Increasing urbanization rates and anthropogenic activity can shift wildlife spatial distribution and activity patterns. Two common carnivores found in urban environments, the coyote (Canis latrans) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus), often share similar habitats and resources. Understanding how these species respond to each other and their surroundings can reveal how they adjust to living in these human-dominated landscapes. Specifically, I aim to (1) determine how environmental variables and bobcat presence affect coyote occupancy, (2) determine how environmental variables and coyote presence affect bobcat occupancy, and (3) examine how coyotes and bobcats alter their daily activity patterns in response to each other. My study will use camera trap data gathered from across 25 sites in the San Gabriel Valley (eastern Los Angeles County) from 2022 to 2024 and spatial data describing distance to primary roads, distance to water sources, canopy cover, and population density. The results of this study will aid in the reduction of human-wildlife conflict by identifying how and when coyotes and bobcats utilize urban spaces and enhance public understanding and acceptance of urban wildlife.

Sophie Chen is a second-year Master's student in Biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she studies urban wildlife ecology. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Siena College in 2020, where she received the Thomas A. Whalen Prize for excellence in scientific research for two projects: one investigating infaunal responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill within the Chandeleur Islands and another examining gene pattern expressions of small heat shock proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Outside of research, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and birdwatching with her two cats.