Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other cervids, is increasing in geographic distribution and prevalence and causing population declines. To mitigate …
Rabies is an acute, progressive, viral encephalitis. Warm-blooded vertebrates are susceptible. Major reservoirs reside in the Chiroptera and Carnivora. Among the latter, representatives include dogs, ferret badgers, foxes, jackals, mongooses, …
Models have become an integral component of wildlife conservation and management, and lie at the foundation of decision-making in our field today. Yet, like too much of anything, there are risks with their overuse. Herein, we argue that despite their …
Expanding the use of AI in ABMs will require interdisciplinary collaborations that pair ecologists with computer and geo-information scientists and explicit workflows for auditing AI decisions. However, leveraging AI enhanced ABMs will improve predictive modeling of species responses to environmental change, optimize conservation strategies, and develop more effective data-driven management.
Food limitation is a universal stressor for wildlife populations and is increasingly exacerbated by human activities. Anthropogenic environmental change can significantly alter the availability and quality of food resources for reservoir hosts and …
The intensive harvesting of hosts is often the only practicable strategy for controlling emerging wildlife diseases. Several harvesting approaches have been explored theoretically with the objective of lowering transmission rates, decreasing the …