Animals in the city

 

The human species effect on the environment means both opportunities and challenges for wild animals. Air pollution, poison and chemicals in crops and water, disturbing noises and destruction by the built environment are some of the anthropogenic impacts on the animal life. Because of a fragmentation of the green structure in Nacka the biodiversity is decreasing. The fragmentation is caused by a high exploitation rate. The biodiversity is crucial for the ecosystem and for a world where life thrives. Quoting the municipality of Nacka; “A high degree of biodiversity provides more ecosystem services and contributes to a better nature experience. Further actions are required in the field of protection, care and physical planning to consider the biodiversity into the built environment.”¹

The purpose for why there should be a bio diverse milieu might be the most important discussion in the context. The human species need biodiversity for eco system services to be able to continue living on planet earth. Other species are naturally also in need of a bio diverse milieu but when we talk about biodiversity it is often through an anthropocentric point of view. The bio diverse milieu is described through the eyes and needs of a human and not for the sake of other species. We build to keep ourselves from the weather, we pollute the air and water because of our extreme consumption habits and we disturb other species natural habits by intruding on their space. Urban-dwelling birds for example face problems like stressed immune systems, poor values of the blood fats, shortened DNA strings resulting in shorter lives, altered singing and paler feathers because of human impact. Researchers believe that the problems can be caused by pollution, stress and junk food. Even tough there are a bunch of downsides to the human presence the birds can also benefit from the high abundance of anthropogenic foods, nest boxes for breeding and lower predation pressures (apart from areas where domestic cats are present).²

 

Felicia Svensson

Readings:
Colebrook, Claire. ‘Introduction’ in Claire Colebrook, Death of the PostHuman: Essays on Extinction, vol. 1. Ann Arbor: Open Humanities Press, University of Michigan Library, 2014. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/o/ohp/12329362.0001.001

Colebrook, Claire. ‘Feminist Extinction’ in Claire Colebrook, Sex After Life: Essays on Extinction, vol. 2. Ann Arbor: Open Humanities Press, University of Michigan Library, 2014. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/o/ohp/12329363.0001.001

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