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dc.contributor.advisorBehm, Jocelyn E.
dc.creatorPhillips, Payton
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-12T19:25:17Z
dc.date.available2024-09-12T19:25:17Z
dc.date.issued2024-08
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/10648
dc.description.abstractGlobal urbanization is rapidly expanding, leading to habitat degradation and fragmentation, which present strong challenges for native wildlife. At the same time, urbanization is often accompanied by the introduction of non-native species, which alter community and habitat structures. These changes may disrupt ecosystem functions upon which animals and humans rely. Therefore, it is essential to understand the impact of anthropogenic habitat modifications on urban animals. In this dissertation, I use three case studies to examine anthropogenic influences on 1) species dispersal in Caribbean lizards, 2) mammalian behavior along an urban-rural gradient, 3) tick-borne disease host and vector communities. In my first chapter, I examined the influence of urbanization and road networks on dispersal of three lizard species in the context of their development tolerance. I found that development tolerance is a key predictor of dispersal impact, with the least tolerant species experiencing dispersal restriction and the most tolerant species experiencing dispersal facilitation. In my second and third chapters, I investigated the influence of urbanization and invasive understory vegetation along an urban-rural gradient in southeastern Pennsylvania. The second chapter focused on behavioral responses of four urban-adapted mammal species to urbanization across temporal and spatial scales. I found that behavioral changes were not driven by landscape-scale development, but rather by temporal and local-scale variables, most importantly local vegetation structure. Finally, in my third chapter, I again examined the effects of landscape-scale urbanization and local-scale vegetation density, this time in relation to tick-borne disease dynamics. My results suggest that invasive vegetation influenced small mammal and tick habitat use at micro-habitat scales, with important ramifications for tick-borne disease infection. In combination, the results from my three disparate chapters add to our understanding of anthropogenic impacts on urban animals.
dc.format.extent176 pages
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherTemple University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofTheses and Dissertations
dc.rightsIN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
dc.subjectEcology
dc.subjectBiology
dc.subjectWildlife conservation
dc.subjectAnimal behavior
dc.subjectDiel activity
dc.subjectLandscape genetics
dc.subjectLyme disease
dc.subjectTick-borne disease
dc.subjectUrban ecology
dc.titleUNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC HABITAT MODIFICATION ON URBAN ANIMALS: CASE STUDIES OF CARRIBEAN LIZARDS AND NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS
dc.typeText
dc.type.genreThesis/Dissertation
dc.contributor.committeememberFreestone, Amy
dc.contributor.committeememberSewall, Brent J.
dc.contributor.committeememberD'Amico, Vincent
dc.description.departmentBiology
dc.relation.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10610
dc.ada.noteFor Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.edu
dc.description.degreePh.D.
dc.identifier.proqst15844
dc.creator.orcid0000-0001-6440-9065
dc.date.updated2024-08-30T19:07:13Z
dc.embargo.lift08/30/2026
dc.identifier.filenamePhillips_temple_0225E_15844.pdf


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