Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Urban sprawl has become a predominant feature of many modern cities, resulting in the fragmentation and isolation of natural areas. This transformation of landscapes has significant implications for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. The legacy of sprawl manifests in the form of fragmented habitats, disrupted ecological processes, and reduced connectivity between natural areas. This study aims to explore the multifaceted impacts of sprawl on nature and society. Through a combination of field surveys, remote sensing data analysis, and socio-economic assessments, we investigate the extent and severity of fragmentation caused by urban sprawl in a case study area. Our results reveal a complex mosaic of fragmented habitats, with implications for species dispersal, genetic diversity, and ecosystem resilience. Moreover, we find that the loss of natural areas to sprawl has led to the degradation of ecosystem services such as water purification, pollination, and carbon sequestration. In addition to ecological impacts, sprawl also affects human well-being by reducing access to green spaces, increasing air and noise pollution, and exacerbating the urban heat island effect. Social disparities in exposure to these environmental stressors further compound the negative effects of sprawl on marginalized communities. Our study highlights the need for integrated planning approaches that prioritize the conservation and restoration of natural areas within urban landscapes. Furthermore, we examine the role of policy interventions, land use planning strategies, and community engagement initiatives in mitigating the impacts of sprawl on nature. By promoting compact development, green infrastructure, and sustainable transportation options, cities can enhance biodiversity conservation, improve ecosystem services, and foster healthier living environments. Collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and local residents is essential for achieving these goals. Overall, our research underscores the urgent need to address the legacy of sprawl and its repercussions for nature and society. By recognizing the interconnectedness of urban and natural systems, we can strive towards more sustainable urban development patterns that support biodiversity conservation, enhance ecosystem services, and promote human well-being.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

Biological diversity (or biodiversity, for short) is the variety of life on Earth and the interactions, cycles, and processes of nature that link it all together. In its broadest definition, biodiversity includes individual species, the genetic diversity within species, the natural communities in which these species interact, and the ecosystems and landscapes in which species evolve and coexist (Noss and Cooperrider 1994). Although conservation efforts to protect biodiversity tend to focus on unique plants or rare animals, biodiversity actually encompasses all nature, including both common and rare components and even more obscure organisms such as fungi and microbes.

Ecologists now recognize that natural events such as fires, floods, and hurricanes are fundamental to ecosystem integrity. These processes can be predictable disruptive events, such as annual flooding and fires that cycle through a forest with relative frequency, or unpredictable and infrequent largescale disturbances, such as earthquakes and volcano eruptions. All are critical to the maintenance of ecosystems and the species these systems support. Sprawling development interferes with these natural disturbance regimes by suppressing or altering them. In addition, sprawl fosters other novel anthropogenic disturbances, such as clearing for home construction, trampling of soil and vegetation, dumping, or vandalism, which…

Pollination, broadly defined, is the transfer of pollen within and between compatible flowers. Pollen carries the male nuclei, so pollination is a key step for sexual reproduction by seed plants, the group that dominates Earth’s terrestrial flora. Primary agents of pollination include wind, some birds and bats, and insects, especially bees, but also some kinds of beetles, flies, wasps, moths, and butterflies. Too little is known to generalize about links among sprawl, pollination, and seed set overall, but urban and suburban sprawl does alter ecological features important to pollinators, such as plant community composition and reproductive opportunities.