Research overview: edge effects shaping felid habitat in fragmented cities

Habitat edges created by urban development alter microclimate, vegetation, prey, disturbance and predator interactions, shaping how felids use the boundary between natural and built land. This overview synthesises research on edge effects relevant to urban felids, including elevated road and human-disturbance impacts, changes in prey and competitor distributions, and the way bobcats, leopards and others concentrate or avoid edges. It examines how patch geometry and the contrast between habitat and matrix determine edge influence, and the planning implications for patch size and buffering. The synthesis frames edge effects as a pervasive structuring force in the fragmented landscapes felids navigate near cities.