Ecologist Goes to Washington

Cities are working to limit and respond to the impacts of climate change, but each urban ecosystem is unique. Greening projects and other climate-related initiatives almost always require stakeholders to prioritize one ecosystem service over another; the success of these initiatives depends both on how well they correspond to local priorities and how well they reflect local ecology. Dr. Diane Pataki, who has worked with policymakers in both Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, discusses the role of urban ecology in local decision-making and the challenges unique to working in human-dominated landscapes.