First Advisor

Alida Cantor

Date of Award

6-16-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Environmental Studies and University Honors

Department

Environmental Studies

Language

English

Subjects

Feral pigeons -- Food -- Case studies, Urban animals -- Food, Food waste -- Case studies, COVID-19 Pandemic (2020- ), Urban ecology (Biology)

DOI

10.15760/honors.1084

Abstract

The 2020 COVID Pandemic presented a paradigm shift dubbed, by some scholars, the 'Anthropause', an ecological epoch in which humans faded from the public sphere. As was the case for many urban species that depend on the foraging of food waste, this meant a fundamental disruption to their food systems and to the entire urban eco-web. The PSU Campus Park Blocks presents a unique opportunity to observe animal behavior, while also a succinct microcosm to study food waste flow changes, and compare species layout to other urban parks in the METRO area. Decreased food waste output from proximal restaurants, businesses, residences, and campus dining establishments may have led to food shortages observed in other cities. This thesis finds that inner-city green spaces and anthropophilic species are often excluded from supply chain investigations into food waste, and also by the constraints of field work into urban species. Campus greenspace provides an excellent opportunity for the study of urban foragers in proximity to humans, and human perception of those very foragers.

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/35711

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