AUTHORS: Jake Meyer, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy; Elizabeth Biro, Washington University in St. Louis; Solny Adalsteinsson, Washington University in St. Louis; Whitney Anthonysamy, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy
ABSTRACT: Cities can provide important habitat, such as parks and other green spaces, for supporting biodiversity. As urban areas continue to grow, it is important to understand how urban green spaces affect species’ distributions and behaviors. Coyotes are a common apex predator found in Missouri, including urban areas, and thus serve an important role in regulating ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity. The purpose of this study was to use presence/absence data collected using camera traps to estimate average coyote detections along an urbanization gradient (rural, suburban, and urban) in St. Louis. Here we report on our preliminary findings from a 4-year (2019-2022) dataset. Our next steps include exploring temporal activity and performing modeling to formally estimate occupancy patterns. Our findings will aid us in understanding how coyotes utilize the city to inform efforts for managing biodiversity in the region.
