Mammal Biodiversity Across Houston's Bayous

Houston, the Bayou City, has 2,500 open stream miles of bayous and human-made channels. Bayous provide 'animals a way to travel between' green spaces in urbanized regions and provide habitats for various species. To study the effects of urbanization in Houston, the city's bayous can be analyzed as a measure of biodiversity. They provide wildlife with a way to travel between green spaces in urbanized regions, thus making bayous an accurate indicator of biodiversity in the surrounding area. Near the University of Houston campus are Brays and Buffalo Bayous. According to the Harris County Flood Control District, Brays Bayou has an Open Stream Milage (OSM) of 121 miles, is highly urbanized and lined with impervious surfaces, and exceeds a population of 700,000 people (Brays Bayou Watershed Overview). In comparison, Buffalo Bayou's OSM is 106 miles, is much less urbanized, and estimates a population of 450,000 (Buffalo Bayou Watershed Overview). In this study, we examine the variance in biodiversity levels around the two bayous and make direct comparisons between physical characteristics to paint a holistic picture of the way urbanization may directly affect the wildlife in different regions of Houston. We compare mammal diversity along Buffalo Bayou and Brays Bayou to assess the influence of different levels of urbanization, using camera trap protocols developed by the Urban Wildlife Network to track mammal species. Data indicates that the species composition between the two bayous varies, potentially due to the variance in bayou characteristics such as history of development and urban sprawl.