Endangered species management
One of the biggest challenges in conservation biology is addressing the cumulative and interactive effects of multiple global change drivers. Habitat loss, climate change, disturbance, and overharvesting can all add up to high extinction threats for many species. Focusing on threatened and endangered Asian biodiversity, our lab is applying modeling and field techniques to inform conservation efforts for at-risk species including mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and plants. Example species we are now studying include the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), African zebrawood (Microberlinia bisulcata), and Hong Kong populations of tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mirabilis), Tockay gecko (Gekko gecko) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra).
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McMillan SE, Wong ATC, Tang SSS, Yau EYH, Gomersall T, Wong PHY, Vu AKH, Sin SYW, Hau BCH, Bonebrake TC (2023) Spraints demonstrate small population size and reliance on fishponds for Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Hong Kong. Conservation Science and Practice, 5, e12851
Xing S, Au TF, Dufour PC, Cheng W, Landry Yuan F, Jia F, Vu LV, Wang M, Bonebrake TC (2019) Conservation of data deficient species under multiple threats: Lessons from an iconic tropical butterfly (Teinopalpus aureus). Biological Conservation, 234, 154-164
Pickett, E.J., Chan, M., Cheng, W., Allcock, J., Chan, S., Hu, J., Lee, K., Smith, B., Xing, S., Yu, Y-T., Bonebrake, T.C. (2018) Cryptic and cumulative impacts on the wintering habitat of the endangered black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) risk its long-term viability. Environmental Conservation, 45, 147-154
