TY - JOUR
T1 - Mammal communities are larger and more diverse in moderately developed areas
AU - Parsons, Arielle Waldstein
AU - Forrester, Tavis
AU - Baker-Whatton, Megan C.
AU - McShea, William J.
AU - Rota, Christopher T.
AU - Schuttler, Stephanie G.
AU - Millspaugh, Joshua J.
AU - Kays, Roland
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Parsons et al.
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - Developed areas are thought to have low species diversity, low animal abundance, few native predators, and thus low resilience and ecological function. Working with citizen scientist volunteers to survey mammals at 1427 sites across two development gradients (wild-rural-exurban-suburban-urban) and four plot types (large forests, small forest fragments, open areas and residential yards) in the eastern US, we show that developed areas actually had significantly higher or statistically similar mammalian occupancy, relative abundance, richness and diversity compared to wild areas. However, although some animals can thrive in suburbia, conservation of wild areas and preservation of green space within cities are needed to protect sensitive species and to give all species the chance to adapt and persist in the Anthropocene.
AB - Developed areas are thought to have low species diversity, low animal abundance, few native predators, and thus low resilience and ecological function. Working with citizen scientist volunteers to survey mammals at 1427 sites across two development gradients (wild-rural-exurban-suburban-urban) and four plot types (large forests, small forest fragments, open areas and residential yards) in the eastern US, we show that developed areas actually had significantly higher or statistically similar mammalian occupancy, relative abundance, richness and diversity compared to wild areas. However, although some animals can thrive in suburbia, conservation of wild areas and preservation of green space within cities are needed to protect sensitive species and to give all species the chance to adapt and persist in the Anthropocene.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054090266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7554/eLife.38012
DO - 10.7554/eLife.38012
M3 - Article
C2 - 30277211
AN - SCOPUS:85054090266
SN - 2050-084X
VL - 7
JO - eLife
JF - eLife
M1 - e38012
ER -