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Wildlife Population Dynamics in Urban Landscapes

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Urban Wildlife conservation

Abstract

Species occur in urban landscapes under a wide range of conditions and densities, but knowing only the pattern of occurrence provides limited information about species-specific relationships with urbanization. Identifying the specific ways in which urban and non-urban wildlife populations differ and the underlying reasons for those differences is a challenging and complex task. After all, the response of a species to urbanization may be the consequence of wide variety of factors, including life history, behavioral, and physiological attributes that promote avoidance, tolerance, or preference for urban systems. The literature suggests that species that respond negatively to development tend to be habitat specialists, migratory, and/or sensitive to a wide range of human activities and disturbance, whereas species that respond positively are often generalists, omnivorous, multi-brooded, and behaviorally flexible. In this chapter we examine how urbanization affects population structure and demography of species occupying both urban and non-urban landscapes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Amanda D. Rodewald

  2. School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA

    Stanley D. Gehrt

Authors
  1. Amanda D. Rodewald
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  2. Stanley D. Gehrt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda D. Rodewald .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Robert A. McCleery

  2. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    Christopher E. Moorman

  3. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    M. Nils Peterson

Conclusion

Conclusion

We extol the value of explicitly considering the population ecology of urban wildlife, yet we recognize that demographic studies are time- and resource-intensive and, hence, not always possible. Application of general rules of thumb can sometimes be a reasonable surrogate for place-based studies, but this may prove difficult within urbanizing systems. One of the most striking patterns to emerge from our review was the absence of any clear “rules” governing population ecology of urban wildlife. Though there are several common patterns in density and/or demography, sufficient exceptions exist to preclude widespread generalization. This fact at once makes urban wildlife populations especially interesting from a scientific perspective and especially challenging from a conservation and management one.

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Rodewald, A., Gehrt, S. (2014). Wildlife Population Dynamics in Urban Landscapes. In: McCleery, R., Moorman, C., Peterson, M. (eds) Urban Wildlife conservation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7500-3_8

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