Conservation Science Global

Movement ecology at its most basic level is the study of movement of organisms. Movement is an integral part of life on earth – all organisms, from bacteria to red woods, at some point in the life cycle engage in movement.

Movements are influenced by internal factors, (e.g., age, reproductive status, sex) and external abiotic (e.g., weather, land cover, or elevation) or biotic (e.g., presence of other individuals or species) factors.

Understanding movement ecology is crucial to conservation because many conservation problems are linked to movement and can only be solved if we understand how and why organisms move.

Movement ecology research at CSG focuses on using telemetry to track animals in space and time. We use studies of movement ecology to understand and inform managers about how movements influence risk of anthropogenic threats such as collision with aircraft and wind turbines.

Human-Wildlife Interaction is a broad topic of research that aims to understand how people, or their property or infrastructure, interact with wildlife. In many instances, human-wildlife interactions are viewed as harmful to the people, to wildlife, or to both. We study human-wildlife interactions so that we can understand when and where harmful interactions are likely to occur and provide information on how they can be minimized or avoided.

For example, Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) poses a risk of injury and death to both people and wildlife. Additionally, aircraft-wildlife strikes also cause physical damage that can cost millions of dollars to repair.

To better understand how to manage this strike hazard, we study bird movements so that we can better understand when and where birds are likely to occupy the same space as aircraft. Results from these studies can then be used to inform airfield managers when strikes hazards are more likely to occur.

Wildlife toxicology is the study of environmental contaminants and the subsequent uptake of those contaminants by animals.

Environmental contaminants that can negatively affect wildlife include pesticides, rodenticides, heavy metals, and a suite of additional human-made chemical compounds. These toxicants can be measured in tissues of live and dead animals as well as in water, soil, and vegetation.

For instance, CSG has studied the extent of lead poisoning in eagles across the U.S., and is exploring strategies that can reduce this threat.

True to CSG’s mission, our staff regularly participate in educational outreach to the public, other scientists, and policy makers about our work and the wildlife we study.

Youth engagement activities include giving presentations to schools and camps; working with area high school students to establish a healthy breeding population of barn owls along the U.S. Atlantic coast; and offering graduate internship opportunities to college students from around the world.

Our biologists frequently engage with communities throughout the U.S. and the world, from presentations to local citizen birding groups, to giving interviews to podcasters and other media, to contributions at academic and industry conferences.

Conservation, in its most basic sense is the management, protection, or restoration of our natural resources. It is vital to biodiversity, which the late E.O. Wilson (1992) described as our most valuable but least appreciated resource.

At CSG, we undertake scientific research to inform conservation by sharing that knowledge with other scientists, managers, and the public. Managers especially can apply that knowledge to the management of biotic systems to aid in the protection, restoration, and sustained use of our natural resources.

CSG has developed a model conservation program aimed at decreasing lead poisoning among bald and golden eagles by encouraging voluntary adoption of non-lead ammunition among elk and deer hunters.