The Accidental Ecosystem, Peter S. Alagona
The Accidental Ecosystem, Peter S. Alagona
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The Accidental Ecosystem
People and Wildlife in American Cities

Author: Peter S. Alagona

Narrator: Matt Godfrey

Unabridged: 8 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/18/2023


Synopsis

The Accidental Ecosystem tells the story of how cities across the United States went from having little wildlife to filling, dramatically and unexpectedly, with wild creatures. Today, many of these cities have more wild animals living in them than at any time in at least the past 150 years. Why have so many cities—the most artificial and human-dominated of all Earth's ecosystems—grown rich with wildlife, even as wildlife has declined in most of the rest of the world? And what does this paradox mean for people, wildlife, and nature on our increasingly urban planet?

The Accidental Ecosystem is the first book to explain this phenomenon from a deep historical perspective, and its focus includes a broad range of species and cities. Digging into the natural history of cities and unpacking our conception of what it means to be wild, this book provides fascinating context for why animals are thriving more in cities than outside of them. Considering what it means to live in diverse, multispecies communities and exploring how human and non-human members of communities might thrive together, Peter S. Alagona goes beyond the tension between those who embrace the surge in urban wildlife and those who think of animals as invasive or as public safety hazards.

About Peter S. Alagona

Peter S. Alagona is an environmental historian, conservation scientist, nature-culture geographer, and professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.


Reviews

Goodreads review by The Wildlife Center of Virginia on June 14, 2023

Our book clubbers generally enjoyed this book -- it offered a nice overview of our historical land use and urbanization, and how wildlife presence and behavior changed (or didn't) with those human activities. There were a variety of chapters that focused on specific species, and ultimately, the emph......more

Goodreads review by Tara on December 27, 2024

Very well researched account of wildlife in urban areas, how numbers have fluctuated, and different policies for management. What could be a dry account is fleshed out with specific stories of animals and particular cities.......more

Goodreads review by Michael on April 25, 2022

The Accidental Ecosystem: People and Wildlife in American Cities by Peter Alagona is a popular science book that describes the arrival of several animal species to our urban environment, from coyotes to pumas. The first few chapters set the framework, discussing how the habitat potential of cities h......more

Goodreads review by Frank on September 05, 2023

Comprehensive book, grounded in science but told through engaging examples, about wildlife and urban ecology. Great for folks interested in land use change or who are just curious about the coyotes living in the city. A real twenty-first century wildlife book.......more

Goodreads review by Ananya on June 27, 2022

Phenomenal book! I’ve personally encountered wildlife in many different American cities, from deer in Philadelphia to coyotes in LA to raccoons all over, and heard many more instances of people running into wildlife, large and small. The book discusses different wildlife that thrive in cities, still......more