Wealth and urbanization shape medium and large terrestrial mammal communities

Area of Science:

• Urban ecology
• Conservation biology
• Environmental sociology

Background:

• Urban biodiversity is crucial for sustainable cities but varies unequally.
• The "luxury effect" suggests wealth correlates with species richness, indicating potential inequities.
• Mammals offer key ecosystem services and can cause human-wildlife conflicts, yet are understudied in urban luxury effect research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the "luxury effect" for medium- to large-sized terrestrial mammals in 20 North American cities.
• To determine if per capita income consistently predicts mammal species richness across diverse urban environments.
• To identify key drivers of urban mammal diversity, comparing economic factors with urban intensity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a large dataset of mammal detections across 20 North American cities.
• Statistical testing for correlation between per capita income and mammal species richness.
• Assessment of the relationship between urban intensity and mammal species richness.

Main Results:

• Evidence for the "luxury effect" (income-species richness correlation) was inconsistent, found in about half of the cities.
• Mammal species richness was strongly and negatively correlated with urban intensity in most cities studied.
• Urban intensity emerged as a more consistent predictor of mammal diversity than per capita income.

Conclusions:

• Economic factors influence urban mammal communities in some cities, but not universally.
• Urban intensity is a more significant driver of mammal diversity than wealth across diverse urban settings.
• Understanding social and political factors is essential for addressing inequities in urban nature experiences.