Supporting the “Virtuous Cycle” in Urban Ecosystems: How Research Can Inform Plans, Policies, and Projects that Impact Urban Resilience

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Background

This Research Topic has been developed in collaboration with Kat Superfisky and Michelle Barton from the City of Los Angeles and Edith de Guzman from the University of California – Los Angeles.

Conservation research and practice in urban contexts must consider not only ecological systems, but also the socio-political, cultural, and economic systems that are inextricably linked to the environment. Enlisting the help and support of people in achieving conservation goals in urban areas is essential. As stated by Morrison, “The aim is to create a virtuous cycle that will be the engine for continued accrual of the benefits to both people and nature, by mainstreaming conservation so it becomes a part of and product of business as usual”. Specifically, the Virtuous Cycle framework envisions a system in which an intervention aimed to improve the diversity and resiliency of a given place catalyzes a positive feedback loop by providing benefits from nature (or ecosystem services) to people, who are then mobilized to impact policies and/or practices to improve the place, which then produces increased benefits to both nature and people.

Advancing conservation goals in urban areas requires collaboration among stakeholders across sectors, jurisdictions, and disciplines. It also requires the ability to cultivate resilience across social (individual to institutional) and ecological (organism to landscape) scales. An integrated, collaborative approach presents a great opportunity to address complex problems but also can present great challenges. The aim of the Research Topic is to showcase projects that connect urban social-ecological research and practice, providing examples of the process and potential benefits and barriers.

This Research Topic will feature research that illustrates parts or all of the Virtuous Cycle framework and the power of creating regenerative cycles. Invited authors will represent a range of urban social-ecological research areas, such as those focusing on wildlife, green infrastructure, and biodiversity. Authors should highlight how their research is connected to practice and may discuss the importance of public-private partnerships and how local government, researchers, and nonprofits can coordinate efforts to move from the status quo to a desired future state. Articles that characterize a conservation intervention should also describe the potential societal outcomes that could lead to positive feedback loops, benefitting nature, people, and/or place. Articles may address resource management topics such as the types of stakeholders that need to be involved in applied social-ecological research and how to manage complex collaborations. As the virtuous cycle can be applied at various scales, local to global, those with varying scales of related research are invited to submit a manuscript.

Keywords: Social-Ecological, Green Infrastructure, Urban Biodiversity, Collaborative Ecosystem Management, Public-Private Partnerships, Citizen Science, Community Science, Virtuous Cycle Framework

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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