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Publication Date

8-19-2026

Biodiversity is under threat as natural and semi-natural ecosystems continue to decrease in frequency and extent as a function of increased urban development, among other drivers. However, it has become clear that some levels of urban development can continue to support some biodiversity. However, it is not clear how species within different taxonomic groups may respond to similar types and extents of development. Thus, data are needed to assess relationships between urban development and multi-taxa detection patterns. To begin to address this gap, we conducted a concurrent analysis of anuran and avian diversity along an urban-to-peri-urban transect in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. To better align sampling for both taxonomic groups, we conducted passive acoustic sampling along ~10 km of the trail at 400 m intervals. We used unsupervised classification and manual identification to establish levels of detection frequency along the trail of each recorded species. We used geographic information systems (GIS) to establish proportions of land use and land cover including forest, wetlands, and development around each point. We used AIC model selection to identify the most informative land use and land cover variables for each species. There were fewer species detected when there was more development overall but it was varied for specific types of development. Avian and anuran species were detected more frequently in proximity to forests and wetlands, two ecosystem types that are increasingly lost in many urban areas. Moving forward, this data could be useful in the establishment of conservation policies and efforts concerning urbanization, forest fragmentation, and biodiversity in urban greenspaces not formally defined as protected.

DOI

10.15365/1932-7048.1408

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