Overall, out of the four texts we’ve read thus far, I think the handbook was not only the most comprehensible but also the most thought provoking and compelling. I thought that it was quite easy to digest for someone not yet completely familiar with urban ecology and biodiversity conservation; it was informative and helpful rather than technical and boring. I don’t think it was aimed at a particular audience but rather for common folk to better understand the ecological makeup of the city they live in. The structure even facilitated my understanding because it seemed to follow my own thought process beginning with why biodiversity was important, and how NY retains its biodiversity to how biodiversity is threatened in the city and how to develop a plan for biodiversity conservation.
Firstly, what was really interesting to me was the section that spoke about the value of biodiversity specifically all the economic benefits we reap from having rich landscapes/wildlife. We save TRILLIONS of dollars just by effectively using natural service. For example I didn’t know that the 2005 Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan saved more the city more than 8 billion dollars in terms of building and maintenance costs for a water treatment plant. If this type of information were publicized more, I think everyone would be campaigning for biodiversity. Furthermore, the author made a great point by remarking that green spaces and natural habitats drive up property values and work to push the economy. Besides the financial reasons which illustrate biodiversity’s overarching benefits in NYC, I didn’t really know that biodiversity could be a “natural insurance policy” protecting the land and making it more sustainable and supportive to life. In addition, I was fully unaware plants and the soil absorbed that storm water, preventing water pollution, something that plagues NYC!
Although the section dedicated to outlining NY as an ecological setting was a little technical and boring, some of the information really took me by surprise. The biggest shocker was that the Bronx River is currently the only extensive freshwater ecosystem left in the five boroughs. NYC has lost an overwhelming majority of its wetlands and its marshes, which acutely affects both animal and plant species. What I really liked about this text was it showed the high level and complexity of interdependence amongst factors of an ecosystem. It broke down biodiversity down into more than just plants and different animals, allowing for the reader to better visualize how intertwined and linked nature is. For example, the Rockaways, due to certain geological factors, foster the growth of the Diamond Back Terrapins and various bird species. Our problem is we see the ecosystem not as a united entity but rather as separate and independent.
Introducing the threats to biodiversity provided a nice segue for an in-depth discussion of how biodiversity can be protected in the city. Although the authors commended NYC for making important strides to offset the loss of biodiversity, this section gets more accusatory. For example, the authors say that our green space is adversely affected by human activity. We have to connect with nature but not excessively? How do they suppose we balance experience and conservation? The authors attempt to answer some of these questions in the following portion of the text. Personally, the role and prevalence of law in environmental conservation efforts is pretty fascinating. I wholeheartedly agree that certain policies in effect need to be adapted and changed to fit the current ecological makeup of NYC and that new regulations should be created. What I found even more noteworthy was how the authors remarked that our legal jargon was not yet adequate to describe biodiversity because important distinctions need to be made to effectively tackle problems that could not only be implemented throughout the five boroughs but in specific areas. There are a plethora of very specific solutions provided in the handbook, however the authors’ ambitions seem a little idealistic to me. We have to fill out habitat assessments for each area, collaborate with agencies, etc. The problem is how do we get people to care! Do the people that already care fulfill their part and by completing some of these things (ie passing new legislation) do we get people to take action or do we need people to be aware for them to do these things? Where do we get the initiative/manpower?
