USGS researchers at the Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are leading efforts to monitor how wildlife responds to features in residential yards. This research assists Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in sharing information with the public regarding wildlife habitats in backyards.

Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Flickr

Transforming 67 million Acres: Homeowners as Wildlife Stewards

There are more than 67 million acres of residential yard in the United States – this is roughly the area of the state of Colorado. As a lawn owner, you may not realize, you are a land manager for wildlife. Each of us homeowners control our own private greenspace. Your yard provides food, water, and shelter for various animals. This includes not just birds and squirrels, but also includes the skunk that digs a den under the back shed, the red fox that eats the kibble left out for the neighborhood stray cat, or the coyote that silently passes through your yard each week and hunts mice at your compost pile.

Your Yard: A Wildlife Sanctuary

As human development continues to expand across the U.S. encroaching on natural habitats, the researchers sought to understand how different wildlife use residential lawns. This information could help us make our greenspaces more welcoming for wildlife. Or, if you’d prefer to discourage visits from skunks and coyotes, this research could also suggest ways to make your yard less attractive to those species.

Homeowners as Wildlife Steward

With the help of over 100 volunteer homeowners across Northwest Arkansas, we placed wildlife cameras in a wide variety of yards (from urban centers to rural farms and everything in between) to see which species of wildlife were using each yard and measured all the food, water, and shelter resources that were present. This included noting whether yards had bird feeders, bird baths, garden ponds, wood piles, compost piles, vegetable or wildflower gardens, chicken coops, storage sheds, decks and porches, fences, and other components. We predicted that each of these features could influence the presence of wildlife.

If we start viewing our millions of private residential lawns as wildlife habitats, we can make decisions that benefit wildlife and minimize unwanted conflicts. Simple choices regarding cover, water, and food resources can collectively contribute to wildlife conservation efforts across the country.

We discovered that nearly all the yards we monitored attracted white-tailed deer, raccoons, nine-banded armadillos, and Virginia opossums. Around half of these yards also hosted red foxes, coyotes, woodchucks, and eastern cottontails. Approximately 10% of the yards were visited by grey foxes, striped skunks, and bobcats; a few yards even had visits by black bears.

How Your Yard Shapes Wildlife Diversity

Our research revealed that yards with solid privacy fencing or tall chain-link fences exhibited the least diversity of wildlife. In contrast, those with multiple bird feeders attracted the highest variety of species. Specifically, deer, woodchucks, and cottontails were most attracted to yards with gardens, likely due to the availability of tasty plants and safe hiding spots. Additionally, we found that the diversity of wildlife in a yard was influenced by larger factors beyond homeowners’ control, such as the surrounding landcover. Yards located near forest tended to host greater variety of wildlife, including both predators and herbivores.

Wildlife Encounters: How Yard Features Influence Animal Behavior

When we investigated species-specific responses, we discovered some interesting findings. Homeowners aiming to keep coyotes away from their yards should note that these animals rarely entered fenced areas but were commonly found in yards with ample cover, such as brush piles. We also found that gray fox were most often seen in yards that had chickens, indicating a potential conflict between homeowners and this elusive and beautiful species. However, not all animals were influenced by yard characteristics; we found no correlation between yard features and the presence of red fox or bobcats. Similarly, armadillos were not affected by yard features, as they were predominantly found in areas with nearby forests.

The ONB features articles from Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units across the country. We believe our readers will appreciate discovering stories about the exciting fish and wildlife research projects that Unit scientists are conducting to solve real-world problems, engage graduate students in experiential learning, and deliver technical assistance to natural resource practitioners. This story was authored by Brett DeGregorio, Unit Leader, Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Emily Johansson, PhD student at Iowa State University (former MS student at the Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit), and edited by Dawn Childs, USGS Information Specialist, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units.