CITY BIRD: Burrowing owls inhabit the Argentine city of Bahía Blanca.NATALIA REBOLO
Since the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century established cities as hubs of social activity and commerce, the world’s population has flocked to these urban centers. In less than 100 years, city dwellers came to dramatically outnumber country folk in developed countries, and more than half the Earth’s human population—some 3.7 billion people—now lives in urban areas.
How has this trend affected wildlife? Obviously, cities are not devoid of animals; many species establish successful populations in the concrete environments, and some, such as rats and pigeons, seem to thrive. But other species aren’t so lucky. What makes the difference between city success and failure for these animals? That’s exactly the question conservation ecologist Martina Carrete of Pablo de Olavide University in Seville, Spain, wants ...
