The (socio-)ecology of human-altered landscapes

Understanding the role of humans in ecosystems is critical and urgent for biodiversity conservation, especially given the rapid growth of the global anthropogenic footprint. Our research examines the effects of this ever-expanding human activity on global biodiversity, with emphases on (1) the behavioral responses of animals to human presence, (2) the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on predator-prey and other species interactions, and (3) the socio-ecological dynamics of conservation and coexistence. This work involves large-scale data synthesis and meta-analyses, and local field studies in North America and Africa.

The Gaynor Lab is based at the University of British Columbia, in the Departments of Zoology and Botany and the Biodiversity Research Centre.

The University of British Columbia Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).