Data from: Mammal communities are larger and more diverse in moderately developed areas

Developed areas are thought to have low species diversity, low animal
abundance, few native predators, and thus low resilience and ecological
function. Working with citizen scientist volunteers to survey mammals at
1427 sites across two development gradients
(wild-rural-exurban-suburban-urban) and four plot types (large forests,
small forest fragments, open areas and residential yards) in the eastern
US, we show that developed areas actually had significantly higher or
statistically similar mammalian occupancy, relative abundance, richness
and diversity compared to wild areas. However, although some animals can
thrive in suburbia, conservation of wild areas and preservation of green
space within cities are needed to protect sensitive species and to give
all species the chance to adapt and persist in the Anthropocene.