Over the course of two years, wildlife researcher Chris Hansen set up almost 200 game cameras from backyards to the backcountry in and around Missoula.
He wanted to find out how urbanization affected the different kinds of mammals in the area.
"You found a lot fewer species in these urban settings. Basically as you go from urban to wild, you get more and more species, so a more diverse mammal community."
Similar research has been done in larger cities. But it’s not as well understood for places like Missoula where urban areas are in close proximity to wilderness.
These kinds of smaller cities with lower populations and housing density are among the fastest growing places in the country. According to state census data, Missoula’s population is expected to increase by 24% by 2035.
Hansen also found that some animals change their behavior to account for human activity. Black bears were primarily nocturnal in urban areas, but their out-of-town relatives were more active during the day.
The cameras found 22 different mammal species, and Hansen says every camera picked up a wild mammal.
"I think that's encouraging to think about that even though we do see these declines in the number of species as we get into more urban areas, we still have wildlife everywhere."
Hansen says it’s important to understand how mammals are responding to changes in cities like Missoula, and throughout Montana, that still have natural open spaces nearby.
