Sex in City Plants, Animals, Fungi, and More: A Guide to Reproductive Diversity

Cities present significant challenges to nonhuman life, but they also harbor a rich diversity of life. This book explores the natural history of sex in urban environments, covering topics such as breeding systems, sex determination, sex change, sexual conflict, and more. It highlights the reproductive diversity of species and emphasizes the importance of understanding sex and mating in appreciating biodiversity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2022
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Cities present formidable challenges to nonhuman life, with vast expanses of asphalt and concrete proving inhospitable to plants and animals. Traffic noise and artificial light disrupt natural rhythms, while sewage and pollutants pose a threat to existence. Despite these obstacles, cities teem with life. In rowhouse neighborhoods, tiny flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk, while white clover covers lawns, its seeds dispersed by shoes and birds. Moths flutter and spiders weave their webs near electric lights. Sparrows and squirrels feast on the scraps people leave behind. Pairs of red-tailed hawks nest on window ledges.

How do wild plants and animals in urban areas find mates? How do they navigate the patchwork of habitats to reproduce while avoiding inbreeding? In what ways do built environments enable or inhibit mating?

This book delves into the natural history of sex in urban bacteria, fungi, plants, and nonhuman animals. Kenneth D. Frank provides a comprehensive examination of the reproductive behavior of numerous species, covering topics such as breeding systems, sex determination, sex change, sexual conflict, sexual trauma, sexually transmitted disease, sexual mimicry, sexual cannibalism, aphrodisiacs, and lost sex. By exploring these aspects, Frank offers insights into urban reproductive diversity across various conditions, highlighting how understanding sex and mating enhances our appreciation of biodiversity. He also emphasizes the vulnerability of reproductive diversity, underscoring the consequences of human activities.

Featuring captivating photographs of a diverse range of life forms in their urban habitats, this book offers a fresh perspective on urban natural history. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about the intricate interplay between humans and the natural world in urban environments.

Dimension: 279 x 216 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231206075