North American Urban and Suburban Environments - Code: Ne13A

An undeniable aspect of the modern landscape are anthropogenic features and none of these human driven habitat changes are more comprehensive than the areas we choose to live. From tiny villages to the 20+ million residents of Mexico City, over 750 million people inhabit the Nearctic and have converted natural habitats into desirable areas to live. These areas are not sterile waste-lands devoid of wildlife – in North America human settlement has a wider array of fauna than most cultivation and grazing land and sometimes even more than surrounding natural habitats. 
          On some levels we crave nature and have created simplified imitations – parks, reservoirs, and gardens - that host an unusually high concentration of flowering and fruiting plants that benefit wildlife. Many cities have larger numbers of trees than surrounding habitats and have even created islands of habitat that have permanently altered the ranges of some species. 
          In other cases, the draws to wildlife are less expected but no less real. Tall buildings imitate towering cliffs, sewage treatment areas mimic wetlands, roof-tops and chimneys approximate barren ground and hollow trees. Trash dumps provide massive sources of food for adaptable scavengers and many energy production facilities use hot water that keeps bodies of water ice-free in winter and concentrate fish. 
          Areas of human habitation tend to vary along a gradient of density with urban areas being on the higher end and suburban areas towards the middle. While the effects of human habitation are similar there are some major differences between urban and suburban areas for wildlife. Urban areas tend to have larger buildings and fewer areas without buildings as well. The density of habitation is such that urban areas often have warmer microclimates and, in many cases, insect eating birds can survive a winter in a crowded city at latitudes that would normally be fatal. In general, urban wildlife tends to be either migratory or highly adaptable generalists. Suburban areas on the other hand tend to form a matrix with surrounding natural habitats, as well as other managed landscapes. Suburban areas tend to have large lawns or other heavily manicured open spaces. Urban environments tend to be largely insular but suburban settings can offer decent connectivity between remaining patches of habitat.
          The residents of Urban settlements are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of these areas for wildlife. Efforts to plant pollinator friendly gardens are increasing, people make alterations to have their yards certified as valuable wildlife habitat, there is a competition that designates “America’s Birdiest City”, and backyard bird feeding is a staple hobby.