Maire Kirkland
My research interests are broad and include the ecological and social dimensions of conservation management. In the Peruvian Amazon I explored the effects of socio-economic and climatic change on wildlife populations and local indigenous livelihoods. Similarly, I monitored the population dynamics and behaviour of mammals in Mexico in order to assess the impacts of climate change as well as bushmeat hunting and habitat fragmentation. Working in protected areas that depend on a thriving tourism industry led me to my current research at Durham University. For my PhD I will explore what drives global nature-based tourism. In particular, I will identify what traits make a species attractive to tourists. I will highlight the features of protected areas that maximize visitation and uncover regions where the potential for nature-based tourism is currently being under-exploited. By modelling the future distribution of species I will be able to assess how human development and climate change might affect nature-based tourism patterns in the future. |
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Position: PhD Student in the Department of Biosciences
Supervised by: Prof. Stephen Willis, Prof. Mark Whittingham, and Prof. Andrew Balmford Contact details: Department of Biosciences Durham University South Road, Durham DH1 3LE Email: maire.kirkland@durham.ac.uk Education
2016 - Present PhD Biology, Durham University 2012 - 2013 MSc Conservation, University College London 2009 - 2012 BSc Biology and Anthropology, Durham University |
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Publications
Kirkland, M., Eisenberg, C., Bicerra, A., Bodmer, R.E., Mayor, P. and Axmacher, J.C. [in press] Sustainable wildlife extraction and the impacts of socio-economic change among the Kukama-Kukamilla people of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru. Oryx.
Bodmer, R., Mayor, P., Antunez, M., Chota, K., Fang, T., Puertas, P., Pittet, M., Kirkland, M., Walkey, M., Rios, C., Pérez-Peña, P., Henderson, P., Bodmer, W., Bicerra, A., Zegarra, J. and Docherty, E. 2018. Major Shifts in Amazon Wildlife Populations from Recent Climatic Intensification. Conservation Biology. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12993
Mayor, P., Pérez-Peña, P., Bowler, M., Puertas, P.E., Kirkland, M. and Bodmer, R. 2015. Effects of selective logging on large mammal populations in a remote indigenous territory in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Ecology and Society 20(4):36. dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08023-200436
Kirkland, M., Eisenberg, C., Bicerra, A., Bodmer, R.E., Mayor, P. and Axmacher, J.C. [in press] Sustainable wildlife extraction and the impacts of socio-economic change among the Kukama-Kukamilla people of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru. Oryx.
Bodmer, R., Mayor, P., Antunez, M., Chota, K., Fang, T., Puertas, P., Pittet, M., Kirkland, M., Walkey, M., Rios, C., Pérez-Peña, P., Henderson, P., Bodmer, W., Bicerra, A., Zegarra, J. and Docherty, E. 2018. Major Shifts in Amazon Wildlife Populations from Recent Climatic Intensification. Conservation Biology. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12993
Mayor, P., Pérez-Peña, P., Bowler, M., Puertas, P.E., Kirkland, M. and Bodmer, R. 2015. Effects of selective logging on large mammal populations in a remote indigenous territory in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Ecology and Society 20(4):36. dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08023-200436
Selected Awards
NERC IAPETUS PhD Studentship Award, 2016
NERC IAPETUS PhD Studentship Award, 2016