Hsiang Ling Chen

I completed my Masters degree in Ecology, Evolution and Biology at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan. I was put in charge of the project to monitor wildlife populations and aboriginal hunting practices at Danda Wildlife Management Area. At Danda, illegal hunting is a serious problem and has led to conflict between the government and local people. Subsequently, there is a need for the implementation of effectively managed hunting programs that consider traditional practices. I investigated contemporary hunting motivations and strategies at Danda. I was also responsible for monitoring wild mammal populations at the site using infra-red camera surveys and transect surveys. Liaising with government, academics and local people, I gathered vital information used to inform hunting regulations. This experience not only has broadened my academic aptitude, increased my awareness of the importance of the human element in conservation and wildlife management but also expanded my views from pure ecological science to social science.

Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Dr. John Koprowski's lab. My interests are in human-wildlife interactions, primarily the implications of human activities on the population dynamics and behavior of wildlife. My dissertation will focus on effects of road on movement of small mammals, particularly on the Mt. Graham red squirrel.