Human Pressure in North America Shrinks Bird and Mammal Habitats During the 2020 Lockdowns

A study published in *Science* finds that human pressure has reshaped how birds and mammals use space and habitats, with the strongest effects reported in remote areas. Researchers compared field surveys carried out in North America in 2019 (control year) and 2020 (lockdown periods), using human presence data from mobile phone records and wildlife tracking from bio-logging sensors.

The analysis covered 37 species and showed that human presence affected more than 65% of them; for roughly 60% of responsive species, the impact was linked to how much the landscape had been altered. Results varied widely across species, and the authors say the approach could be extended to Alpine regions and applied at a global scale. The work involved researchers from the Edmund Mach Foundation, including Federico Ossi and Francesca Cagnacci, and was coordinated by the COVID-19 Bio-logging Initiative.
Italian Version