As a wildlife ecologist working primarily in tropical ecosystems, I am driven by questions about how wildlife responds to rapidly changing environments. I am especially interested in how landscape connectivity influences the ecology of wildlife communities, and how species are affected by human disturbances and land-use change. I’m most motivated by working in places where biodiversity faces the greatest threats, and by producing research that can make tangible contributions toward understanding and mitigating these pressures.

My PhD research focuses on the persistence of wildlife communities in forest fragments embedded within agro-commodity landscapes. We aim to understand how key characteristics of these fragments and their surrounding landscapes affect their ability to sustain wildlife. This includes factors such as fragment size and isolation, as well as the amount and spatial configuration of available habitat in the surrounding matrix.

To study these patterns, I use a combination of camera trapping for terrestrial mammals and passive acoustic monitoring for birds. These complementary approaches allow us to capture a wider taxonomic range, enabling us to study how different species groups respond to fragmentation and landscape changes. By combining field-based monitoring with remote-sensing data of the landscape, we can link species presence and community composition to both fragment-level and landscape-level characteristics.

This work is particularly relevant in our study region: Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Here, large areas of highly diverse forest continue to be converted to other land uses, especially for the expansion of palm oil plantations. This process has created a mosaic of remaining forest fragments that vary widely in size, quality, and connectivity. Palm oil cultivation alone has accounted for nearly half of the region’s deforestation in recent decades, making it essential to understand how wildlife responds within these modified landscapes. Our research aims to contribute to a growing body of literature that can guide land-use planning by helping identify which areas should be prioritised for protection, how much habitat is needed, and how it should be arranged to maintain its ecological value.

Outside of my research, I enjoy exploring nature through hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife photography, activities that continually reinforce my passion for nature.