Wild cities: The influence of human disturbances on carnivore spatiotemporal activity
Christopher Schell, Professor
Environmental Science, Policy and Management
Applications for Spring 2026 are closed for this project.
Rapid urbanization is a major driver of the transition to the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch in which ecosystems are dominated by human influence. Urban regions have been drastically transformed compared to their historical antecedents, and though many species have been unable to persist in these altered landscapes, a surprising number of species do thrive in these environments. Of these urban adapters, perhaps most surprising are the mammalian carnivores, species that generally have large space requirements and diet preferences that would seem difficult to satisfy in urban environments. Yet, emerging evidence suggests that certain species have developed effective strategies for coping with the novel, anthropogenic pressures inherent to cities. Uncovering how such species respond to human disturbances across space and time in cities is critical to developing strategies that both promote the development of wildlife-friendly cities, as well as mitigate potential conflicts that might arise in contested spaces.
The overarching goal of this project is to quantify relationships among anthropogenic factors (e.g., human footprint, human densities, impervious surfaces, and developmental histories) wildlife occupancy, and activity patterns across the San Francisco Bay Area. This work leverages camera trap data collected from over 100 cameras starting in 2022 to assess urban carnivore occurrence and activity patterns throughout the region. Students involved in this project will help with tagging the nearly 400K+ images collected over the last 4 years. In addition, students will gain valuable fieldwork opportunities in maintaining the camera trap network that is currently operational across the East Bay and San Francisco metropolitan areas.
Role: Roles:
We are seeking 2-4 students to assist with various tasks related to this project. The primary set of tasks will include: (1) identifying (i.e."tagging") wildlife images collected; (2) managing shared datasets and collating appropriate metadata; and (3) deploying and checking wildlife cameras in the field. The time commitment is variable depending on when fieldwork is scheduled, but the students' primary role in tagging wildlife images will be consistent across the semester.
Qualifications: Applicants should be interested in wildlife ecology, urban ecology, data science, biodiversity science, and social-ecological systems. In addition, applicants should have some experience in R, competence in working with Microsoft programs (e.g., Word, Excel), and some familiarity with spatial analytical programs, either in R or in ArcGIS. Additional qualifications include:
1) Sophomore or higher
2) Working toward a degree in biology, ecology, environmental sciences, or related fields.
3) Work collaboratively with other undergraduate and graduate students.
4) Effective and consistent communication with research supervisors.
5) Comfort in engaging with community members while in the field.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Neville Taraporevala, Graduate Student
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: Note: Work may include off-campus visits to wildlife cameras in the field
Related website: https://www.urbanwildlifeinfo.org/
Related website: https://www.urbanwildlifeinfo.org/