Dawn Scott

My principal areas of research are focused on the consequences of anthropogenic modification of the environment on mammalian communities, biodiversity, behaviour and ecology, which is then integrated into developments of conservation biology theory and practice.

There are four main themes I am currently expanding and developing in conservation biology. These fundamentally address some of the long term consequences of our current approaches to conservation.

Species responses to anthropogenic landscape change and management. Investigating the ecological response of species to habitat change, for example, urbanisation, coastal flooding, anthropogenic activities and management.

Human-carnivore conflict: Investigating the ecological and socio-economic issues surrounding human-carnivore conflict in South Africa and urban carnivores in the UK.

Landscape conservation genetics: The genetic consequences of landscape structure and permeability on wildlife population genetics, using jackal and brown hyena populations in South Africa, and, hazel dormice and water voles in the UK as models to investigate this.

Ecological function of scavengers: As part of an interdisciplinary team, we are investigating the role of carnivore, avian and invertebrate scavengers on ecosystem function.