Some species, such as peregrine falcons, have higher survival rates or greater reproductive success in cities than in rural areas. Some even prefer urban landscapes. a 2017 analysis Of the 529 bird species globally, only 66 are found in urban areas, including not only classic urban birds such as feral pigeons, but also a variety of species native to their areas, such as burrowing owls and black and red stinging sparrows. According to another reconsideringDiverse communities of native bee species still exist in cities around the world, and in many cases, more diverse and abundant populations of native bees live in cities than in nearby rural landscapes. In Australia, researchers recently specified 39 endangered “last chance” species that live only in small areas of urban habitats, including trees, shrubs, tortoises, snails, and even orchids.
For centuries, urbanization has led to the removal and fragmentation of natural vegetation. After the initial attack, a complex mosaic of new habitats consisting of native, non-native and invasive plants emerged, dominated by buildings, roads and other impermeable and polluted surfaces.
Urban ecologists view these as a series of “filters” that make it difficult for many species to survive in cities, especially those with specific habitat requirements. Myla Aronson, an urban ecologist at Rutgers University, for example, notes that so-called ericaceous plants such as blueberries and rhododendrons, which require acidic soil, have disappeared from cities. One possible reason, she said, is that concrete has increased the alkalinity of urban environments.
While urbanization continues to pose a significant threat to species and ecosystems, cities abound with a “remarkably diverse” array of non-traditional habitats “that can provide important habitats or resources for local biodiversity,” books University of Melbourne scientists in a 2018 research in biology protection. These range from the remains of indigenous ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands to traditional urban green spaces such as parks, backyards, and cemeteries, as well as golf courses, urban farms, and community gardens. Additionally, as cities invest in green infrastructure to mitigate environmental damage, wildlife is increasingly occupying new areas including green roofs, built-up wetlands, and the colonization of former brown fields and vacant lands. And authors wrote biology An article on the “Biological Desert Fallacy”.
In recent years, urban ecologists have created a new niche in the field of conservation biology. One of the primary research papers, published in 2014, analyzed 110 cities across a range of biogeographic regions with comprehensive inventories of resident plant life and 54 cities with complete bird listings. according to studyCities have retained most of their original biodiversity. Aronson, the paper’s lead author, and colleagues also found that plants and birds in the cities they studied became less abundant, losing 75 percent and 92 percent of their pre-urban density, respectively.
Another founder paper From Urban Conservation Biology, published two years later, written by Australian scientists found that cities harbor 30 percent of the country’s threatened flora and fauna, including the black Carnaby cockatoo, a large cockatoo that lives only in southwestern Australia, where there has been widespread farming. Broad to fragmentation of much of its habitat. In fact, they find that cities contain more threatened species per square kilometer than non-urban areas. “Australian cities are important for the conservation of threatened species,” they wrote.
Scientists have describe it Several ways in which urban areas can benefit regional biodiversity. For example, cities can provide refuge from stresses such as competition or predation that native species encounter in surrounding landscapes. Greater densities of prey in cities have been linked to the success of many urban raptors, including Cooper’s hawks, peregrine falcons, crested bass and Mississippi kites. Cities also serve as stopping places where migratory birds can rest and refuel. Large city parks, such as Highbanks Park in Columbus, Ohio, provide an important stop-over habitat for thrushes, songbirds, and other migratory songbirds.