Behavioral convergence under urbanization: An overlooked dimension of biotic homogenization

TL;DR

Urbanization is causing animals to behave more similarly, reducing behavioral diversity and impacting ecosystems.

Contribution

Introduces the concept of behavioral homogenization as a new dimension of biotic homogenization.

Findings

Human activities are eroding behavioral diversity in urban areas.

Behavioral traits are converging across species and populations in human-dominated landscapes.

This convergence affects ecological and evolutionary dynamics, including animal cultures and human-wildlife interactions.

Abstract

A variety of human activities, especially urbanization, are not only homogenizing species composition but also eroding behavioral diversity. This Essay introduces the concept of behavioral homogenization: the human-driven convergence of behavioral traits across individuals, populations, and species across space and time. Global examples of fear responses, foraging, communication, activity patterns, social behavior, cognition and exploration, habitat use, breeding-site choice, migration, and heterospecific interaction networks are used to argue that spatial and temporal beta-diversity in behavior is shrinking in human-dominated landscapes. Ecological and evolutionary consequences, including for animal cultures and human–wildlife conflict, are outlined and opportunities to quantify and integrate behavioral homogenization into biodiversity conservation and management are highlighted.

A consequence of Anthropogenic change is behavioral homogenization: the human-driven convergence of behavioral traits across individuals, populations, and species across space and time, often in urban environments. This Essay describes these changes and discusses their ecological and evolutionary consequences.

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