Exploring Behavioral Plasticity in Mammal Populations in Response to Environmental Stressors in Urban and Rural Landscapes

Abstract

The concept of behavioral plasticity is essential in comprehending the manner in which the population of mammals adapts to the fast-changing urban and rural environments. This paper reports a comparison study of mammalian species' behavioral reactions to environmental stress factors in urban and rural environments on the activity patterns, alertness, locomotion, and foraging behavior. In cities, there are greater levels of anthropogenic disruptions, including noise, artificial light, and broken habitats. In rural areas, there is agricultural intensification and human-wildlife conflict. The aim was to evaluate the influence of these stressors on mammalian behavior and determine some of the pertinent traits that predict the ability to adapt to changes in the environment. Data, Materials, and Methods consisted of secondary data analysis of 82 peer-reviewed and 27 open-access datasets comprising 63 mammal species. The comparison of urban and rural populations was made in terms of their behavioral parameters, including home-range size, circadian activity, vigilance, and foraging. The environmental stresses, such as nighttime light, road density, and population density, were measured using socio-environmental data and remote sensing data. The meta-analysis and the principal component analysis (PCA) were used to harmonize and analyze data. Findings showed that urban mammals were more nocturnal, less vigilant, their home ranges were smaller, and the distance of flight initiation was shorter than that of rural ones. These changes in behavior are signs of adaptive behavior to environments that have been altered by humanity. PCA also indicated that species adapted to the urban environment grouped according to behavioral characteristics, which included reduced vigilance and strengthened nocturnality. The authors come up with a conclusion that the anthropogenic stressor-induced behavioral plasticity is critical to the survival of mammals in urban contexts. The insights into these changes in behavior are essential in designing the conservation measures and alleviating human-wildlife conflict in the urbanized landscapes.