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 global biodiversity, with emphases on the behavioral responses of animals to human presence, and the socio-ecological dynamics of conservation. I am interested both in global trends and local ecological dynamics, and my research integrates large-scale data synthesis and meta-analyses and local field studies integrating diverse data types in North America and Africa.
​​Global impacts of human activity on ecosystems
​​Post-war ecological recovery in Mozambique
​​Community ecology in a mixed-use California landscape
​​Socio-ecological dynamics of human-wildlife interactions

​Global impacts of human activity on ecosystems

People play an important role in ecosystems as lethal and non-lethal predators, with 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 solutions for human-wildlife coexistence. My current work at NCEAS integrates data from multiple sources, including camera traps and GPS telemetry data, to explore the influence of human activity and infrastructure on patterns of animal activity at regional and global scales.
Relevant publications:
(see Publication page for complete citations & links)
  • Gaynor et al. 2018. The influence of human disturbance on wildlife nocturnality. Science
  • Wilson, Ridlon, Gaynor et al. 2020. Ecological impacts of human-induced animal behavior change. Ecology Letters
  • Gaynor et al. 2020. An applied ecology of fear framework: linking theory to conservation practice. Animal Conservation
  • Suraci, Gaynor et al. In press. Disturbance type and species life history predict mammal responses to humans. Global Change Biology
  • Yamashita, Gaynor et al. 2018. Anti-predator behavior of African ungulates around human settlements. African Journal of Ecology
  • Smith, Gaynor, Suraci. 2021. Mismatch between risk and response may amplify lethal and non-lethal effects of humans on wild animal populations. ​Frontiers Ecol Evol

Ongoing collaborations:
  • Impacts of recreation and infrastructure on large mammals in US National Parks, in collaboration with Paul Cross (USGS), John Benson (U Nebraska), Michael Cherry (Texas A&M), Clint Epps (OSU), Rob Fletcher (U Florida) Nathan Galloway (NPS), John Orrock (UW Madison), Justine Smith (UC Davis)
  • ​Influence of human activity on predator-prey temporal partitioning, led by Amy Van Scoyoc (UC Berkeley)​​

​Post-war ecological recovery in Mozambique

Following decades of civil war, Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park is currently experiencing rapid and novel changes associated with 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 biodiversity in the park. At Gorongosa, my collaborators and I are studying the effects of landscape heterogeneity, human activity, and large carnivore reintroductions on population and community ecology of the park's animals and plants.
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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, we hope 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!
Funding and collaborators:
Relevant publications:
(see Publication page for complete citations & links)
  • Gaynor et al. 2021. Postwar wildlife recovery in an African savanna: Evaluating patterns and drivers of species occupancy and richness. Animal Conservation
  • Gaynor et al. 2018. Effects of human settlement and roads on diel activity patterns of elephants (Loxodonta africana). African Journal of Ecology
  • Miao, Gaynor, et al. 2019. Insights and approaches using deep learning to classify wildlife. Scientific Reports

Ongoing collaborations:
  • Influence of large carnivore decline and recovery on prey communities, led by Meredith Palmer (Princeton)
  • Spatiotemporal partitioning among mesocarnivores, led by student Katie Grabowski (Oxford)
  • Baboon landscapes of fear, led by Phillipa Hammond (Oxford)
  • Integrating computer vision and manual classification into improved workflows for species identification, led by Zhongqi Miao (UC Berkeley)
  • Evaluating camera traps as tools for monitoring large mammals (integration and comparison with citizen science, machine learning, aerial counts), led by Sarah Huebner (UMN, Snapshot Safari)

​Community ecology in a mixed-use California landscape

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. We are 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 have deployed 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 large mammal community at HREC, led by the Brashares Lab at UC Berkeley. We are refining methods for black-tailed deer population estimation, studying responses of animals to a recent wildfire in the study site, and exploring the effects of fencing and sheep operations on the movement and activity of wild animals.
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​Relevant publications: 
(see Publication page for complete citations & links)
  • ​Gaynor et al. In revision. Contrasting spatial patterns of risk from human and non-human predators influence temporal activity of prey. ​
  • Kreling, Gaynor, et al. In revision. Short-term shifts in habitat selection and movement buffer the effects of megafire on black-tailed deer.
  • Bach, Quigley, Gaynor, et al. In revision. Identifying individual ungulates from fecal DNA: A comparison of field collection methods to maximize efficiency, ease, and success.
  • McInturff, Miller, Gaynor, Brashares. 2020. Patterns of coyote predation on sheep in California: A socio-ecological approach to mapping risk of livestock-predator conflict. Conservation Science and Practice
  • Bidder... Gaynor et al. 2020. A novel approach for studying canid scent marking: leveraging advances in data science and biologging techniques. Scientific Reports

Ongoing collaborations: 
  • Effects of megafire on wildlife community; led by Kendall Calhoun
  • Fine-scale movement ecology of rifle hunters; led by Alex McInturff
  • Effectiveness of Foxlights as a conflict mitigation tool; led by student Lara Volski

​Socio-ecological dynamics of conservation and coexistence

​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 biodiversity outcomes, the social and ecological consequences of hunting-induced defaunation in the tropics, reintroductions of large carnivores, disease spill-over between domestic and wild animals, and socio-ecological dynamics of carnivore-livestock conflict.
​​Relevant publications: 
(see Publication page for complete citations & links)
  • Gaynor et al. 2016. War and wildlife: linking armed conflict to conservation. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
  • Gaynor et al. 2020. Anticipating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
  • Brashares & Gaynor. 2017. Eating ecosystems. Science
  • Fiorella... Gaynor et al. 2020. Feedbacks from human health to household reliance on natural resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Planetary Health
  • McInturff, Miller, Gaynor, Brashares. 2020. Patterns of coyote predation on sheep in California: A socio-ecological approach to mapping risk of livestock-predator conflict. Conservation Science and Practice
  • Wilkinson... Gaynor et al. 2020. An ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict. Conservation Biology
  • Remans... Gaynor et al. 2011. Assessing nutritional diversity of cropping systems in African villages. PLOS ONE
  • Kreling, Gaynor, Coon, C. 2019. Roadkill distribution at the wildland-urban interface. Journal of Wildlife Management
  • Impink & Gaynor. 2010.  Understanding sustainability through traditional Maasai pastoral systems in southern Kenya. Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development

Ongoing collaborations:
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!