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Is there a metabolism of an urban ecosystem? An ecological critique

Title
Is there a metabolism of an urban ecosystem? An ecological critique
Author(s)
Nancy Golubiewski
Year
2012
Type
Journal Article
Source
Ambio, Volume 41, Pages 751--764
DOI
10.1007/s13280-011-0232-7
Abstract
The energy and material flows of a city are often described as urban metabolism (UM), which is put forward as a way to link a city’s ecology and economy. UM draws parallels to the biology of individual organisms, yet the analogy is misapplied. In striving to be interdisciplinary, UM makes this organismic comparison rather than identifying the city as an ecosystem, thereby ignoring developments in ecological theory. Using inappropriate rhetoric misdirects researchers, which influences scientific investigation—from problem statements to interpretations. UM is valuable in quantifying the city’s use of natural resources but does not achieve a comprehensive, integrated analysis of the urban ecosystem. To realize an interdisciplinary, perhaps transdisciplinary, understanding of urban ecology, researchers need to emphasize the essential tenets of material flows analysis, view the city as an ecosystem, and use language that properly reflects current knowledge, theory, and conceptual frameworks in the foundational disciplines.
More Information
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0232-7

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