Urban Ecology:

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Why is Urban Ecology Important:

Urban Ecology involves high density developed areas. These areas contain concrete roads, higher temperature, and divided landscapes. As more of the world’s population moves towards these areas, the consequences on the surrounding environment are unseen.

How Can We Study It?

One way to start understanding Urban Ecology is looking at the individual aspects. For example, studying the effects of food quality and availability. The quality and availability of food then impact the ability of organisms to sustain life.

Renaissance park:

Personal Experiment:

At Renaissance Park, we conducted a small scale field study based around the idea that impervious surfaces and temperature impacts ant activity. We did this by having four different baits set up at each of the four sites. Two bait sites were on impervious surfaces and the other two were set up on the grass. After the baits were set, we wanted for an hour to see if there had been any activity. Only one site had any activity. This site was on the edge of the sidewalk.

Results:

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Overall, we were not able to get enough samples to fully compare data with past years. However, we did find that Oil was the most favored bait. It was also conclude that null hypothesis is not rejected due to the fact that the F-value is smaller than the F critical value.

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2016 Data Set:

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2017 Data:

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Bugs in Manhattan:

In the article, Bugs in Manhattan Compete With Rats for Food Refused, the author informs the readers on how insects help decrease the mount of waste that humans have created. Researchers were able to find this due to a field study in Manhattan. They set open and caged baits to attract animals and insects. The open baits allowed researchers to see the insects and animals impact on the bait, while the caged bait allowed them to study just the insects impact. Researchers also gather ants. It was found that insects can remove up to fourteen pounds of garbage in eight months.

Peer Review:

In the article, Comparison of the Exotic and Native Ant Communities in Urban Green Areas at Inland Coastal and Insular Sites in Spain, researchers took samples from 27 sites around Spain. The ants were gathered using pitfall traps. It was found that there was a significant increase in species richness and abundance of exotic species and a decrease in native ant species. In conclusion, the authors explain that urbanization leads to the dominance of certain species and decrease the species richness of a community.

Sources:

Reyes-López, J., & Carpintero, S. (2014). Comparison of the exotic and native ant communities (hymenoptera: Formicidae) in urban green areas at inland, coastal and insular sites in spain. European Journal of Entomology, 111(3), 421-428. Retrieved from https://proxy.lib.utc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.utc.edu/docview/1551149443?accountid=14767