Quantifying adaptations of mammals to human-dominated landscapes

For my doctoral work, I used camera traps to investigate ecological and behavioral adaptations of ground-dwelling mammals to human-presence and features of human-dominated landscapes (e.g., forest fragments, plantations, agricultural fields, and roads). I found that at first glance mammals appear to tolerate human-presence, but behavioral signatures, such as vigilance, indicates human presence can influence mammal behavior despite minimal habitat disruption. Also, I found that human-modified landscapes favor generalist mammals species but marginalize forest specialists, as informed by levels of activity and chances of parenting across habitat types. Additionally, group living species persist in human-dominated landscapes in very small group sizes. Collectively, these investigations provide new insights into the constraints imposed by anthropogenic alterations, and the ways animals are (or not) adapting to human-dominated landscapes.