The Third Dimension of Urban Ecology: Biological Processes and Adaptation in High-Density Environments

The accelerating trends of global warming and urbanization pose significant challenges to the ecological resilience, human thermal comfort, and survival of organisms in high-density cities. Urban areas represent highly complex three-dimensional systems, where thermal exposure, energy exchange, and biological responses occur across both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Vegetation canopies, building facades, street canyon spaces, and ground habitats collectively form a three-dimensional urban thermal landscape, shaping microclimate patterns and adaptive spaces for organisms. In this context, the “third dimension” of urban ecology focuses on three-dimensional spatial structures, using high-precision acquisition technologies such as LiDAR and 3D reconstruction to build digital 3D scenarios, and analyzing the core role of 3D structures in mitigating thermal stress in response to climate challenges.This Research Topic focuses on the role of urban 3D ecological structures in mitigating thermal stress, considering biological adaptation, microclimate regulation, and human thermal comfort. By integrating high-precision spatial acquisition technologies, it systematically analyzes the physical mechanisms through which 3D structures regulate microclimate and their role as ecological carriers for human and non-human thermal adaptation. The issue addresses not only the local functions and performance boundaries of 3D ecological structures but also the systemic functions of 3D ecological systems in mitigating thermal stress and optimizing multi-scale spatial configurations, providing theoretical guidance and practical solutions for building resilient and thermally comfortable three-dimensional urban ecosystems in high-density environments.The scope of submissions includes, but is not limited to, the following research areas:• 3D Urban Ecological Structures and Microclimate Regulation: Studies on how 3D vegetation structures or built forms (e.g., building heights, street patterns, spatial porosity) influence 3D microclimates and thermal responses.• Thermal Adaptation Mechanisms of Non-Human Organisms in 3D Urban Habitats: Research focusing on how organisms utilize habitats and regulate thermal stress through behavior and physiology, such as animals using shade, shelter, or vertical microenvironments to avoid heat, and plants exhibiting physiological responses at different layers (e.g., transpiration cooling, leaf temperature heterogeneity).• 3D Ecological Environment and Human Thermal Adaptation and Comfort: Analyses of how 3D vegetation and built structures (e.g., rooftop greening, building facades, street canyon spaces, elevated corridors) affect human thermal exposure, perception, and behavioral patterns.• Performance Boundaries and Potential Risks of 3D Ecological Systems: Exploration of thermal regulation thresholds of urban ecological structures (plant canopies, green buildings, 3D spatial combinations), trade-offs between functions (e.g., ventilation vs. shading), and potential environmental risks.• Multi-Scale Analysis and Optimization of 3D Urban Spatial Configurations: Examination of spatial heterogeneity and cross-scale relationships of 3D ecological structures, and strategies for optimizing vegetation, built environment, and biological space in high-density urban areas.This Research Topic welcomes original research articles and reviews based on empirical data, theoretical models, or practical case studies, encouraging studies that move beyond traditional 2D perspectives to explore 3D urban ecology. Research from a single spatial dimension (e.g., urban surface or vertical space) is encouraged, as long as it embodies the three-dimensional nature. Meanwhile, emphasis should be placed on the research value of biological adaptation mechanisms, ecological functions, and behavioral responses. Research methods may include field observations, experimental studies, and numerical simulations, and the use of 3D techniques such as point cloud reconstruction, voxel analysis, and integrated ground–air observation is encouraged. Topic editors: Xiaohuan Xie, Zhonghua Gou, Elmira Jamei Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77386/the-third-dimension-of-urban-ecology-biological-processes-and-adaptation-in-high-density-environments