EFFECTS OF EXURBAN DEVELOPMENT ON BIODIVERSITY: PATTERNS, MECHANISMS, AND RESEARCH NEEDS

Low-density rural home development is the fastest-growing form of land use in the United States since 1950. This “exurban” development (∼6–25 homes/km2) includes urban fringe development (UFD) on the periphery of cities and rural residential development (RRD) in rural areas attractive in natural amenities. This paper synthesizes current knowledge on the effects of UFD and RRD. We present two case studies and examine the patterns of biodiversity response and the ecological mechanisms that may underlie these responses. We found that many native species have reduced survival and reproduction near homes, and native species richness often drops with increased exurban densities. Exotic species, some human-adapted…

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  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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  Michigan Department of Natural Resources