David Savage – PhD Defense Announcement

Ecological and Economic Frameworks for Biodiversity Monitoring

Major Professor: Dr. Bryan Pijanowski

Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 10:00 AM

Pfendler Hall Room 120 or via Zoom (QR Code in Attachment)

Ecological Sciences and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Abstract: The rise of technology as a data source for ecological research and biodiversity conservation has led to a host of new opportunities, and new challenges, for researchers, conservationists, policymakers, and land managers. As these technologies have become more common and more capable, researchers need improved methods and improved theoretical frameworks to integrate these technologies with each other; with social science and policy; and with land-use planning. This thesis proposes several of these conceptual and theoretical frameworks—one for integration of heterogeneous data and another for the integration of ecological data with economic decision-making and policy analysis. It then suggests new methodologies for data quality assurance. Lastly, it demonstrates the applicability of acoustic monitoring in a key land-use context: agriculture in a premium crop that is grown in global biodiversity hotspots.