Ecological Importance, Interaction and Civil Actions in the Coexistence with Urban Wildlife Species

Abstract

<p>Urbanization advances progressively in Mexico City, altering multiple ecosystems. However, a great variety of organisms have successfully adapted to the urban environment, building relationships of commensalism and mutualism. Also, the proximity between urban wild species and citizens can bring benefits, but it is likely that they can start being considered a problem. Therefore, the necessity to know the perception of the inhabitants of Mexico City regarding these specimens arises, to propose solutions to this problem. An online survey was carried out, and was added to a review of the sightings of urban wildlife recorded in the last ten years in the Naturalista.mx database. It was observed that the most common wild mammals are the red-bellied squirrel, the northern cacomixtle, and the opossum. Also, the most abundant class of wild species are birds, represented by the Mexican finch and the European sparrow. Sightings of some reptiles are also reported. The benefits of urban wildlife are more difficult to quantify than human-wildlife conflicts. In such contexts, there are institutions that provide support to the population, to deal with the presence of urban fauna. Disseminating information about the contributions to the ecosystem of these species is essential to promote their conservation and harmonious coexistence with human beings.</p>