Report Highlights the Role of Biodiversity of Urban Scavengers

Cities are full of ants, mice, rats, and other animals that scavenge on the trash of human beings. A new report from North Carolina State University analyzes how biodiversity influences the productivity of these creatures.

1 minute read

December 7, 2014, 1:00 PM PST

By Maayan Dembo @DJ_Mayjahn


A new study by Elsa Youngsteadt and colleagues at the North Carolina State University published in Global Change Biology analyzes the role of biodiversity in ant species scavenging habits. In particular, the team asked, how much do ants on Broadway and West, mostly a variety known as pavement ant (Tetramorium Species 5), scarf down compared to the much more diverse ants residing in Central Park and 13 other parks in Manhattan?

As Nathan Collis writes on Pacific Standard, by littering in very controlled settings, the team found that ants, insects, and other animals actually ate more waste in the low-diversity median strips than in the parks. The scientists expected, "that the more diverse arthropod assemblages in parks should consume more food waste. Although we confirmed that park sites supported more ant species and more hexapod families than did median sites, park arthropods ate 2-3 times less food than those in medians," as the report stated.

Overall, the scientists research showed "the importance of species identity and habitat characteristics, rather than diversity, as predictors of food removal," an important lesson for municipalities looking to use more natural decomposters in their food waste systems.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014 in Pacific Standard

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

5 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

7 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press