The Challenge
Cities worldwide are reshaping their urban ecosystems to accommodate various effects of climate change, protect and conserve biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem services. Actionable frameworks for urban ecosystems are still emerging, but are well suited to address complex ecological processes and environmental challenges. To identify a series of indicators and data gaps to develop an urban ecosystem health framework for Los Angeles (L.A.) County – Brown collected, measured, and mapped relevant datasets within municipal boundaries in the County. This is the first attempt to develop a comprehensive framework of ecosystem health in L.A. County’s built environment.
Results
- Brown developed a comprehensive urban ecosystem management framework for managing the impacts and benefits of the urban environment on both people and nature. The framework is organized around four central management themes: Biodiversity & Natural Features, Ecosystem Services, Ecological Hazards, and Pollution.
- An important implication of the framework is supporting the development of urban ecosystem maps and types as future management tools. Maps and typologies provide a platform for communicating and coordinating the structure, pattern, and functional properties of urban ecosystems to support optimizing benefits and impacts of management.
Deliverable and Impact
Brown produced and published his conceptual framework in 2017 in the Cities and the Environment Journal. The developed framework holds potential to be adapted in cities worldwide with similar ecologies (i.e. Mediterranean cities). During the development of his project, Brown participated in a stakeholder group on urban biodiversity that led to a Council Motion to develop a Biodiversity Index for the City of Los Angeles. In 2018, together with LASAN, Brown published the 2018 Biodiversity Report. In 2019, building on his research project, completed his dissertation titled, "Managing Cities as Urban Ecosystems: Analysis Tools for Biodiversity Stewardship in Los Angeles."
Publications
Brown, I. T. (2017). Managing Cities as Urban Ecosystems: Fundamentals and a Framework for Los Angeles, California. Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 10: Iss. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol10/iss2/4
Brown, I. T. (2019). Managing Cities as Urban Ecosystems: Analysis Tools for Biodiversity Stewardship in Los Angeles. UCLA. ProQuest ID: Brown_ucla_0031D_18469. Merritt ID: ark:/13030/m53r60sg. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4c81w4nr
Topics
Fellow
Isaac Brown
Doctor of Environmental Science & Engineering
Mentor
Mark Gold
(Formerly with) Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, Physical Sciences
Partners
City of Los Angeles Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability was founded by Mayor Eric Garcetti to combat climate change and create a sustainable L.A. In 2015, the office created L.A.’s first-ever Sustainable City pLAn – setting the course of a cleaner environment, a stronger economy and a more equitable future. In 2019, Mayor Garcetti expanded the vision and launched L.A.’s Green New Deal.
City of Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment (LASAN)
As the lead agency for the City’s environmental programs and initiatives, LA Sanitation (LASAN) protects public health and the environment through the administration and management of three program areas: Clean Water (wastewater), Solid Resources (solid waste management) and Watershed Protection (stormwater).
