‘Redlining’ impacts even more than just poor black people as urban wildlife flee to wealthier, white neighborhoods: Study

Scientists say that the practice of redlining is impacting the biodiversity of urban environments, forcing animals out of poor neighborhoods and into wealthier, white ones.

Residents of minority neighborhoods across the United States may not be the only victims suffering the consequences of redlining for decades, new research suggests — and that the impact of redlining is felt even by urban wildlife, the Daily Mail first reported.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, found that the practice of redlining - where financial institutions, insurance companies, and other businesses draw lines on a map to define areas where they will or will not provide services - resulted in a lack of investment and neglect in minority neighborhoods, leading to persistent poverty and limited access to investment.

The study, titled “Systemic Racism Alters Wildlife Diversity,” conducted by University of Manitoba biologist Colin Garroway and Chloé Schmidt from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, found that the practice of redlining had an additional, lasting effect on the diversity of wildlife in these neighborhoods.

The study analyzed publicly available, archived genetic data from thousands of animals belonging to various species in order to show the connection between the diversity of wildlife and the racial of makeup of neighborhoods.

It found that there was a far greater variety of species in predominantly white neighborhoods, leading to a complete absence of nature in neighborhoods that are predominantly non-white.

The authors of the study suggest that this lack of urban biodiversity has resulted in a negative impact on human well-being, having an effect on residents' mental and physical health.

The authors of the study argue that systemic racism has effectively altered the demography of urban wildlife populations in a way that shapes their evolution and impacts their presence in cities.

“Our results suggest that neighborhoods that are largely non-White support smaller, more fragmented, less genetically diverse wildlife populations. Notably, the effects of racial composition and habitat degradation on genetic composition were consistent across the majority of taxa regardless of urban sample locality,” the researchers wrote.

“These results are concerning because urban biodiversity is important for human mental and physical well-being, and disparities in access to nature build on existing health-related environmental disamenities in predominantly non-White neighborhoods.”

The research calls for reforms to be made in city planning in the hopes a more equitable distribution of natural habitat will lead to increased racial diversity and improved mental and physical health of minority residents.

The authors of the study also suggest the need for increased racial diversity in the fields of ecology and evolution to address such 'blind spots' in research and to promote “environmental justice.”