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I am a wildlife ecologist. I use spatial and quantitative tools to understand how animals interact with their surrounding world. More specifically, I focus on ecological responses of wide-ranging animals to environmental changes, particularly landscape fragmentation caused by anthropocentric barriers such as fences, roads, and railways. My study systems are in arid and semi-arid rangelands from the Asian steppe to the American West, where wildlife, humans, and livestock have co-existed for thousands of years. As an ecologist, I am motivated to bridge the nature and human dimensions and to seek a balance between wildlife conservation and human well-being. I value interdisciplinary collaborations, especially with social scientists and artists. Currently, I am working on my Ph.D. dissertation focusing on impacts of fencing on ungulate movement ecology in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Keywords: movement ecology, fence ecology, conservation biology, landscape connectivity, ungulates, rangeland, pastoralism, mobility, fragmentation, geospatial science
Listed below the current themes of my research. A list of publication can be found here.
Keywords: movement ecology, fence ecology, conservation biology, landscape connectivity, ungulates, rangeland, pastoralism, mobility, fragmentation, geospatial science
Listed below the current themes of my research. A list of publication can be found here.
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 wildlife ecology with conservation and management
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.
