Impacts of urban heterogeneity in environmental and societal characteristics on coyote survival

Abstract

Survival links individual-level responses to population, community, and ecosystem dynamics. Thus, understanding species’ survival responses to environmental change in urban areas is critical for gaining insights into the ecology and management of wildlife in these rapidly expanding environments. Despite existing research on the broadscale effects of urbanization on wildlife survival, the impacts of heterogeneity within urban areas remain largely unexplored. We identified environmental and societal characteristics evidenced to influence the distribution of resources and risks important for urban wildlife ecology. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we examined the association between these characteristics and the survival of coyotes (Canis latrans) living in the Chicago metropolitan area. We found a significant interaction between income and human population density, such that survival was negatively associated with income in densely populated areas. Notably, no environmental characteristics were significantly associated with survival. This study adds to the growing literature demonstrating the significance of ecological heterogeneity in wildlife responses to urbanization and highlights society’s influence on wildlife survival in cities.