A goal of ecological research is, at some level, to see the work become utilized by the general public and put in to practice by decision makers and managers of natural resources. Often times a barrier to this can be the lack of variables that are applicable to the system in which the manager is tasked with managing. This can be especially challenging in urban systems where ecological problems can be confounded by human activities. The lack of a standard set of variables that researchers examine can make managers feel as though many studies are comparing apples to their oranges.
Results/Conclusions
We are introducing a conceptual model for studying vertebrate species in urban systems. The model is set in the framework of an urban ecosystem with subsystems of urban landscape characteristics (vegetation cover, tree cover, building cover) and patch characteristics (vegetation cover, tree cover, human activity). Habitat characteristics and matrix characteristics can contain a multitude of features differing in scale and complexity depending on the species of vertebrate being investigated. Therefore, we suggest weighing decisions of scale and complexity regarding these variables in light of the life history traits and ecological requirements of the species. The use of this model can greatly increase interdisciplinary communication between city planners and researchers and ultimately utilization by decision makers.