Socioecology Explains Individual Variation in Urban Space Use in Response to Management in Cape Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

International Journal of Primatology - The presence of wildlife adjacent to and within urban spaces is a growing phenomenon globally. When wildlife’s presence in urban spaces has negative...     

Shelter availability and human attitudes as drivers of rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) expansion along a rural–urban gradient

While anthropogenic land‐use changes threaten wildlife globally, some species take advantage of such changes and disperse into urban areas. The wildlife in urban areas often promotes conflicts with humans, notably when the animals are associated with the spread of zoonotic diseases. In Israel, current urban invasion of rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) draws public attention, since the species is a reservoir host of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a serious skin disease. The rock hyrax, however, has seldom been studied in densely populated areas, and the drivers for its urban expansion, as well as its abilities to live and spread in core urban areas, are relatively unknown. Here, we explore the rock hyrax expansion to urban areas process by examining the availability, characteristics and use of shelter along an urban gradient. Our findings suggest that a series of factors determines shelter availability and quality for the rock hyrax, which facilitates its dispersion across the urban gradient. We found that rock hyraxes from the Judean Desert expand to the peri‐urban region of Jerusalem by colonizing new rocky shelters formed as by‐products of urban development. With their populations reaching extreme densities in this area and saturating the available shelters, there is some spill over to the adjacent core urban areas where they colonize littered sites, which are made available due to the local socio‐economic conditions and cultural norms of waste disposal and illegal placement of temporary structures. Our work emphasizes the significance of the urban gradient approach for studying the mechanisms promoting wildlife expansion to cities. Our findings suggest that changes in shelter availability and quality due to urban development, and cultural norms promote shifts of the hyrax population by pushing from the already established areas and pulling into new environment across the urban gradient.     

Are Flying-Foxes Coming to Town? Urbanisation of the Spectacled Flying-Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) in Australia

Urbanisation of wildlife populations is a process with significant conservation and management implications. While urban areas can provide habitat for wildlife, some urbanised species eventually come into conflict with humans. Understanding the process and drivers of wildlife urbanisation is fundamental to developing effective management responses to this phenomenon. In Australia, flying-foxes (Pteropodidae) are a common feature of urban environments, sometimes roosting in groups of tens of thousands of individuals. Flying-foxes appear to be becoming increasingly urbanised and are coming into increased contact and conflict with humans. Flying-fox management is now a highly contentious issue. In this study we used monitoring data collected over a 15 year period (1998–2012) to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of association of spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) roost sites (camps) with urban areas. We asked whether spectacled flying-foxes are becoming more urbanised and test the hypothesis that such changes are associated with anthropogenic changes to landscape structure. Our results indicate that spectacled flying-foxes were more likely to roost near humans than might be expected by chance, that over the period of the study the proportion of the flying-foxes in urban-associated camps increased, as did the number of urban camps. Increased urbanisation of spectacled flying-foxes was not related to changes in landscape structure or to the encroachment of urban areas on camps. Overall, camps tended to be found in areas that were more fragmented, closer to human habitation and with more urban land cover than the surrounding landscape. This suggests that urbanisation is a behavioural response rather than driven by habitat loss.     

Blow flies as urban wildlife sensors

Wildlife detection in urban areas is very challenging. Conventional monitoring techniques such as direct observation are faced with the limitation that urban wildlife is extremely elusive. It was recently shown that invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA) can be used to assess wildlife diversity in tropical rainforests. Flies, which are ubiquitous and very abundant in most cities, may also be used to detect wildlife in urban areas. In urban ecosystems, however, overwhelming quantities of domestic mammal DNA could completely mask the presence of wild mammal DNA. To test whether urban wild mammals can be detected using fly iDNA, we performed DNA metabarcoding of pools of flies captured in Berlin, Germany, using three combinations of blocking primers. Our results show that domestic animal sequences are, as expected, very dominant in urban environments. Nevertheless, wild mammal sequences can often be retrieved, although they usually only represent a minor fraction of the sequence reads. Fly iDNA metabarcoding is therefore a viable approach for quick scans of urban wildlife diversity. Interestingly, our study also shows that blocking primers can interact with each other in ways that affect the outcome of metabarcoding. We conclude that the use of complex combinations of blocking primers, although potentially powerful, should be carefully planned when designing experiments.     

Urbanization and the ecology of wildlife diseases

Urbanization is intensifying worldwide, with two-thirds of the human population expected to reside in cities within 30 years. The role of cities in human infectious disease is well established, but less is known about how urban landscapes influence wildlife-pathogen interactions. Here, we draw on recent advances in wildlife epidemiology to consider how environmental changes linked with urbanization can alter the biology of hosts, pathogens and vectors. Although urbanization reduces the abundance of many wildlife parasites, transmission can, in some cases, increase among urban-adapted hosts, with effects on rarer wildlife or those living beyond city limits. Continued rapid urbanization, together with risks posed by multi-host pathogens for humans and vulnerable wildlife populations, emphasize the need for future research on wildlife diseases in urban landscapes.     

Key lessons for achieving biodiversity‐sensitive cities and towns

Australia's urban landscapes offer opportunities to marry socio‐economic and biodiversity conservation objectives. Yet, information is needed on what urban landscape and habitat features are important for wildlife. In this article, we draw together our research from southeastern Australia to describe key lessons for biodiversity‐sensitive cities and towns. Lesson 1: The effects of urbanization on wildlife extend into adjacent habitats. We recommend retaining large, undisturbed areas of habitat away from development, avoiding intensive development adjacent to important conservation areas, prioritizing areas of ecological and social significance, screening light and noise pollution at the urban fringe and around large nature reserves, and planting appropriately provenanced locally native species for public streetscapes, parks and gardens. Lesson 2: Strategic enhancement of urban greenspace offers biodiversity gains. We recommend increasing the total amount of greenspace cover, maintaining ecological structures as habitat islands, using landscaping techniques to minimize risks to human safety, and gardening with low‐flowering native shrubs. Lesson 3: Large old trees need to be managed for long‐term sustainability. We recommend retaining large old trees in new developments, increasing the maximum standing life of urban trees, protecting regenerating areas and planting more seedlings, supplementing habitat features associated with large trees, and ensuring that young trees have space to grow through time. Lesson 4: Education and engagement connects residents with nature and raises awareness. We recommend education programs to enhance opportunities for residents to experience and learn about biodiversity, engaging residents in the establishment and maintenance of wildlife habitat, providing ‘cues to care’, facilitating access to garden plants that benefit wildlife, and encouraging cat containment. These lessons provide an evidence‐base for implementing conservation and management actions to improve the capacity of our cities and towns to support a diverse and abundant biota.     

One strategy does not fit all: determinants of urban adaptation in mammals

Urbanisation exposes wildlife to new challenging conditions and environmental pressures. Some mammalian species have adapted to these novel environments, but it remains unclear which characteristics allow them to persist. To address this question, we identified 190 mammals regularly recorded in urban settlements worldwide, and used phylogenetic path analysis to test hypotheses regarding which behavioural, ecological and life history traits favour adaptation to urban environments for different mammalian groups. Our results show that all urban mammals produce larger litters; whereas other traits such as body size, behavioural plasticity and diet diversity were important for some but not all taxonomic groups. This variation highlights the idiosyncrasies of the urban adaptation process and likely reflects the diversity of ecological niches and roles mammals can play. Our study contributes towards a better understanding of mammal association to humans, which will ultimately allow the design of wildlife‐friendly urban environments and contribute to mitigate human‐wildlife conflicts.     

城市野境： 城市区域中野性自然的保护与营造

城市野境是城市内部或周边区域中自然过程占主导的土地,其中人类开发和控制程度相对较低,允许在一定程度上发生自然演替和生态过程,各类野生生物能够与人类繁荣共存。城市野境在重新连接人与自然、促进人类身心健康、保护生物多样性、维持生态系统服务方面具有重要和独特的价值。基于文献综述与案例研究,提出并阐释了保护与营造城市野境的 4 种途径,包括保护、修复、设计与融合,即在城市保护地中保护野性自然、再野化部分城市区域、在城市公园中营造类荒野景观以及在城市空间中系统性融入野性自然。建议在中国城市规划与城市设计中,融入野性自然保护与修复的理念,进一步探索城市野境保护与营造的理论与方法。     

Beyond the landscape: Resistance modelling infers physical and behavioural gene flow barriers to a mobile carnivore across a metropolitan area

Urbanization affects key aspects of wildlife ecology. Dispersal in urban wildlife species may be impacted by geographical barriers but also by a species’ inherent behavioural variability. There are no functional connectivity analyses using continuous individual‐based sampling across an urban‐rural continuum that would allow a thorough assessment of the relative importance of physical and behavioural dispersal barriers. We used 16 microsatellite loci to genotype 374 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the city of Berlin and surrounding rural regions in Brandenburg in order to study genetic structure and dispersal behaviour of a mobile carnivore across the urban‐rural landscape. We assessed functional connectivity by applying an individual‐based landscape genetic optimization procedure. Three commonly used genetic distance measures yielded different model selection results, with only the results of an eigenvector‐based multivariate analysis reasonably explaining genetic differentiation patterns. Genetic clustering methods and landscape resistance modelling supported the presence of an urban population with reduced dispersal across the city border. Artificial structures (railways, motorways) served as main dispersal corridors within the cityscape, yet urban foxes avoided densely built‐up areas. We show that despite their ubiquitous presence in urban areas, their mobility and behavioural plasticity, foxes were affected in their dispersal by anthropogenic presence. Distinguishing between man‐made structures and sites of human activity, rather than between natural and artificial structures, is thus essential for better understanding urban fox dispersal. This differentiation may also help to understand dispersal of other urban wildlife and to predict how behaviour can shape population genetic structure beyond physical barriers.     

Urban Compost Attracts Coyotes,Contains Toxins,and may Promote Disease in Urban-Adapted Wildlife

Anthropogenic food is often concentrated in cities where it can attract wildlife, promote conflict with people, and potentially spread disease. Although these associations are well-documented for conventional garbage, they are unexplored for many seemingly innocuous and even environmentally friendly attractants such as piles of compost. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that municipal piles of compost are underappreciated and potentially important contributors to a recent rise in encounters with urban-adapted wildlife by attracting wildlife and promoting the spread of wildlife disease. We used remote cameras to compare visitation rates to compost piles and urban natural areas by coyotes (Canis latrans). For each site type, we assessed photographs for evidence of ectoparasites, screened scats for endoparasites, and sampled compost for harmful mycotoxins. At compost piles, visitation rates were eight times more frequent, coyotes with visible parasitic infections were 4.5 times more common, scats were 10 times more likely to contain tapeworm eggs, and mycotoxins were detected in 86% of piles and often at concentrations higher than legal limits for animal feed. Greater securement of compost waste in cities may reduce encounters with animals, susceptibility to and spread of disease, and rates of human–wildlife conflict for coyotes and other urban-adapted species.     

Urban biodiversity in local newspapers: a historical perspective

Due to rapid urbanization the conservation and values of urban wildlife are becoming increasingly important study objects. Unfortunately, the lack of historical data makes it difficult to assess the effects of long-term urban land-use changes and human attitudes on local biodiversity. In this paper we show that old newspapers may in some cases provide useful historical data on both urban wildlife and local attitudes towards it. In the city of Turku, southwest Finland, the leading newspaper published 316 observations or reports on local urban mammals, birds and reptiles in 1890–1920, and in addition to these a lot of information on contemporary attitudes towards urban wildlife. At least 12 species of noncaptive mammals, 32 species of birds, and three reptile species were documented in newspapers. The newspaper data seem fairly reliable, and provide valuable information on the development of urban biodiversity. In the study period animals visiting urban areas were often persecuted, in which both adults and children (mainly schoolboys) participated actively. Birds were persecuted less frequently than mammals or reptiles. Some bird species, especially 'song-birds', were actively supported by winter-feeding and by constructing nest-boxes. According to newspapers local people were interested in local biodiversity, especially on phenological events, and benefited from it by getting esthetic pleasure, pet animals, and information on seasonal changes.     

Wildlife value orientations and demographics in The Netherlands

This article identified the Dutch publics’ value orientations toward wildlife and examined differences in value orientations among four demographic characteristics: age, sex, current residence, and education. The two wildlife value orientations—domination and mutualism—were based on prior theorizing and research in the USA. People with a domination value orientation believe wildlife should be managed for human benefit and are more likely to prioritize human well-being over wildlife in their attitudes and behaviors. Individuals with a mutualism orientation view wildlife as part of an extended family, deserving of rights and care. Data were obtained from a mailed survey (n = 353) sent to randomly selected individuals in the Dutch population. K-means cluster analysis was used to segment respondents into three groups based on their responses to the 19 items used to measure their wildlife value orientations. As predicted by the literature, those with a domination wildlife value orientation were statistically older (M = 55.2) than mutualism oriented individuals (M = 51.5). Females (61%) and those living in an urban area (48%) tended to be more mutualism-oriented. There were no significant differences among the clusters in education level. Overall, this article provides information about wildlife value orientations and public demographic characteristics that can help wildlife managers to (1) understand the diversity of value orientations that exist and (2) gauge support for or opposition to management policies.     

Mortality of an apex predator,the eagle owl bubo bubo,in Israel 2007–2021

Anthropogenic structures and installations in wild areas are known to directly and indirectly affect wildlife populations, especially apex predators such as Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo). To understand the situation at the national level we analyzed data collected by the Scientific Data Department of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the wildlife hospital at the Safari in Ramat Gan. We analyzed a total of 189 dead Eagle Owls during fifteen years, 2007–2021; 39.7% were electrocuted, 29.2% roadkill, 12.7% flew into fences/barbed wire, 3.8% drowned, and 14.9% died from other causes. The largest mortality of the Eagle Owls was detected in agricultural (34.92 %) and urban areas (31.74%). Also, the pylons identified as lethal should be prioritized and modified with appropriate insulators. Only a sincere effort on the part of the authorities will the continued electrocution of eagle owls and other avian wildlife be truncated.     

新冠肺炎时期公众对野生动物消费和贸易意愿的调查

新冠肺炎疫情的暴发, 使得对野生动物的消费与贸易中的公共健康安全问题引起广泛关注。为了给相关的立法和政策制定提供参考, 我们通过网络对于全国及部分海外华人发放问卷进行了调查, 共收回74,040份有效问卷。根据问卷调查结果, 本文对普通公众对于野生动物消费和贸易立法意愿及影响因素进行了分析。研究结果包括: (1)公众对全面取缔野味餐馆和集市、禁止消费野味、禁止野生动物及其制品的买卖以及禁止野生动物商业性活体展演的立法动议持赞成态度的比例均超过90%; (2)现有野生动物消费群体经历新冠肺炎疫情后倾向于停止消费行为; (3)曾经消费野生动物或周围有人从事野生动物相关产业的群体相比其他人群更有可能不支持全面禁止对野生动物的消费和贸易。结果表明, 全国人民代表大会常务委员会禁食野生动物的决定和修改野生动物保护法的动议在受高等教育者和城镇居民中有良好的公众基础。     

Eating and conserving bushmeat in Africa

In Africa, overhunting of tropical wildlife for food remains an intractable issue. Donors and governments remain committed to invest in efforts to both conserve and allow the sustainable use of wildlife. Four principal barriers need to be overcome: (i) communities are not motivated to conserve wildlife long‐term because they have no formal rights to benefit from wildlife, or to exclude others from taking it on their land; (ii) multispecies harvests, typical of bushmeat hunting scenarios, place large‐bodied species at risk of extinction; (iii) wildlife production cannot expand, in the same way that livestock farming can, to meet the expected growth in consumer demand; and (iv) wildlife habitat is lost through conversion to agriculture, housing, transportation networks and extractive industries. In this review, we examine the actors involved in the use of wildlife as food and discuss the possible solutions required to address urban and rural bushmeat consumption. Interventions must tackle use and conservation of wildlife through the application of context‐relevant interventions in a variety of geographies across Africa. That said, for any bushmeat solution to work, there needs to be concurrent and comparable investment in strengthening the effectiveness of protected area management and enforcement of wildlife conservation laws.     

Urban landscapes can change virus gene flow and evolution in a fragmentation‐sensitive carnivore

Urban expansion has widespread impacts on wildlife species globally, including the transmission and emergence of infectious diseases. However, there is almost no information about how urban landscapes shape transmission dynamics in wildlife. Using an innovative phylodynamic approach combining host and pathogen molecular data with landscape characteristics and host traits, we untangle the complex factors that drive transmission networks of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in bobcats (Lynx rufus). We found that the urban landscape played a significant role in shaping FIV transmission. Even though bobcats were often trapped within the urban matrix, FIV transmission events were more likely to occur in areas with more natural habitat elements. Urban fragmentation also resulted in lower rates of pathogen evolution, possibly owing to a narrower range of host genotypes in the fragmented area. Combined, our findings show that urban landscapes can have impacts on a pathogen and its evolution in a carnivore living in one of the most fragmented and urban systems in North America. The analytical approach used here can be broadly applied to other host–pathogen systems, including humans.     

植被、海拔、人为干扰对大中型野生动物分布的影响——以九寨沟自然保护区为例

利用九寨沟自然保护区内8条动物监测样线在2003—2010年的生态监测数据,分析了植被、海拔、人为干扰对大中型野生动物分布的影响,结果显示:1)本监测共记录到保护区内大中型野生动物26种,其中兽类18种,鸟类8种,属于我国Ⅰ级、Ⅱ级保护动物的分别有5种和11种。2)针阔混交林和针叶林是大中型野生动物种类最丰富的两种植被类型(分别有26种和17种),阔叶林和灌丛次之(分别为10种和12种),草地最少(2种)。3)海拔2400 m以下的地方,大中型野生动物种类稀少,为10种,2400—2599 m海拔段物种数增加至20种,之后随海拔上升物种丰富度下降。4)人为干扰显著影响大中型野生动物的空间分布:历史上的人类活动将原生森林植被转化为次生的落叶阔叶林、灌丛和草地,使树正、亚纳和尖盘等地下坡位(相对海拔0—199 m)的大中型野生动物的物种丰富度降低(分别为4、2、2种)。包括旅游活动和交通在内的人为干扰,可能导致附近50m海拔范围内保护动物的缺失,并使下坡位的某些物种向高海拔处移动。生境破碎化则使野生动物的种类组成发生改变,使原有森林内部优势种,如羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor),逐渐被适应能力强的物种,如豹猫(Prionailurus bengalensis)、雉鸡(Phasianuscolchicus)和野猪(Sus scrofa)等所取代,并将长期影响野生动物种群的存活。当前九寨沟自然保护区大中型野生动物的分布是植被、海拔与人为干扰综合作用的结果。     

Human-induced fear in wildlife: A review

Humans, like natural predators, can induce fear in wildlife, which has the potential to alter species-level survival and fitness. Though anthropogenic impacts on wildlife have been studied in detail, how wildlife respond behaviorally to human presence has been less studied. Here, we provide a literature review on how humans interact with wildlife populations through the ecology of fear framework. Fear responses can be proactive or reactive, and can go beyond behavioral changes to alterations in physiology (such as increases in stress) or alterations in individual chromosome structure. Wildlife are more likely to flee from humans if they possess a larger body size, are female, or have fear-associated genotypes. Intelligence and individual differences lead to variations in wildlife’s fear responses to humans that can make studying fear difficult. Wildlife fear responses to humans depend on environmental factors, including context-specific human presentation and whether the animal was in urban or rural habitats. Human-induced fear in wildlife may have cascading impacts on broader wildlife communities and habitat structure caused by changes in how individual species interact with other species and the environment.     

Wilderness in the city: the urbanization of Echinococcus multilocularis

A distinct increase in fox populations, particularly in urban areas, has been observed in Europe. This is of particular concern in endemic regions of the small fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, the aetiological agent of human alveolar echinococcosis. Novel tools have facilitated the investigation of the ecology of urban foxes and have demonstrated the urban wildlife cycle of E. multilocularis. Such studies are essential for estimating the risk of transmission to humans and to determine the basics for the development of control strategies.     

城市生态公园初探

随着城市化的发展 ,城市原有的自然生境和自然景观逐渐消失 ,原生植被几乎消亡 ,人们很少有机会享受与野生动物相处的乐趣。公园是市民休闲、娱乐和身心再生的重要场所 ,不仅要满足市民游憩的需求 ,也要更好地发挥健全城市生态和恢复生物多样性的功能。而我国目前多数公园过于强调美化和造景 ,将公园等同于花园或旅游点 ,自然景观多被人工景观取代[2 ] 。因此 ,如何将更多的野生动植物引回城区 ,恢复和重建乡土动植物种群 ,满足住区居民与大自然接触的需求 ,建造生态公园是重要途径[8] 。1　生态公园的兴起与发展2 0世纪 2 0年代 ,面对迅猛…