Mapping arboreal animal nests and determining factors of urban impact on nest placement
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Walls, Louis Arthur
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To ensure that urban wildlife populations remain stable compared to their rural counterparts, many urban landscaping projects look to plant native vegetation to mimic the natural habitat, however this does not always have the desired impact. To determine the impact that tree genus, tree size, and proximity to urban structures had on urban animals, nests across Georgia Tech’s campus were mapped and analyzed. Tracking animal nests is a method to determine the preference of urban animals since nests are usually built in areas that match the preferences of the nest builder. Comparing the trees with nests to the total population of trees in the area and past studies on nesting preference revealed that urban animals preferred the same genera of trees as their rural counterparts. Urban animals also tended to nest in larger, more mature trees compared to younger and smaller saplings. In relation to urban structures, nests were usually positioned farther away from buildings than they were to roads. Rather than mimicking native habitats, urban landscaping should focus on cultivating larger trees of genera preferred by the target species in areas with minimal building density.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis