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I am a wildlife ecologist equipped with spatial and quantitative tools. I am broadly interested in spatial and community ecology of hoofed mammals (both wild and domestic) in working landscapes where humans and wildlife share space. I focus on arid and semi-arid rangelands, from Asian steppe, American West, to African savanna, systems that support wide-ranging wildlife as well as extensively herded livestocks. Some of the keywords of my research are: animal movement, fence ecology, landscape connectivity, pastoralism, mobility, fragmentation, social-ecological systems.
Below are the research themes I am currently pursuing:
Below are the research themes I am currently pursuing:
Animal movement in a changing world
A framework of migratory plasticity in ungulates.
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Movement is a fundamental way through which individual animals respond to and interact with their external environments. Understanding whether, when, where, and how animals move does not only enrich our knowledge on ecology of the target species, but also shed light on mechanisms of how various ecological processes connect across scales. These information are vital for biodiversity conservation and management in a changing world.
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Relevant publications:
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
- Kauffman, M. J., Cagnacci, F., Chamaille-Jammes, S., ..., Xu, W., Zuther, S. (2021). Mapping out a future for ungulate migraitons. Science.
- Xu, W., et al (2021). Migratory Plasticity of Ungulate in a Changing World. Ecology.
- Xu, W., et al (2019). Railway Underpass Location Affects Migration Distance in Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii). PLoS ONE
- Sawyer, H., LeBeau, C. W., McDonald, T. L., Xu, W., & Middleton, A. D. (2019). All routes are not created equal: An ungulate's choice of migration route can influence its survival. Journal of Applied Ecology.
- Xu, W.,et al (2017). Coupling African Elephant Movement and Habitat Modeling for Landscape Availability-suitability-connectivity in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Pachyderm,
Linear infrastructure, particularly fences, in social-ecological systems
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Fences might be one of the most prevalent, yet least understood, linear infrastructure on earth. Ecologically, fencing can alter animals physiology, movement patterns, habitat use, and ecosystem processes. Often embedded in socio-ecological systems such as rangelands, fences also play a fundamental role in land practices, economic relationships, and social relationships in societies. My research contribute theoretically and empirically to the bourgeoning field of fence ecology.
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Pornghorn crossing fences in snow. © Joe Riis
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Relevant publications:
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
- McInturff, A., Xu, W., et al. (2020). Toward a fence ecology: Frameworks and approaches for assessing the global ecological effects of fences. BioScience.
- Xu, W., et al. (2021). Barrier Behavior Analysis (BaBA) reveals extensive effects of fencing on wide-ranging animals. Journal of Applied Ecology.
- Xu, W., Huntsinger, L. Minding the boundary: social-ecological contexts for fence ecology and management. (accepted). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
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Draper Natural History Museum lunchtime expedition talk
The Wires that Shape the World: Fence Ecology and Conservation Fencing is one of the most widespread manmade features on Earth, yet they are often omitted from discussions of humanity’s impacts on the environment. Following my journey from the Tibetan plateau to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, I shared the hidden ecological impacts of the wires that have shaped the world. |
Linking ecology and conservation
From the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Yangtze River of China, human activities are gradually encroaching wildlife habitats and altering animal behaviors. Utilizing my technical expertise in GIS and remote sensing, I collaborate with researchers and managers around the world to investigate how wildlife distribution respond to lethal and non-lethal human activities, such as urban development, prescribed burning, sand mining, and agriculture.
Relevant publications:
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
(see Publications page for complete citations & links)
- Barker, K.J., Xu, W., et al (2021). Can lost migrations be restored? Evaluating re-establishment of long-distance movements. Conservation Letters.
- Han, Y., Mei, Z., Xu, W., et al. (in review) Sand mining threatens a critically endangered freshwater cetacean.
- Xu, W., et al. (in review) Den-site selection of Florida panthers in a fire prone landscape.
- Giglioti, L., Xu, W., et al. (in review). Wildlife migrations highlight importance of working lands in the Greater Yellowtone Ecosystem.
- Parker-Shames, P., Xu, W., Rich, L., Brashares, J.S. (2020). Coexisting with cannabis: wildlife response to marijuana cultivation.
