Cities – envirobites

Monday, January 17, 2022

How Air Pollution Regulation Can Affect Bird Populations

September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 Jessica Espinosa 0 Comments birds, ozone, policy, Pollution

Although we have strong evidence that air pollution poses significant health risks to humans, how air pollutants affect plants and animals is not well studied. Birds are especially susceptible to air pollution because they have a unique way of breathing and interacting with air. Therefore, a group of scientists conducted a study on how air pollution affects North American birds and how air quality regulations, which were initially created to benefit humans, can also benefit these bird species.

Animal behavior Cities Ecosystems

Combine Crickets and Lockdowns and get an Unlikely Experiment

August 5, 2021August 4, 2021 Brianne Palmer 0 Comments animal behavior, COVID-19, crickets, entomology, urban ecology

In the spring of 2020, we all dealt with lockdowns in a different way. In urban parks, animals were suddenly exposed to a world without humans, and this disrupted ongoing urban ecology experiments. But resourceful ecologists used the sudden silence near businesses and the uptick of outdoor recreation to understand how shifting human behaviors change timing and duration of chirping urban crickets.

Cities Climate Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Hot take – we need diverse and rich tree species, not just more trees to reduce the urban heat island effect

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 Jessica Wright 0 Comments #greenspace, #urbandesign, Ecology, Trees

Wang, X., M. Dallimer, C.E. Scott, W. Shi, J. Gao. (2020). Tree species richness and diversity predicts the magnitude of

Cities Climate Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

The Urban Heat Island Challenge – How to quantify this pressing concern for cities facing a changing climate

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 Jessica Wright 0 Comments city, climate resiliency, heat, human health, urban planning

Sangiorgio, V., Fiorito, F., & Santamouris, M. (2020). Development of a holistic urban heat island evaluation methodology. Scientific Reports, 10(1),

Cities Climate Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Public Health & Urban Trees – What you need to know

April 19, 2021April 19, 2021 Jessica Wright 0 Comments government, infrastructure, street trees, urban planning

Read all about the public health benefits of trees in cities. Team of researchers complete scoping literature review to help urban planners learn about the importance of urban trees.

Cities Environmental Science

Celebrating Community Science Month – How you can get involved

April 5, 2021April 5, 2021 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments Community science, ladybugs, outreach, volunteer

If you are a science enthusiast looking for ways to become more involved, community science is the perfect activity for you and your friends and family. Community scientists are people interested in science who volunteer to make observations, collect data, and report findings. Recently, community scientists in Ohio worked with experts to track declining native ladybugs in their backyards. April is global community science month and the perfect time to get involved with projects like these!

Animal behavior Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

Can Human Infrastructure Improve Biodiversity?

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021 Brianne Palmer 0 Comments fragmentation, humans and wildlife, infastructure, Restoration, wildlife

Electrical towers are dotted across landscapes around the world, bringing power to people in cities and the country. But can these towers be used to help wildlife? In a new study, researchers in Sevilla, Spain modified the base of these towers to attract wildlife. They found that not only do these man-made structures attract wildlife, but they can also act as wildlife corridors — providing safe passage for critters as they move across human-modified landscapes.

Cities Ecosystems

Dead and Gone? – The loss of decaying wood communities in urban forests

March 3, 2021March 3, 2021 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments decomposition, forests, fungi, insects, wood

Forests are beautiful. From flourishing plants to tranquil wildlife to decaying logs, all parts are beautiful, vital, and connected. Dead logs are responsible for maintaining a healthy forest thanks to teams of fungi and wood-dependent insects inside. These organisms break down plant material to add nutrients back to the ecosystem. Forests are essential for human health and well-being, but human disturbance could threaten these ecosystems. To keep our forests healthy and beautiful, we depend on these decomposers, but can they rely on us?

Aerial view of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Cities Environmental Science

Tackling Tradeoffs: Tree Functional Groups and Ecosystem Services in Tree Planting

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 Jenna Zukswert 0 Comments Climate Change, Function, management, Trees, Urban street trees

Deciding which trees to replant in cities stressed by climate change and pests can be daunting, but considering the traits of trees and the “functional groups” they belong to can help. In Québec City, computer simulations showed that a “stratified” approach to replanting that aims to evenly represent species of different functional groups did not increase ecosystem services as much as a “conifer-focused” strategy, suggesting a tradeoff between representation of functional groups and ecosystem services provided. Even so, the stratified strategy increased ecosystem services more than “business as usual” and produced the canopy least vulnerable to pests and disease.

Animal behavior Cities

Puzzling Mice – City mice are better problem solvers

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments city, country, innovation, mice, persistence

What’s your strategy for completing a jigsaw puzzle? Puzzles and games require problem solving and strategy. Animals also need to problem-solve to overcome challenges in their environment, but it’s not all fun and games for them. Human disturbance and constant change in cities can make for really challenging conditions for city animals, such as mice. City and county striped field mice will have to prove their problem-solving wit by sliding, lifting, carrying, and digging their way through eight obstacles.

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