Final answer:
Non-human life in urban ecosystems must adapt to human activities, often leading to reduced native biodiversity, while forest ecosystems generally support greater diversity and are less directly influenced by humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Non-human life in an urban ecosystem differs from non-human life in an undeveloped forest ecosystem primarily in terms of adaptation and biodiversity. In urban ecosystems, non-human life must adapt to human activities and the artificial environments that replace their natural habitats. This often results in a decrease in native species and a long-term impact on biodiversity. However, through careful planning and understanding of species biology, urban parks can support a significant level of biodiversity, including species that are adaptable to these altered conditions.
For instance, ornamental plants in urban parks can attract and support certain butterfly species that are adapted to open canopies, as well as those from adjacent forests who forage within the parks. This shows that while urban areas transform ecosystems, they can also offer new habitats for certain species, contributing to an urban form of biodiversity.
By contrast, forest ecosystems often support greater diversity and less pollution than urban areas. They contain a complex community of plants, animals, insects, bacteria, and fungi, which interact with the abiotic factors of the environment to form a biodiverse ecosystem typically less affected by the direct impact of human activities, although not entirely free from indirect human-induced changes.