Suburban backyard home to more than 1,000 species

by University of Queensland
December 08, 2023

A challenge among three housemates to identify species around their inner-Brisbane home has resulted in an academic research paper, showcasing the rich biodiversity in urban landscapes.

UQ mathematician Dr Matt Holden, ecologist Dr Andrew Rogers and taxonomist Dr Russell Yong took a census of their Annerley share house and its backyard during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, and discovered 1,150 unique species of animals, plants and fungi over a 12-month period.

“We asked a large number of ecologists and conservation scientists how many species they’d expect to find in this setting and they predicted only 200,” Dr Holden said. “But after 60 days of surveying, we’d already discovered 777 species. It shows suburban houses and apartments could have far more biodiversity than ever imagined, especially when it comes to insects.”

Keep reading: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2023/11/suburban-backyard-home-more-1000-species

Read the Ecology paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.4225