ABSTRACT
Biodiversity is currently being lost at rates unprecedented in human history, in what has been described as the sixth great mass extinction event of Earth. The current decline of nature is driven by several interacting anthropogenic forces, including habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, invasive species, and pollution. These drivers may be amplified in cities, which can accelerate biodiversity loss. As the majority of humans now live in urban areas and the global footprint of cities is expanding, it is critical that biodiversity be conserved in cities—and that those living in urban areas also support global conservation efforts—to not only stem the loss of biodiversity but to sustain human health and well-being.
This chapter provides an overview of the current biodiversity crisis, describes how landscape modifications associated with urbanization influence biodiversity, and provides closer examinations of two groups—birds and bees—to exhibit how urbanization influences their abundance, richness, and community structure. The importance of both birds and bees in the proper functioning of ecosystems and insights on best practices to support these communities—and biodiversity in general—in urban settings are discussed.
