Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World

Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World — page 3
city as ecosystem wild things survive and even thrive in our cities and suburbs Many aren't just passing through They call the city home Some like weeds and rats pigeons and bedbugs have been city dwellers since the time of the earliest cities Others have found a home in the city as their wild habitat shrinks and disappears Here are some of the features that make the urban ecosystem unique ASPHALT JUNGLE Water quickly runs off concrete and asphalt and other surfaces and runs down storm drains This means urban wildlife must rely on artificial sources of water such a fountains in parks S ARTIFICIAL LIGHT Cities never sleep A Artificial light creates a permanent glow over urban areas and can disrupt the sleeping and waking cycles of people and wildlife alike