Conservation Value of Clustered Housing Developments

• Published in: Conservation biology 2006-10, Vol.20 (5), p.1445-1456
• Main Authors: LENTH, BUFFY A., KNIGHT, RICHARD L., GILGERT, WENDELL C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; aves de praderas; Biodiversity conservation; Biological and medical sciences; Bird nesting; Birds - physiology; City Planning; Colorado; comunidades de plantas; Conservation; Conservation biology; Conservation of Natural Resources; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; desarrollo exurbano; desarrollo residencial rural; Ecosystem; Environmental impact; exurban development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; grassland birds; Habitat conservation; Housing; Housing developments; Humans; Land development; Land use; Mammals; mamíferos; Nesting Behavior; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; plant communities; Plants; Population Dynamics; Public Policy; Rural areas; Rural Population; rural residential development; Species; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00491.x

Traditionally, exurban lands in Colorado have been subdivided into a grid of parcels ranging from 2 to 16 ha. From an ecological perspective, this dispersed pattern of development effectively maximizes the individual influence of each home on the land. Clustered housing developments, designed to maximize open space, are assumed to benefit plant and wildlife communities of conservation interest. They have become a popular alternative for rural development despite the lack of empirical evidence demonstrating their conservation benefits. To better inform rural land-use planning, we evaluated clustered housing developments by comparing their spatial pattern with that of dispersed housing developments and by comparing their conservation value with that of both dispersed housing developments and undeveloped areas in Boulder County, Colorado. We used four indicators to assess conservation value: (1) densities of songbirds, (2) nest density and survival of ground-nesting birds, (3) presence of mammals, and (4) percent cover and proportion of native and non-native plant species. Clustered and dispersed housing developments did not differ on the majority of variables we examined. Both types of housing development had significantly higher densities of non-native and human-commensal species and significantly lower densities of native and human-sensitive species than undeveloped areas. More rigorous ecological guidelines and planning on a regional scale may help create clustered developments with higher conservation value.