Global trends in urban wildlife ecology and conservation
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Abstract
As urbanization continues to expand across the globe, urban wildlife research is critical for urban planners and conservation practitioners to create livable cities for both humans and wildlife. In 2012, Magle et al. conducted a foundational review on the status of urban wildlife research. The authors described the status of urban wildlife research as of 2010 and offered suggestions for future advancements in the field. We conducted a systematic review following Magle et al. (2012) to provide a 10-year update on the state of urban wildlife research globally and describe recent advancements in the field. We also conducted a broader literature search to further explore current research trends and continuing research gaps within the urban wildlife field. We found that urban wildlife publications have continued to increase within the last decade. However, the sectors conducting the research and the geographical location of publications stayed relatively the same. Similarly, the predominant taxa studied were mammals and birds across the 2000–2020 decades. After broadening our literature search, we were able to identify a new emphasis on management-related research and research in the fields of disease ecology, social science, and methodological development. Critical knowledge gaps remain, however, as there was still a significant lack of studies on herptiles, arthropods, and fish. Additionally, studies from Africa, South America, and Asia – three of the fastest urbanizing continents – were underrepresented. Our results provide conservation practitioners a summary of emerging topics and recommendations for future research that will contribute to creating healthier and more livable cities for both wildlife and people.