Contributor
Derek Lee, PhD, is a quantitative wildlife biologist with expertise in conservation demography and population ecology. Current research investigates Masai Giraffe and other large mammal populations within a fragmented landscape in Tanzania. This work examines how births, deaths, and movements of ungulates are impacted by increasingly fragmented wildlife habitat, and what conservation actions are most effective. He spent 10 years researching the impacts of climate and ocean conditions on survival, reproduction, and population growth rates of marine predators such as northern elephant seals, Common Murres, and Cassin's Auklets at the South Farallon Islands, California. His work was included in a conservation and management plan for seabirds in the California Current. He also studied migration of Black Brant in Humboldt Bay as well as fire ecology of small mammals in California's oak woodlands and California Spotted Owls in the Sierra Nevada.
Iconic animals such as giraffes can be flagship species for conservation because of their charisma and popularity among the public.
Oct 11, 2023
As practitioners or beneficiaries of science, we all have a stake in ensuring that science is not hijacked or corrupted by special interests.
Dec 7, 2021
Ossicones are columnar or conical skin-covered bone structures on the heads of giraffe and okapi (Fig 1). Giraffe ossicones consist of a bone core covered with skin and attached to the skull with connective tissue.
Apr 13, 2021
Female Masai giraffes live in distinct social communities of up to 90 other friends, and although areas used by these ‘girl gangs’ often overlap, they have very different rates of reproduction and calf survival.
Apr 8, 2021
Giraffes are beloved around the world, but their populations are declining across Africa.
Feb 11, 2021
As record-breaking wildfires continue burning across U.S. western states, a group of pro-logging scientists and activists reignited the debate about Spotted…
Dec 10, 2020
ARUSHA, Tanzania–Masai giraffes are the world’s tallest herbivores and beloved by people around the globe, but were recently classified as an…
Aug 28, 2019
ARUSHA, Tanzania, 22 February 2019 – Giraffes are huge browsing animals that live in African savanna ecosystems where they must find everything they need to survive and reproduce in landscapes increasingly impacted by human activities.
Feb 25, 2019
A complete meta-analysis of every published study that examined Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) responses to wildfire was recently published.
Jul 24, 2018
A team of fire ecologists released a report this week titled “Everything You Wanted To Know About Wildland Fires” summarizing the state of knowledge about forest fires on public lands.
Apr 9, 2018
A new video documentary released this week describes the important positive ecological effects of high-severity forest fires.
Jun 9, 2017
In response to recent scientific consensus on giraffes’ vulnerability to extinction, five wildlife protection groups today petitioned the U.S.
Apr 19, 2017
Some people might be confused by the media announcing that there are “now” four species of giraffes, followed shortly thereafter by the IUCN press release that…
Mar 6, 2017
In Summary: Drought has left wildebeests and zebras of the Tarangire Ecosystem in northern Tanzania without food or water on their calving grounds, disrupting their normal migration and forcing them to give birth near the Tarangire River.
Jan 27, 2017
