Data Gaps

If you take a look at the species distribution of this project so far, you might notice the abundance of gray squirrels in the center of Boston and Cambridge, but the lack of other squirrel species. The same can be seen when walking through an urban green area such as Boston Commons are Harvard Yard. Only gray squirrels are visibly inhabiting these city centers. Do you know why this data gap is occurring?

While Eastern gray squirrels are habitat generalists, meaning they can survive in a wide variety of location, the five other squirrel species in this quest have more specific habitat needs; they need denser tree cover, undergrowth, and other natural features that are not available in cities.

If you are up for a challenge, try to observe a non-gray squirrel in an urban center. Take note of the plant life in the area compared to the human developments. This will provide important information about what habitat qualities are necessary for our cities to support natural life. Based on your observations, do you think Boston is taking non-human species into consideration when planning these developments?

Posted on April 12, 2018 06:11 PM by zoefoster