Urban wild

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Los Angeles, California

An urban wild is a remnant of a natural ecosystem found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area.

Utility

Urban wilds, particularly those of several acres or more, are often intact ecological systems that can provide essential ecosystem functions such as the filtering of urban

.

Typically, urban wilds are home to native

.

Preservation

Without formal protection, urban wilds are vulnerable to development. However, achieving formal protection of a large urban wild can be difficult. Land tenure of a single ecological area can be complex, with multiple public and private entities owning adjacent properties.

Key strategies used in the preservation of urban wilds have included conservation restrictions that keep complex land tenure systems in place while protecting the entire landscape. Public/private partnerships have also been successful in protecting urban wilds.

The urban wilds prioritized by municipalities tend to be partial

of the region.

Passive parks

There is some discussion about whether natural areas that are not at an appropriate scale to perform significant

should instead be categorized as passive parks as opposed to urban wilds. Smaller urban wilds are used for passive recreation and have less value to the city in terms of enhancing ecosystem function.

References