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James L. David Smith

Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
Phone: 612-624-5369
CLAWS - the Collaborative Lab for Asian Wildlife Studies
Email: smith017@umn.edu
Ph. D. University of Minnesota

Fields of Interest

Biology and conservation of mammals in Asia; conservation data bases; individual based modeling of large mammal and human dynamics, metapopulation structure of large mammals in relation to landscape patterns and the human dimension context, ecosystem management.

Research

For 25 years, I have studied the behavior, ecology and conservation of tigers in south and southeast Asia, specifically tiger social organization and dispersal patterns. Interest in dispersal led to long-term monitoring of individual animals and an interest in metapopulation structure of large mammals.

I have expanded my research on Asian mammals to include projects on small carnivore communities, tropical bear ecology, and the ecological separation of gaur and banteng. Recent research has focused on the use of remote sensing, conservation data bases and modeling as conservation tools. I am using these methodologies to explore approaches to conservation that are based on influencing human land use patterns outside traditional park and reserve systems in Asia.

Recent Publications

• Seidensticker, J, E. Dinerstein, S.P.Goyal, B.Gurung, A.Harihar, A.J.T.Johnsingh, A.Manandhar, C.McDougal, B.Pandav, M.Shrestha, J.L.D. Smith, M.Sunquist and E. Wikramanayake. 2010. Tiger range collapse and recovery at the base of the Himalayas. In: Macdonald, D. and Loveridge, A. eds., The Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids. Oxford University Press.
• Smith, J.L.D., C. McDougal, B. Gurung, N. Shrestha, M. Shrestha, T. Allendorf, A. Joshi, and N. Dhakal. 2010. Securing the Future for Nepal's Tigers: Lessons from the Past and Present. In Ronald Tilson and Philip J. Nyhus (eds.), Tigers of the World (2nd ed.), Elsivier Press.
• Luo, Shujin, W.E. Johnson, J.L.D. Smith and S.J. O’Brien. 2010. What is a Tiger? Genetics and Phylogeography. In Ronald Tilson and Philip J. Nyhus (eds.), Tigers of the World (2nd ed.)
• Barlow, A.C.D., C.J. Greenwood, I.U. Ahmad, and J.L.D. Smith. 2010. Use of an Action–Selection Framework for Human–Carnivore Conflict in the Bangladesh Sundarbans. Conservation Biology.
• Gurung, B., K. Nelson, J.L.D. Smith. 2010. Impact of a conservation policy: grazing restrictions on livestock composition and husbandry practices. Environmental Conservation 36:1-10.