Rebecca Senior
I am a conservation scientist with a passion for using quantitative tools and technology to understand the drivers of biodiversity loss, and to identify pragmatic solutions to mitigate that loss. Now is a pivotal time in human history. Species extinction rates are orders of magnitude above ‘normal’ background rates, driven by humanity’s insatiable appetite for resources. The magnitude of the problem has never been greater, but neither has our ability to tackle it. With better technology, we generate more and better data. With collaboration and ground-truthing, we generate a better understanding of how ecosystems respond to anthropogenic change – the good and the bad – and with that, we can discover what works in conservation. My research to date has explored everything from microclimates in tropical rainforests, to the role of plumage colour in driving the wild bird trade. What brings it all together is a desire to make conservation more efficient, using the plethora of tools and technology that are now available to us. Position: Assistant Professor in the Department of Biosciences
Contact details: Department of Biosciences Contact details: Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK Contact details: Phone: +44 (0) 191 334 1348 Contact details: Email: rebecca.senior@durham.ac.uk Education
2014 - 2018 PhD, University of Sheffield 2010 - 2013 BSc, University of Cambridge |
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Selected Publications
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., González del Pliego, P., Goode, L.K., Edwards, D.P., 2017. A pantropical analysis of the impacts of forest degradation and conversion on local temperature. Ecol Evol 7, 7897–7908. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3262
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Benedick, S., Edwards, D.P., 2018. Tropical forests are thermally buffered despite intensive selective logging. Glob Change Biol 24, 1267–1278. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13914
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Edwards, D.P., 2019a. ThermStats: An R package for quantifying surface thermal heterogeneity in assessments of microclimates. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10, 1606–1614. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13257
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Edwards, D.P., 2019b. Global loss of climate connectivity in tropical forests. Nature Climate Change 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0529-2
Scheffers, B.R., Edwards, D.P., Macdonald, S.L., Senior, R.A., Andriamahohatra, L.R., Roslan, N., Rogers, A.M., Haugaasen, T., Wright, P., Williams, S.E., 2017. Extreme thermal heterogeneity in structurally complex tropical rain forests. Biotropica 49, 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12355
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., González del Pliego, P., Goode, L.K., Edwards, D.P., 2017. A pantropical analysis of the impacts of forest degradation and conversion on local temperature. Ecol Evol 7, 7897–7908. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3262
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Benedick, S., Edwards, D.P., 2018. Tropical forests are thermally buffered despite intensive selective logging. Glob Change Biol 24, 1267–1278. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13914
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Edwards, D.P., 2019a. ThermStats: An R package for quantifying surface thermal heterogeneity in assessments of microclimates. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10, 1606–1614. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13257
Senior, R.A., Hill, J.K., Edwards, D.P., 2019b. Global loss of climate connectivity in tropical forests. Nature Climate Change 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0529-2
Scheffers, B.R., Edwards, D.P., Macdonald, S.L., Senior, R.A., Andriamahohatra, L.R., Roslan, N., Rogers, A.M., Haugaasen, T., Wright, P., Williams, S.E., 2017. Extreme thermal heterogeneity in structurally complex tropical rain forests. Biotropica 49, 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12355
