Urbanism in an Eco-Evolutionary Perspective Marina Alberti Second Symposium on Social-Ecological Urbanism Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, Sweden - June 18, 2019
Imagine the Future
control
adapt
collapse
transform
Cities are the most visible signature of the Anthropocene
Population: 7.5 billion Urban: >55% - Gross World Product:~85 trillion Urban: ~80% Energy Consumption 13,541 Mtoe Urban: ~70% CO2 emissions 35 Gton Urban: ~70% 5
§
Cities where humans are key players in nature’s game
§
Cities where humans bio-cooperate, not simply mimic natural processes
§
Cities that operate on planetary spatial and time scales
§
Cities that rely on “wise” citizens not simply smart technologies
Cities that think like planets
Cities drive micro-evolutionary change
These species provide important ecosystem functions
Urban Evolutionary Change
(changes in allele frequencies within a single population)
mutation genetic drift gene flow natural selection
Urban Mechanisms Affecting Evolution
habitat modification
novel disturbances
habitat connectivity
habitat heterogeneity
biotic interactions
social interactions
Urban Selective Pressures Air pollution favor adaptation of organisms to high-stress and might increase the rate of genetic mutations.
Pollution
Warmer temperature may drive the evolution of populations with higher heat tolerance
Temperature Buildings and road infrastructure can fragment species’ habitats reducing gene flow and genetic diversity.
Built structures
Artificial light and noise Artificial disrupts circadianlight rhythms of organisms and might drive and noise evolutionary changes in life history traits.
Transportation may disperse organisms facilitating gene flow between different populations.
Transportation
Landscaping and introduction of non-native species affect biotic interactions and might and cause evolutionary changes in response to invaders.
Landscaping
Parks and corridors
Parks and green spaces provide habitats for species and corridors between urban subpopulations facilitating gene flow.
Water and food resources
Altered water availability and growing--season length drive change in organism lifehistory traits
Global Distribution of Observations
Evidence of Emerging Mechanisms of Eco-Evolutionary Feedbacks
Urban Mechanisms • • • • •
Habitat Modification Biotic Interactions Heterogeneity Novel Disturbances Social Dynamics
Heritable Traits • • • • •
Physiological Morphological Behavioral Phenological Life history
Eco-Evolutionary Feedback • • • • •
Biodiversity Primary Productivity Nutrient Cycling Biotic Control Seed Dispersal
URBAN MECHANISMS
HERITABLE TRAITS
ECO-EVOLUTIONARY FEEDBACK
Habitat Modification
Physiological
Primary Productivity
Nutrient Cycling
Heterogeneity
Morphological
Biotic Interactions
Behavioral
Seed Dispersal
Novel Disturbances
Phenological
Biotic control
Social Dynamics
Life history
Biodiversity
Daphnia Adaptation to Cynobacteria
Daphnia Eco-Evolutionary Feedback
Why Evolution Matters in Designing and Planning Resilient Cities
Green Infrastructure
Ecosystem Functions • Carbon Sequestration • Air Purification • Climate Regulation
Bioswale
Rain Gardens
• Storm Water Mitigation • Water Purification • Soil Protection
Street Trees
Green Roofs
• Habitat Provision • Biodiversity Protection • Flood Regulation • Coastal Protection
Retention Ponds
Porous Pavements
• Health Provision • Open Space/Recreation • Public Education
Wetlands
Living Shoreline
Evolutionary change drives ecosystem function 1. Evolutionary change is a critical part of ecological dynamics. Knowing when and how populations can evolve is crucial to to protect ecosystem function. 2. Rapid evolution might have significant effects on ecosystem functions influencing human well-being on a short time-scale. 3. Evolution allows for an understanding and predicting the potential responses to human disturbance. 4. Green infrastructure strategies that disregard their evolutionary implications might have unforeseen impacts or fail to achieve their intended effect.
Unforeseen impacts of green infrastructure: Some example questions 1. What are the evolutionary implications of growing trees or plants on a 800 feet tall building for tree, plants, and pollinators? 2. How will zooplankton adapting to concentration of pollutants in urban retention ponds affect water eutrophication? 3. How will amphibians adapt to endocrine disruptors in urban wastewater? And how will affect pest control? 4. How will evolutionary change in exotic species change species interactions and impacts on native species? 5. And what are the consequences of these evolutionary changes for ecosystem function and human health?
Complexity of socio-ecological functions
natural' habitat'
nutrient'cycling' water'quality'
nutrient'cycling' water'quality'
wastewater'treatment'
Myths of Planning • There is an optimal resilient pattern of urbanization. • Resilience is constant across regions and scales. • Thresholds are stable, predictable, and detectable. • Resilience can be achieved by adapting current institutional frameworks.
Resilient Urban Patterns: A Hypothesis • No pattern is consistently more resilient than another. • Resilience depends on variable environmental and human conditions across regions and scales. • Strategies to optimize one function at one scale may increase system vulnerability and lead to collapse. • Pattern diversity may control urban adaptive capacity.
Urban Ecosystem Dynamic
Resilient Urban Patterns: Thresholds
C
B
A
Resilient Urban Patterns: Tradeoffs A
B
C
Complex Interactions
Do
transportation mode
trip length
emissions
behavior
Urban Patterns Have different impacts on‌
Primary productivity? land use
chemical inputs
activities
% impervious surface
Hydrological function? Nutrient cycling?
canopy cover
age of stand
species diversity
fragmentation
Biodiversity? Disturbance regimes?
consumption patterns
convenience
culture
vehicle travel
Compact vs. Dispersed
High Density
Low Density
Complex Urban Gradients
respiration + photosynthesis
resource variation
CO2 fertilization
temperature
leaf litter + woody debris
CO2 emission
organic input
forest conversion
forest connectivity
land cover change
Habitat Modification
predation
Ex - urban
facilitation
Su burban
birds + mammals
parasitism
Ur ban
fragmentation + exotics
novel competition
colonization
extinction
Species Interactions
R u ral
F o res t
availability variability
high
Heterogeneity low
Connectivity
high
low
green space
biodiversity
CO2 emissions
water quality
Pattern Resilience and Diversity
Shifting Paradigms in Planning: Adaptive Planning
Shifting Paradigms in Planning: Towards Transformation
Critical transitions and innovation
Modularity/Heterogeneity
Connectivity/Homogeneity
Sheffer et al. 2012
Properties of resilient and innovative systems heterogeneity
modularity Selforganization
early warning
cross-scale interactions
e
Hypotheses
heterogeneity
Example
Allows system flexibility and the ability to function under a wide range of conditions
(e.g., multi-modal transportation)
Allows autonomous functionality, and the ability to contain disturbances and avoid cascading effects
(e.g., modular electric grid)
ctions
conditions
modularity Allows autonomous functionality, and the ability to contain disturbances and avoid cascading effects
(e.g., modular electric grid)
Allows functional redundancy across scales, added capacity under contingency, and creative solutions for service substitutions
(e.g., energy, and water sources and delivery
ctions
the ability to contain disturbances and avoid cascading effects
cross-scale interaction
Allows functional redundancy across scales, added capacity under contingency, and creative solutions for service substitutions
Anticipating catastrophic events and allowing the system to fail safely also depends on creating early warning systems that allow for essential functions to be performed when part of the system fails
(e.g., energy, and water sources and delivery
scales, added capacity under contingency, and creative solutions for service substitutions
delivery
early warning Anticipating catastrophic events and allowing the system to fail safely also depends on creating early warning systems that allow for essential functions to be performed when part of the system fails
Resilient systems are also self-organizing, a quality that enables natural and social systems to change their internal structure and their function in response to external circumstances
(e.g., sand ripples, stock markets)
Anticipating catastrophic events and allowing the system to fail safely also depends on creating early warning systems that allow for essential functions to be performed when part of the system fails
self-organization
Resilient systems are also self-organizing, a quality that enables natural and social systems to change their internal structure and their function in response to external circumstances
(e.g., sand ripples, stock markets)
Resilience Principle
Hypotheses
Example
Heterogeneity
Allows system flexibility and the ability to function under a wide range of conditions
(e.g., multi-modal transportation)
Modularity
Allows autonomous functionality, and the ability to contain disturbances and avoid cascading effects
(e.g., modular electric grid)
Cross-scale Interactions
Allows functional redundancy across scales, added capacity under contingency, and creative solutions for service substitutions
(e.g., energy, and water sources and delivery
Early Warning
Anticipating catastrophic events and allowing the system to fail safely also depends on creating early warning systems that allow for essential functions to be performed when part of the system fails
Self-Organization
Resilient systems are also self-organizing, a quality that enables natural and social systems to change their internal structure and their function in response to external circumstances
(e.g., sand ripples, stock markets)
The City as a Planetary Experiment
A conceptual framework of urban eco-evolutionary feedbacks Evolution
telecoupling
gene culture
Human
Mechanisms
Drivers biophysical demographic socioeconomic policy
habitat modification
Built
(structure & processes)
biotic interactions heterogeneity novel disturbance social interactions
selection plasticity
urban phenotype
Natural
global drivers
Urban Ecosystem
Ecosystem Function
Shifting ecological planning strategies towards evolutionary potential 1. Mapping evolutionary history and species evolutionary relationships is critical to prioritize species and ecosystems. 2. Understanding the cause of diversification is critical to predict diversity responses to urbanization and environmental change. 3. Linking urban-driven evolution of traits to ecosystem functions can provide insights for maintaining ecosystem function. 4. Considering the dynamic nature of the evolutionary processes that generate and maintain diversity will help shift conservation efforts towards evolutionary potential.
A New Multi-Disciplinary Convergence Understanding coupled human-natural systems in a ecoevolutionary perspective requires defining new questions, new conceptual frameworks, hypotheses, theories, models, and methodologies that transcend the urban disciplines. It requires achieving convergence of urban design and planning with urban ecology, evolutionary biology, ecosystem science, and many other fields by merging the diverse intellectual perspectives, data, and research approaches. It demands a new collaboration with the practice of city building.
A new Research Collaborative Network