INVESTIGATING THE NATURE OF URBAN LIFE: In Phoenix, a small army of researchers is conducting the nation's first long-term ecological study of a city—and making some surprising discoveries in the process

摘要

While most scientists prefer to study wildlife in remote, pristine places far from the influences of people, Paige Warren opts for working right in the heart of human habitat. "You never know what kinds of interesting encounters you'll have," says thebiologist, who has been questioned by police officers, cornered by chatty homeowners and watched by wary coyotes while investigating bird behavior in the residential neighborhoods and parks of Phoenix, Arizona. "The challenges are definitely unique." Warren is part of a small army of researchers who are trying to learn everything they can about the effects of development, climate change, landscaping and other factors on the wild creatures that live in the Valley of the Sun, as the greater Phoenix metropolitan area is known. Headquartered at Arizona State University (ASU), the National Science Foundation-funded project they are participating in represents the country's first-ever long-term study of what the researchers call a "human-dominated ecosystem."