Meeting Abstract

P1.43  Friday, Jan. 4  Applying animal eco-physiological techniques in urban ecosystems: Mini review BUEHLER, DM; University of Toronto d.buehler@utoronto.ca

We are living in an urban century. For the first time more than 50% of the world’s human population lives in towns and cities. As a result, understanding how people influence the ‘green’ component of urban environments is of great significance. The study of urban ecosystems is an interdisciplinary field requiring input from geographers, planners, engineers, ecologists, sociologists, political scientists, psychologists and economists to name a only a few. Integrative biologists have a role to play since life in urban ecosystems requires that animals use novel food, water, and living habitats; and interact with constant anthropogenic disturbances and highly diverse stimuli and stressors, including vehicles, humans, pets, lights, and noises associated with urban environments. All of these may have profound effects on multiple aspects of their physiology including stress responses, metabolism, immune function and exposure to disease. This poster is meant to be a “getting started guide” based on an integrative biologist’s interest in applying animal eco-physiological techniques to birds in urban areas.