By Anonymous
Interaction(s)
The human-environment interaction that is the focus is squirrel and human interaction, specifically in this location under a walkway bridge. During the fall squirrels are seen in abundance in this specific location due to its distance from humans as opposed to a regular pavement walkway and a significant canopy cover.
Resource characteristics
These aspects have been found to support urban wildlife such as squirrels. Incorporating walkways that avoid areas where wildlife feed allows their populations to remain stable. Canopy cover is also a very important aspect of urban wildlife populations because it provides protection and food (Apfelbeck, B et al., 2020). Squirrels are an important aspect of the environment due to their seed dispensing behaviors, and also serve as prey to other animal (Lawniczak, M. K.).
Governance/user characteristics
Stakeholders involved include students, faculty, and employees of the university. The infrastructure and construction are funded through the state.
Social/economic impacts
Squirrels have both negative and positive economic impacts. On one side, squirrels can be very destructive (eating trash, chewing through walls etc.) (Lawniczak, M. K.) However, especially on college campuses, squirrels are often seen in a positive light and the topic of many conversations. Although they may not seem important they do have a cultural significance among students and faculty (Peplinski, J., & Brown, J. S., 2020).
What can we do?
This “interaction” is more so a separation of humans and wildlife. Creating spaces in urban environments that accommodate for wildlife supports essencial ecosystems in the area (Apfelbeck, B et al., 2020). Mason should continue to support urban wildlife through changes in landscaping and infrastructure with ecology in mind and stakeholder involvement.
References
Apfelbeck, B., Snep, R. P. H., Hauck, T. E., Ferguson, J., Holy, M., Jakoby, C., Scott MacIvor, J., Schär, L., Taylor, M., & Weisser, W. W. (2020). Designing wildlife-inclusive cities that support human-animal co-existence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 200, 103817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103817
Lawniczak, M. K. (n.d.). Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus_carolinensis/
Peplinski, J., & Brown, J. S. (2020). Distribution and diversity of squirrels on university and college campuses of the United States and Canada. Journal of Mammalogy, 101(4), 930–940. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa033