A synanthrope () is an organism that adaptation to live near and evolution to benefit (either , mutually or ) from and their environmental modifications. The term is usually used to describe wildlife (particularly urban wildlife), including many and regarded as pests or (see also anthropophilia for animals who live close to humans as ), but does not typically include domesticated animal and plant species (even though they are synanthropic in every sense)
Common synanthrope and ecological niche include (e.g. , and ), non-building structures (e.g. granaries, , and ), urban green spaces (e.g. , and ), and , / and , and . Synanthropes might move between multiple habitats during different times of the day (for foraging, sociality or sleeping) and between (for mating, Nest or dormancy).
Zoology
Examples of synanthropes are various species of
(
,
louse,
,
silverfish,
, etc.),
Myriapoda (
and
Centipede, notably the house centipede),
(
,
dust mite, etc.),
(e.g. common house gecko,
),
such as
,
,
(pigeons),
and
,
,
and other
, various
rodent species (especially
,
house mice and
),
,
,
certain
monkey species,
,
, and other
urban wildlife.
[Sofaer HR, Flather CH, Jarnevich CS, Davis KP, Pejchar L. Human-associated species dominate passerine communities across the United States. Global Ecol Biogeogr. 2020;29:885–895. ]
The brown rat is counted as one of the most prominent synanthropic animals and can be found in almost every place there are people.
Botany
Synanthropic plants include
pineapple weed,
dandelion,
chicory, and
Plantago. Plant synanthropes are classified into two main types – apophytes and anthropophytes.
Apophytes are synanthropic species that are native in origin. They can be subdivided into the following:
-
Cultigen apophytes – spread by cultivation methods
-
Ruderal apophytes – spread by development of marginal areas
-
Pyrophyte apophytes – spread by fires
-
Zoogen apophytes – spread by grazing animals
-
Substitution apophytes – spread by logging or voluntary extension
Anthropophytes are synanthropic species of foreign origin, whether introduced voluntarily or involuntarily. They can be subdivided into the following:
-
Archaeophytes – introduced before the end of the 15th century
-
Kenophytes – introduced after the 15th century
-
Ephemerophytes – anthropophytic plants that appear episodically
-
Subspontaneous – voluntarily introduced plants that have escaped cultivation and survived in the wild without further human intervention for a certain period.
-
Adventive – involuntarily introduced plants that have escaped cultivation and survived in the wild without further human intervention for a certain period.
-
Naturalized or Neophytes – involuntarily introduced plants that now appear to thrive along with the native flora indefinitely.
See also
Literature
-
Herbert Sukopp & Rüdiger Wittig (eds.): Urban Ecology . 2nd edition G. Fischer; Stuttgart, Jena, Lübeck, Ulm; 1998: p. 276 ff.
External links
