of a biotope is a biocoenosis or "biological community".
This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park. Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves.
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all national parks; most national monuments; and other natural, historical, and recreational properties, with various title designations. The United States Congress created the agency on August 25, 1916, through the National Park Service Organic Act. Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., within the main headquarters of the Department of the Interior.
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. National parks and country parks are green spaces used for recreation in the countryside. State parks and provincial parks are administered by sub-national government states and agencies. Parks may consist of grassy areas, rocks, soil and trees, but may also contain buildings and other artifacts such as monuments, fountains or playground structures. Many parks have fields for playing sports such as baseball and football, and paved areas for games such as basketball. Many parks have trails for walking, biking and other activities. Some parks are built adjacent to bodies of water or watercourses and may comprise a beach or boat dock area. Urban parks often have benches for sitting and may contain picnic tables and barbecue grills.
Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in terms of any one ideology.
Parks Canada, is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, three National Marine Conservation Areas, 172 National Historic Sites, one National Urban Park, and one National Landmark. Parks Canada is mandated to "protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations".
Protected areas of New Zealand are areas that are in some way protected to preserve their environmental, scientific, scenic, historical, cultural or recreational value. There are about 10,000 protected areas, covering about a third of the country. The method and aims of protection vary according to the importance of the resource and whether it is publicly or privately owned.
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park, public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and other incorporated places that offers green space and places for recreation to residents and visitors. Urban parks are generally landscaped by design, instead of lands left in their natural state. The design, operation and maintenance is usually done by government agencies, typically on the local level, but may occasionally be contracted out to a park conservancy, "friends of" group, or private sector company.
Urban prairie is vacant urban land that has reverted to green space. The definition can vary across countries and disciplines, but at its broadest encompasses meadows, lawns, and gardens, as well as public and private parks, vacant land, remnants of rural landscapes, and areas along transportation corridors. If previously developed, structures occupying the urban lots have been demolished, leaving patchy areas of green space that are usually untended and unmanaged, forming an involuntary park. Spaces can also be intentionally created to facilitate amenities, such as green belts, community gardens and wildlife reserve habitats.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals, wildlife, and forestry throughout the state. The agency is divided into six divisions - Ecological & Water Resources, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife, Forestry, Lands & Minerals, and Parks & Trails.
A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present ecological state and promoted for ecotourism purposes.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy for the WDNR. The WDNR is led by the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. The WDNR develops regulations and guidance in accordance with laws passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It administers wildlife, fish, forests, endangered resources, air, water, waste, and other issues related to natural resources. The central office of the WDNR is located in downtown Madison, near the state capitol.
New York State Forests are public lands administered by the Division of Lands and Forests of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). New York State Forests are designated as reforestation, multiple use, and unique areas; and state nature and historic preserves, with approximately 600,000 acres (2,400 km2) classified as reforestation areas and approximately 9,000 acres (36 km2) classified as multiple use lands. Land within the Adirondack Park or the Catskill Park is not included as part of the State Forest system.
The Green Belt of Vitoria-Gasteiz is a set of urban parks with high ecological value, strategically linked by eco-recreational corridors. It is the result of an ambitious plan of restoration and reclamation on the outskirts of the city that seeks to recover the ecological and social value of this space through the creation of a nature tour around the city articulated by various enclaves of high ecological value and landscape. It is the result of a project which began in the early 1990s and was selected by the UN among the 100 best global performances of the III International Competition "Best Practices for improving the living conditions of the cities", held in Dubai in the year 2000. Currently, it has five established parks: Armentia, Olarizu, Salburua, Zabalgana and Zadorra.
Peter Del Tredici is an American botanist and author. He is a former senior research scientist at Arnold Arboretum for 35 years and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He was appointed curator of the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection in 1982 and was editor of the journal Arnoldia from 1989 to 1992.
Algonquin State Forest is a Connecticut state forest located in the towns of Colebrook and Winchester. The forest is managed for wildlife habitat and passive recreational activities. It contains two areas of special ecological importance: Sandy Brook Natural Area Preserve and Kitchel Wilderness Natural Area Preserve, the later donated by Helen Binney Kitchel in 1961, both protected as Forever Wild by state statute. The forest offers opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and letterboxing.
Camel's Hump Natural Area is a protected area in the U.S. state of Vermont. The natural area, wholly contained within Camel's Hump State Park, straddles the ridge of the Green Mountains in Chittenden and Washington counties, in the towns of Duxbury, Huntington, Fayston, Bolton, and Buels Gore. Administered by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Camel's Hump Natural Area is the largest natural area in Vermont.
Boston Parks and Recreation Department (2006). "Part 5 – Resource Protection Mission – Urban Wilds & Natural Areas" (PDF). City of Boston. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
Boston Redevelopment Authority (1976). Boston urban wilds, a natural area conservation program. Boston Public Library.
Kowarik, Ingo; Körner, Stefan (2005). Wild Urban Woodlands: New Perspectives for Urban Forestry. Heidelberg: Springer Berlin. ISBN 978-3-540-23912-3.
Del Tredici, Peter; Rueb, Teri (2017). "Other Order: Sound Walk for an Urban Wild". Arnoldia. 75 (1): 14–25. doi:10.5962/p.283069. ISSN 0004-2633. JSTOR 26349757 . Retrieved 17 June 2024.
Warren, Paige; Tripler, Chris; Bolger, Douglas; Faeth, Stanley; Huntly, Nancy; Lepczyk, Christopher; Meyler, Judith; Parker, Thomas; Shochat, Eyal; Walker, Jason (2006). "Urban Food Webs: Predators, Prey, and the People Who Feed Them". Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 87 (4): 387–395.