Skip to main content
Article
Biodiversity Between Buildings: Results of a Two-Year Vertebrate Survey on a University Campus
Urban Naturalist
  • John D Curlis, Georgia Southern University
  • Rebecca Scott, University of South Florida
  • Emily Evans, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  • Michelle Cawthorn, Georgia Southern University
  • Ray Chandler, Georgia Southern University
  • James Henry Roberts, Georgia Southern University
  • Lance D McBrayer, Georgia Southern University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2022
Abstract

As urbanization increases worldwide, areas that possess both urbanized spaces and natural or semi-natural greenspaces, such as university campuses, present ideal settings in which to measure biodiversity in the modern era. From 2015 to 2017, we documented the vertebrate species that occurred on the main campus of Georgia Southern University (GSU) in the southeastern United States. To maximize the number of species encountered, we sampled using a broad array of surveying and trapping techniques and engaged citizen scientists for assistance. In total, we recorded 206 vertebrate species, representing 46% of the species documented in the surrounding county and 58% of the county species that we would realistically expect to encounter on campus due to species-specific habitat requirements or rarity. While this biodiversity was generally concentrated in the less-intensely urbanized regions of campus, our findings suggest that even partially developed and highly fragmented landscapes can support a relatively high richness of species. Our results underscore the importance and benefits of greenspaces in urban planning and species conservation. We further emphasize that spaces like university campuses should be better leveraged to document contemporary patterns of biodiversity and can serve as ideal study sites for long-term monitoring of species assemblages in an ever-changing world.

Comments

Georgia Southern University faculty members, Michelle Cawthorn, C. Ray Chandler, James Roberts, and Lance McBrayer co-authored Biodiversity Between Buildings: Results of a Two-Year Vertebrate Survey on a University Campus.

Creative Commons License
**Select License for Reuse**
Citation Information
John D Curlis, Rebecca Scott, Emily Evans, Michelle Cawthorn, et al.. "Biodiversity Between Buildings: Results of a Two-Year Vertebrate Survey on a University Campus" Urban Naturalist Vol. 9 Iss. 53 (2022) p. 1 - 38
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/lance-mcbrayer/134/