Evolution in an Urbanizing World
Pigeons are pretty common in urban areas. In fact, they are human commensals, so you are most likely to see them in the city, as opposed to other types of birds. You'll usually see them in the park where someone feeds them seeds and bread. Sometimes, you'll see them on the streets eating scraps. It... Continue Reading →
In some communities people will feed the local birds, ensuring that they will have a great view of these birds. Oftentimes, pigeons will locate these feeding spots and aggregate. In this neighborhood in downtown Toronto, one person purposefully leaves food for the pigeons. Although feeding wildlife is not advisable and can lead to unintended consequences... Continue Reading →
During the winter, snow covers the ground and lakes freeze. The trees have lost their leaves, the birds flew south, and the bears hibernate. But where do the bugs go? Some also go south for the winter, like the Monarch Butterfly. But others actually stay in the north and are aquatic, living under the ice.... Continue Reading →
If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that urbanization has an impact on the ecology and evolution of species. However, we know much about how urbanization affects species interactions. For example, plant-pollinator interactions may be particularly sensitive to urbanization because both plants and their insect pollinators have been shown to respond to urbanization positively... Continue Reading →
Throughout the city of Toronto, there are a number of old canoes that have been repurposed as pots to grow plants. In fact, several have milkweed planted in them to help local pollinators. Now that we are in the middle of winter, only the stems remain. Can you identify what was planted in this canoe?... Continue Reading →
Fragmentation of habitat patches is one of many consequences that occurs due to urbanization. This fragmentation can lead to isolated populations that are completely surrounded by urban structures. This isolation can happen on relatively quick timescales, as quickly as 30 years! Due to the loss of habitat patches available for nesting, there can be plant-pollinator... Continue Reading →
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