Our Research
Research at CCL follows two main streams of inquiry within the fields of Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Conservation Biology.
I. Spatial patterns of conflicts with carnivores and human responses to these conflicts.
Carnivore predation on livestock is predictable from landscape features, as well as the history and characteristics of the people and the carnivores with whom they coexist. Traditional human responses are to kill problem carnivores somewhat indiscriminately and out of proportion to losses. Non-lethal methods are gaining in popularity, in part for their compatibility with conservation efforts.
For example, CCL has been working in Ecuador with Fundacion Cordillera Tropical since 2007. We have been documented the presence and survival of the endangered Andean bear and other key wildlife on private lands. See the full report.
See the map of wolf packs and domestic animal conflicts in Wisconsin - by Marie Vicksta (MSc, Nelson Institute 2008).
See papers on this topic.
II. Attitudes toward carnivore management and policy: Our wildlife laws and the management actions we take are heavily shaped by our perceptions of conflict. In turn, perceptions are shaped by dramatic and costly incidents of wildlife damage, the stories of our predecessors and distant neighbors, rather than the time-limited, local averages of scientific studies.
Future directions: My students and I continue to explore how one can balance carnivore conservation with protection of human livelihoods and safety. We measure attitudes to carnivore management as these change over time and in response to interventions. We use spatial modeling to predict sites of conflict with carnivores to help anticipate conflicts.
We also explore how to certify producers of food and fiber as wildlife-friendly, i.e., producing without harm to carnivores and their habitats.
See papers on this topic.
Also visit wildlifefriendly.org.