Living in the city: can anyone become an ‘urban exploiter'?

Aim  As urban landscapes expand, shifts in biodiversity are occurring. This is leading biogeographers and ecologists to consider human‐dominated landscapes in their current work. One question that arises is: what characterizes those species that are widespread in the most highly urban environments compared with those restricted to less urbanized areas in the city? Here, we aim to identify the traits that enable species to become urban exploiters, i.e. to dominate highly urbanized surroundings. Identifying these traits may help us better predict and possibly mitigate the biotic homogenization occurring in these areas.

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