Research summary
A worldwide biodiversity crisis is unfolding, driven by factors like pollution, the climate crisis and human exploitation of natural resources. To address it, the world needs to take steps to effectively manage it on multiple scales at once. As Canada Research Chair in Terrestrial Mammal Conservation, Dr. Cole Burton is working to provide the knowledge needed to help do this.
He and his research team are focusing on the conservation of land mammals by testing for predictable patterns in how their communities respond to different levels of human disturbances and actions. They are applying innovative sampling and analytical tools that use camera trap surveys to understand the impacts of human activities on wildlife. (Camera traps have motion sensors and begin recording when an animal passes by.) Their findings will improve our understanding of biodiversity and inform management actions so we can better protect threatened species.