Synthesis of Anthropogenic Threat & Demographic Data to Predict Extinction Risk

Abstract

The U.S. Endangered Species Act requires not only protection of all listed threatened and endangered species, but also recovery of species so that they are no longer at risk of extinction. Determining when species are recovered has proven to be difficult, in part because we do not know how to systematically measure the effects of the various factors that contribute to extinction risk. As a result, it is difficult to determine how much of those factors must be alleviated for species recovery.

This seminar will present research that seeks to measure the relationships between extinction risk and factors, such as species life history traits and human activities, to help improve recovery planning. For example, if species threatened by certain human activities, such as logging, are likely to have three times greater extinction risk than other species, they should require greater protection to ensure persistence. It will also discuss research exploring multiple ways to measure extinction risk, using not only demographic data but also geographic range and other data that may be more readily available.

Presenters

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Judy Che-Castaldo

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Judy Che-Castaldo is an ecologist working to apply theories and tools from population biology to address conservation issues. Her broad research interests have led to a varied background that includes researching both animals and plants, from field experiments to analysis of large datasets. Judy was a postdoctoral fellow at SESYNC, where her research focused on improving recovery planning for species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Prior to her time at SESYNC, Judy conducted a wide range of biological research, from animal behavior (studying mate-choice and fitness) to...

Image

Judy Che-Castaldo

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Judy Che-Castaldo is an ecologist working to apply theories and tools from population biology to address conservation issues. Her broad research interests have led to a varied background that includes researching both animals and plants, from field experiments to analysis of large datasets. Judy was a postdoctoral fellow at SESYNC, where her research focused on improving recovery planning for species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Prior to her time at SESYNC, Judy conducted a wide range of biological research, from animal behavior (studying mate-choice and fitness) to phytoremediation and the ecology of non-native species. Judy is currently a Research Scientist at Lincoln Park Zoo, where she combines her previous experience in population modeling and large-scale comparative analysis and applies them to species conservation and management. Her research projects include looking for patterns in vulnerability across zoo populations and analyzing data on breeding and transfer recommendations to improve the management of zoo-based and wild populations. She is also developing the COMPADRE and COMADRE Matrix Model Database, a global repository for plant and animal demographic data.

External Links:
https://http://jchecastaldo.weebly.com/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=_NN72vgAAAAJ
https://compadre-db.org/

Date
Time
12:30 p.m.
Location
1 Park Place, Suite 300, Annapolis, MD
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