Integrating human and species habitat preferences in conservation in heterogeneous urban settings

Abstract

Summary Cities are becoming increasingly important to biodiversity conservation, conservation that could also benefit urban people given the importance of nature to human well-being. Urban conservation is challenging, however, given cities’ primary role as human habitats and the need to simultaneously support heterogeneous human and wild species communities in similarly heterogeneous environments. We demonstrate a framework for identifying conservation zones within cities and human and species habitat preferences within them, thereby identifying habitat attributes that management could target to support human well-being and conservation objectives. The framework first categorizes conservation zones within a city, then develops species indicator communities for each zone. Habitat preferences are identified for each indicator community using richness modelling, and human habitat preferences within zones are identified using one of several approaches. Lastly, habitat preferences are compared to identify commonalities and differences within zones. We demonstrate our framework in Iowa City (IA, USA) using songbirds, identifying similarities in human and bird habitat preferences within conservation zones that management could target to support human well-being and species conservation and differences in preferences that could be proactively managed to reduce conflict. This framework can thus identify key habitat attributes and approaches to inform conservation planning targeted to specific settings within cities.

Nesting Habitat Selection and Suitable Breeding Habitat of Blue-Crowned Laughingthrush: Implication on Its Habitat Conservation

“…Most of the central and southern parts of Wuyuan County are urban construction areas, and although there are elements of habitat for the BCLT, there is a certain degree of difference with its preferred environment and vegetation structure characteristics, so it is unknown whether it is possible to develop into its new target site [79]. Conservation and management departments can examine this large area and make reasonable plans for the construction of a suitable environment when making policies.…”