In chapter 16 I appreciated the basic definitions provided by the author concerning the topics covered (landscape ecology, urban forestry and wetlands). I have great respect for the natural world and enjoy spending time in it, but am greatly unfamiliar with the science behind it all. So it was good to review the basic ecological concepts. Maybe most beneficial for me were the components of spatial structure: matrix, patch, corridor, and mosaic.
I can see how this book would be a handy reference to have on the bookshelf when it comes to a chapter like this and the ones we discussed last week about storm water management and stream restoration. The chapters provide good illustrations and diagrams on a whole range of things. An example from this chapter would be the four-level vegetation classification system on page 517. It’s interesting for me to look at now, but I would need to refer back to it in the future to really use it.
Also in Chapter 16, I learned for the first time about American Forests and some of their work. The CITYgreen application sounds like a very useful tool for municipalities. The image of Atlanta on p. 527 is rather disturbing.
