Overview

Accurate measures of population density and demographic rates are key components in wildlife conservation, but these are difficult to obtain when species are elusive or rare. My interest lies in developing non-invasive techniques to measure these parameters, such as the use of genetic identification from scat or shed hair samples. I am also interested in the use of meta-analysis to better understand the status and trends in populations of species which are difficult to detect. My interest in non-invasive techniques extends to investigating their use in wildlife management. For example, I tested the efficacy of diversionary feeding to replace culling or translocation to mitigate conservation conflicts.

Currently, I am conducting a project for the Mammal Society to assess mammal populations on a broader scale. The project aims to provide up to date estimates of the population size and status of all British terrestrial mammals.

Broad research specialisms:

• Conservation biology
• Wildlife demography
• Non-invasive genetics
• Conservation-conflict mitigation

Qualifications

2004 BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Microbiology - University of Sheffield
2009 MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation - Imperial College, London (Distinction)
2014 PhD on Monitoring European Pine martens in Scottish forested landscapes – University of Stirling

Back to top

Research

Research projects

Review of the population size and status of British terrestrial mammals
National estimates of population size for British mammals are scarce, with the last full review of population size and status over 20 years old. The Review of British Mammals will provide the most up-to-date information on the status of terrestrial mammals in Britain, with maps of distribution, details of temporal trends and the conservation status of each species.

Knowledge of the status of each species, as well as a better grasp of where gap exist in the data needed to accurately assess this status, is vital to drive conservation actions towards species or places that need them most.

Grants/Funding:

Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage. This project is being conducted by The Mammal Society, and hosted by the University of Exeter.

Publications:

Kubasiewicz LM, Bunnefeld N, Tulloch AIT, Quine CP & Park K (2016) Diversionary feeding: an effective management strategy for conservation conflict?, Biodiversity and Conservation, 25 (1), pp. 1-22.

Kubasiewicz LM, Minderman J, Woodall LC, Quine CP, Coope R & Park KJ (2016) Fur and faeces: an experimental assessment of non-invasive DNA sampling for the European pine marten, Mammal Research, 61 (4), pp. 299-307.

Kubasiewicz LM, Quine CP, Summers RW, Coope R, Cottrell JE, A’Hara SW & Park KJ. Use of non-invasive genotyping and spatial mark-recapture to monitor European pine martens in forested landscapes. Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy (In review)

Back to top