Journal
WATER
Volume 7, Issue 8, Pages 4063-4087Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/w7084063
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation-Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site [NSF DEB-0423476, DEB-1027188]
- National Science Foundation-Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research site [DEB-0963447]
- National Science Foundation Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory [EAR-1331841]
- National Science Foundation-Plum Island Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research site [OCE-1238212]
- National Science Foundation-EPSCoR [EPS-1101245]
- New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station
- National Science Foundation [DBI 0640300, CBET 1058502, EAR 1521224]
- National Science Foundation Coastal SEES [1426844]
- Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
- NatureNet Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Maryland Sea Grant [SA7528085-U, NA05OAR4171042, R/WS-2]
- Directorate For Geosciences
- Division Of Ocean Sciences [1238212] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Earth Sciences
- Directorate For Geosciences [1331841, 1426844, 1521224] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Environmental Biology
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1027188] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
- Directorate For Engineering [1058502] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- EPSCoR
- Office Of The Director [1101245] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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The structure, function, and services of urban ecosystems evolve over time scales from seconds to centuries as Earth's population grows, infrastructure ages, and sociopolitical values alter them. In order to systematically study changes over time, the concept of urban evolution was proposed. It allows urban planning, management, and restoration to move beyond reactive management to predictive management based on past observations of consistent patterns. Here, we define and review a glossary of core concepts for studying urban evolution, which includes the mechanisms of urban selective pressure and urban adaptation. Urban selective pressure is an environmental or societal driver contributing to urban adaptation. Urban adaptation is the sequential process by which an urban structure, function, or services becomes more fitted to its changing environment or human choices. The role of water is vital to driving urban evolution as demonstrated by historical changes in drainage, sewage flows, hydrologic pulses, and long-term chemistry. In the current paper, we show how hydrologic traits evolve across successive generations of urban ecosystems via shifts in selective pressures and adaptations over time. We explore multiple empirical examples including evolving: (1) urban drainage from stream burial to stormwater management; (2) sewage flows and water quality in response to wastewater treatment; (3) amplification of hydrologic pulses due to the interaction between urbanization and climate variability; and (4) salinization and alkalinization of fresh water due to human inputs and accelerated weathering. Finally, we propose a new conceptual model for the evolution of urban waters from the Industrial Revolution to the present day based on empirical trends and historical information. Ultimately, we propose that water itself is a critical driver of urban evolution that forces urban adaptation, which transforms the structure, function, and services of urban landscapes, waterways, and civilizations over time.
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