Understanding the role of humans in ecosystems is critical and urgent for biodiversity conservation, especially given the rapid growth of the global anthropogenic footprint. My research examines the effects of this ever-expanding human activity on the world's large mammal populations, with an emphasis on behavioral response to human presence. I am interested both in global trends and local dynamics of human-wildlife interactions, and my research integrates large-scale meta-analyses and local field studies in North America and Africa.
Specifically, I am interested in the ecological role of humans as lethal and non-lethal predators, and our effects on animal behavior and community interactions. Humans may drive patterns of wildlife behavior and distribution through their interactions with prey species in a manner predicted by predator-prey theory and the “ecology of fear.” By applying our knowledge of natural predator-prey systems to novel human-modified systems, we may better understand how animals respond to humans at multiple spatial, temporal, and ecological scales and work towards sustainable solutions for human-wildlife coexistence.
Specifically, I am interested in the ecological role of humans as lethal and non-lethal predators, and our effects on animal behavior and community interactions. Humans may drive patterns of wildlife behavior and distribution through their interactions with prey species in a manner predicted by predator-prey theory and the “ecology of fear.” By applying our knowledge of natural predator-prey systems to novel human-modified systems, we may better understand how animals respond to humans at multiple spatial, temporal, and ecological scales and work towards sustainable solutions for human-wildlife coexistence.
Human impacts on wildlife recovery in Mozambique
Following decades of civil war, Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park is currently experiencing rapid and novel changes associated with wildlife restoration and human development in the region. As both human and wildlife populations grow, it is critical to understand the effects of expanding human settlement, activity, and hunting on the recovering animal species in the park. At Gorongosa, my collaborators and I are studying the effects of landscape heterogeneity and human activity on population and community ecology of the park's large mammal community.
Using data from camera traps and aerial surveys, we are documenting spatial patterns and temporal trends of wildlife distribution, density, and community composition. We are examining the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of these patterns to better understand the dynamics of post-war community reassembly. We are also interested in understanding which species are most vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance and mortality, and how ecological traits relating to diet, life history, and social behavior influence this vulnerability. In the future, I would like to conduct research on the socio-ecological dynamics of the Gorongosa system, exploring the interplay between human development in the park's buffer zone and wildlife restoration within the protected area.
I am a scientific consultant on WildCam Gorongosa, a citizen science platform developed by HHMI BioInteractive and hosted by Zooniverse and Snapshot Safari. We engage with volunteers from around the world, who assist us in the classification of camera trap images from Gorongosa National Park.
Read more about our research on this blog on the Gorongosa website!
Using data from camera traps and aerial surveys, we are documenting spatial patterns and temporal trends of wildlife distribution, density, and community composition. We are examining the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of these patterns to better understand the dynamics of post-war community reassembly. We are also interested in understanding which species are most vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance and mortality, and how ecological traits relating to diet, life history, and social behavior influence this vulnerability. In the future, I would like to conduct research on the socio-ecological dynamics of the Gorongosa system, exploring the interplay between human development in the park's buffer zone and wildlife restoration within the protected area.
I am a scientific consultant on WildCam Gorongosa, a citizen science platform developed by HHMI BioInteractive and hosted by Zooniverse and Snapshot Safari. We engage with volunteers from around the world, who assist us in the classification of camera trap images from Gorongosa National Park.
Read more about our research on this blog on the Gorongosa website!
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Fine-scale responses of deer to seasonal hunting in California
Across the United States, seasonal pulses of hunting dramatically transform ecological communities, putting enormous stress on prey species and reshaping spatiotemporal patterns of risk and mortality. With A. McInturff and J. Brashares (PI), I am examining how these dynamics play out during a controlled hunt of black-tailed deer at the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), in Mendocino County, California.
We are deploying GPS trackers on hunters and deer to examine how hunting alters deer movement and habitat selection, and how these changes in deer behavior cascade throughout the community. We are exploring how deer balance combined risks from human hunting and natural predators as they navigate a "landscape of fear."
This research is a component of a larger study of the black-tailed deer population at HREC, funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We are refining methods for black-tailed deer population estimation, integrating data from GPS telemetry, camera trap surveys, and genetic mark-recapture to inform improved monitoring protocols at the state level.
We are deploying GPS trackers on hunters and deer to examine how hunting alters deer movement and habitat selection, and how these changes in deer behavior cascade throughout the community. We are exploring how deer balance combined risks from human hunting and natural predators as they navigate a "landscape of fear."
This research is a component of a larger study of the black-tailed deer population at HREC, funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We are refining methods for black-tailed deer population estimation, integrating data from GPS telemetry, camera trap surveys, and genetic mark-recapture to inform improved monitoring protocols at the state level.
Funding & collaboration:
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Socio-ecological dynamics of human-wildlife interactions
In addition to understanding the consequences of human-wildlife interactions from the perspective of the animal, I am interested in exploring what these growing interactions mean for the people involved. I am also interested in feedbacks and interactions between human and natural systems at larger scales. To this end, I am involved in several collaborative interdisciplinary projects that examine global, regional, and local patterns of human-wildlife interactions. I have been involved in group efforts and publications exploring linkages between war and wildlife outcomes, the social and ecological consequences of hunting-induced defaunation in the tropics, and socio-ecological dynamics of carnivore-livestock conflict.
I believe that addressing today's complex conservation challenges relies on collaboration across natural and social sciences, as well as communication between academics, managers, policymakers, and all stakeholders. I am always open to new collaborations, so please reach out!
I believe that addressing today's complex conservation challenges relies on collaboration across natural and social sciences, as well as communication between academics, managers, policymakers, and all stakeholders. I am always open to new collaborations, so please reach out!
