Includes bibliographical references and index.

What Is Urban Ecology and Why Should We Study It? -- Urban Ecology from a Biophysical and Systems Perspective -- Social Processes, Urban Ecosystems and Sustainability -- Scale and Metabolism in Ancient Cities -- Economy and Development in Modern Cities -- The Urban Hydrological System -- The Climate System -- The Atmospheric System: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases -- Nutrient Biogeochemistry of Urban Systems -- Material Cycles -- The Biological System: Plants in the Urban Environment -- The Biological System: Urban Wildlife, Adaptation and Evolution; Urbanization as a Driver of Contemporary Evolution in Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) -- Environmental Justice in the Urban Environment -- Urban Food Systems -- Urban Design Toward More Holistic Systems: Improving Discipline Integration and Sustainability Evaluation -- The Epilogue.