Conservation Conflict
Research Group
Steve Redpath
Chair in Conservation Science
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen, UK.
About
I began my research career as a population ecologist. I spent many happy years studying the interaction between birds of prey and red grouse, exploring the impact of habitat fragmentation on tawny owls, trying to work out the impact of parasites and behaviour on grouse population cycles and examining the impact of grazing in the uplands. Through this work I came to value the importance of experimentation in ecology. Through working on the hen harrier-red grouse system, I slowly began to see the critical human dimensions that underpin conflicts. Since then I have become slightly obsessed by conflicts and have been exploring inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to understand and manage conflicts. I work with a variety of very cool people on a wide range of systems from Mongolia to Cape Town to the west of Scotland. Ultimately I am interested in thinking about how we identify solutions to minimise the damaging consequences of conflict and support coexistence.
I work on a variety of projects:
"Balancing social equity and biodiversity outcomes in protected area management" & “Advancing equity in Brazilian protected area management” with Karen Mustin and Neil Dawson
“Collaborative conflict management for community livelihoods & snow leopard conservation” with Charudutt Mishra and the Snow Leopard trust, funded by Darwin Initiative.
“Conflicts and adaptive management in Scotland” Long term work with Nils Bunnefeld, Juliette Young, Justin Irvine and Aidan Keane.
“Hen Harrier brood management” with Freya St. John. Funded by Natural England
“Rabbits in the vineyard” with Rafael Villafuerte, Beatriz Arroyo & Miguel Delibes.
I supervise / co-supervise the following PhD students:
George Swan (start 2014) Understanding conflicts surrounding buzzards, predation and pheasant shooting interests. At Exeter. Main supervisor – Robbie MacDonald.
Chris Pollard (start 2014) Linking game theory and structured decision-making for the resolution of conservation conflicts. At Stirling University. Main supervisor - Nils Bunnefeld
Ranjini Murali (start 2015) Ecosystem services and human well-being. At Nature Conservation Foundation in India. Main supervisor – Charudutt Mishra.
Saloni Bhatia (start 2015) Understanding human tolerance towards snow leopards and wolves. At Nature Conservation Foundation in India. Main supervisor – Charudutt Mishra.
Zara Morris-Trainor (start 2015) Impact of cashmere production on snow leopards. At Aberdeen.
Isla Hodgson (start 2015) Understanding variation in tolerance. At Aberdeen.
Miranda Strubel (start 2015). Sharing landscapes and tolerating wildlife. The reintroduction of the red kite to the UK. At Oxford-Brookes University. Main supervisor - Kate Hill.
Zac Baynham-Herd (start 2015). Resolving the conservationist’s dilemma: using game theory to develop stable collaborative conservation strategies. At Edinburgh University. Main supervisor – Aidan Keane.
Petra Lackova (start 2016). Adaptive conflict management and Sea-Eagles. At Aberdeen with Juliette Young, Nils Bunnefeld, Ross Lilley, Antonia Eastwood & Justin Irvine
Marina Tavolaro (start 2017). Conservation conflicts in Namibia. At University of Cape town. Supervisors Justin O’Riain & Nicholi Nattrass.
Sri Mulyati (start 2017). Governance of forest tenure & conflict in the Kateri Wildlife Sanctuary, Indonesia. At Aberdeen, with Michelle Pinard
Vivianne Eilers (start 2017). Fauna impacts of linear infrastructure. At Aberdeen, with Thomas Cornulier and Karen Mustin
I am also adjunct faculty at the Nature Conservation Foundation in India
External advisor to the SUSTAIN project in Norway
External advisor to the Human-Wildlife Institute at the University of Cape Town
Member of the IUCN/SSC Specialist Group – Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe
Member of the IUCN Task Force on Human-Wildlife conflict
