Sublethal consequences of urban life for wild vertebrates

Birnie‐Gauvin, Kim; Peiman, Kathryn S.; Gallagher, Austin J.; Bruijn, Robert de; Cooke, Steven J.

doi:10.1139/er-2016-0029

Cited by 61 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 139 publications

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“…The three rivers discussed above run mainly through agricultural land. However, rivers running through urban areas may be subjected to even more severe habitat loss (Birnie-Gauvin, Peiman, Gallagher, de Bruijn, & Cooke, 2016). For example, the River Mølleaa is approximately 13 km long, and flows through northern Copenhagen into the TABLE 1 Conceptualizing rheophilic habitat loss.…”

Section: Conceptualizing Habitat Loss: Applications For Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shining a light on the loss of rheophilic fish habitat in lowland rivers as a forgotten consequence of barriers, and its implications for management

Birnie‐Gauvin

Aarestrup

Riis³

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

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The majority of rivers around Europe have been modified in one way or another, and no longer have an original, continuous flow from source to outlet. The presence of weirs and dams has altered habitats, thus affecting the wildlife that lives within them. This is especially true for migrating rheophilic fish species, which, in addition to safe passage, depend on gradient and fast‐flowing waters for reproductive success and early development. Thus far, research has focused on investigating the impacts of weirs and dams on fish passage, with less attention paid to the loss of habitat entrained by such infrastructure. The loss of rheophilic habitat is particularly important in lowland streams, where gradient is limited, and dams and weirs can be constructed with less effort. Denmark is considered a typical lowland country, where the landscape around streams and rivers has been modified by agriculture and other human activities for centuries, leaving management practitioners wondering how much change is acceptable to maintain sustainable fish populations and fisheries practices. With examples from Denmark, this paper attempts to conceptualize the loss in habitat as a result of barriers in lowland streams and rivers, and the repercussions that such alterations may have on rheophilic fish populations. Furthermore, the need for management to address habitat loss and its related consequences concurrently with the improvement of fish passage is emphasized.

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Section: Conceptualizing Habitat Loss: Applications For Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shining a light on the loss of rheophilic fish habitat in lowland rivers as a forgotten consequence of barriers, and its implications for management

Birnie‐Gauvin

Aarestrup

Riis³

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

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“…These processes are likely to have sublethal effects on wildlife that are less obvious yet may play a role in shaping species responses to urbanization (Birnie‐Gauvin et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, urbanization is synonymous with land clearing, habitat fragmentation, and increasing road infrastructure, all of which increase mortality rates in wildlife (McKinney 2002). These processes are likely to have sublethal effects on wildlife that are less obvious yet may play a role in shaping species responses to urbanization (Birnie-Gauvin et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not all urban landscapes are the same: interactions between urban land use and stress in a large herbivorous mammal

Brunton

Clemente

Burnett

2020

Ecological Applications

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Urbanization significantly impacts the health and viability of wildlife populations yet it is not well understood how urban landscapes differ from non‐urban landscapes with regard to their effects on wildlife. This study investigated the physiological response of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to land use at a landscape scale. Using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) we compared stress levels of kangaroo populations in urban and non‐urban environments. We modeled FGM concentrations from 24 kangaroo populations against land use (urban or non‐urban) and other anthropogenic and environmental factors, using a linear modeling approach. We found that land use was a significant predictor of FGM concentrations in eastern grey kangaroos with significant differences in concentrations between urban and non‐urban populations. However, the direction of the relationship differed between northern and southern regions of Australia. In the northern study sites, kangaroos in urban areas had significantly higher FGM levels than their non‐urban counterparts. In contrast, in southern sites, where kangaroos occur in high densities in many urban areas, urban kangaroos had lower FGM concentrations than non‐urban kangaroos. Rainfall and temperature were also significant predictors of FGM and the direction of the relationship was consistent across both regions. These results are consistent with the contrasting abundance and persistence of kangaroo populations within the urban matrix between the two study regions. In the northern region many populations have declined over the last two decades and are fragmented, also occurring at lower densities than in southern sites. Our study indicates that it is the characteristics of urban environments, rather than the urban environment per se, which determines the extent of impacts of urbanization on kangaroos. This research provides insights into how the design of urban landscapes can influence large mammal populations.

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“…Urbanization presents wildlife with a series of challenges, such as environmental stresses, competition with domestic/invasive species, noise, air, and light pollution (Birnie‐Gauvin, Peiman, Gallagher, Bruijn, & Cooke, ; Grimm et al, ). Nevertheless, it also grants wildlife with new ecological opportunities, shelter (e.g., holes and crevices in man‐made structures), lower predation rate, and access to abundant food, at least for some species, that can be a bonanza for life in the city (Francis & Chadwick, ; McKinney, ; Parris, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metropolitan lizards? Urbanization gradient and the density of lagartixas (Tropidurus hispidus) in a tropical city

Andrade

2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Urbanization, with its cohort of environmental stressors, has a dramatic effect on wildlife, causing loss of biodiversity and decline in population abundance customarily associated with increasing levels of impervious surface and fragmentation of native habitats. Some studies suggest that faunal species from open habitats, and with higher abundance in natural environments, seem more likely to tolerate and live in urban environments. Here I evaluate how the level of urbanization affects lagartixas (Tropidurus hispidus) one of the most common lizards found in open vegetation ecosystems in NE Brazil. I surveyed a total of 47 transects across sites that differed in proportion of impervious surface (high, mild, peri‐urban, and rural). I also collected specific biotic (herbaceous cover, tree, and arthropod abundance) and abiotic (amount of shelters and impervious surfaces) factors that could affect lagartixas abundance. Ants were the most common arthropod both in the rural and urban environment. Lagartixas thrive in urban environments, and trees and shelter were key predictors of their abundance. Lagartixas show a clear association with use of artificial structures. The low densities of lagartixas in rural areas and higher density in urbanized areas suggest that they colonized urban areas due to the hard surfaces and they probably are not exploiting a novel habitat, but somewhat responding to conditions resembling those in which they evolved. Finally, lagartixas are extremely common in tropical cities, they have a suite of features that are associated with selective pressures in cities and they might play a key functional role in urban ecosystems making this lizard an excellent system for the study of ecology and adaptation to the urban environments.

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Sublethal consequences of urban life for wild vertebrates

Cited by 61 publications

References 139 publications

Shining a light on the loss of rheophilic fish habitat in lowland rivers as a forgotten consequence of barriers, and its implications for management

Shining a light on the loss of rheophilic fish habitat in lowland rivers as a forgotten consequence of barriers, and its implications for management

Not all urban landscapes are the same: interactions between urban land use and stress in a large herbivorous mammal

Metropolitan lizards? Urbanization gradient and the density of lagartixas (Tropidurus hispidus) in a tropical city

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