Coyote interactions with humans, wildlife, and forests on the Purchase College campus
By Thomas Tevnan
Abstract
Research into how organisms adapt to urbanized areas is an important aspect of ecological studies; especially with human disturbances becoming more numerous in natural environments. Coyotes are one example of a species that adapts to these environments; primarily in their tolerance of human proximity. Analyzing the behavior of coyotes on the Purchase College campus, and learning how that behavior is impacted by humans and different environmental factors is important to see if coyotes are able to survive in the presence of humans. My goal is to see if the behavior of coyotes is altered by humans on campus, or by any environmental factors like strata coverage. Strata coverage was determined by scoring multiple quadrats at differing heights; while wildlife and human activity were determined using trail cams to document any sightings that occurred within multiple sites. Coyotes on campus were found to avoid humans by limiting their activities to later in the night to avoid any potential competition for resources. Coyotes also preferred sites with large amounts of foliage to use for protection and to flee from anything they perceive as an immediate danger. The results found here can be used to show that coyotes are a species that is able to adapt to urban environments; if more natural patches are left intact within urban environments species will be able to survive in their altered landscapes.