Question

North American species have undergone major changes since European colonization: many native species and ecosystems have lost area, abundance and genetic diversity, a few have recovered with conservation, and some generalist or human-tolerant species (like coyotes, raccoons, white‑tailed deer) have expanded.
- Whether a species expands or contracts depends less on luck and more on a set of traits interacting with human-caused environmental change. Coyotes have the right traits for today’s landscapes; many other species do not.

make this sound like an 8th grader

Answer 1

Since Europeans came to North America, a lot has changed for plants and animals. Many native species and whole ecosystems have gotten smaller — they live in fewer places, there are fewer of them, and they even have less genetic variety (which makes it harder for them to survive). A few species have bounced back because people worked to protect them. But some animals that do well around people, like coyotes, raccoons, and white‑tailed deer, have actually spread out.

Whether a species grows or shrinks isn’t just about luck. It mostly depends on the traits the species has — things like what it eats, where it can live, and how it handles people — and how those traits match the changes humans have made to the land. Coyotes have the right traits for today’s human-shaped landscapes, but many other species don’t and are struggling.