Professor James Watson
Professor

James Watson

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 61645

Background

James is an applied conservation scientist and bioegeographer working at the interface between ecology, policy and management to improve outcomes for biodiversity. He has a particular interest in understanding how humanity influences landscape and the climate, and what this means for biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes, and the implications of this for environmental policy setting and management.

As a Professor of Conservation Science at The University of Queensland, he leads two research groups. The Green Fire Science research group (www.greenfirescience.com) mission is to do applied research that is linked directly to the practice of large-scale conservation and the Research and Recovery of Endangered Species (https://raresgroup.com.au) mission is to focus on Australia's rarest, least studied species to try and work out their needs and work with those on-ground practioners to try and save them.

James has been passionate conservation for decades. As a Rhodes Scholar, James undertook his PhD research studying in Madagascar, trying to come up with conservation plans to save endemic bird species inhabiting the country’s remaining littoral forest. Since then he has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and reports on conservation related matters, ranging from assessing the impacts of climate change on species to mapping the effectiveness of protected areas on biodiversity conservation outcomes globally. He has served on the International Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Data and Knowledge Task Force, and is a Research Fellow for the United Nation’s Environment Program, a Senior Technical expert for the United Nations Development Program’s Global Programme on Nature for Development, and was the founding chair of the International Union for Nature Conservation Climate Change Specialist Group. James sits on the scientific committees of BirdLife Australia and SUBAC. James was global president of the Society for Conservation Biology in 2015-17.

I am also an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

Availability

Professor James Watson is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Ecology Environmental Sciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Research interests

  • Conservation policy and practice

Search Professor James Watson’s works on UQ eSpace

465 works between 2001 and 2024
All (465) Journal Article (400) Book Chapter (19) Conference Publication (6) Book (2) Other Outputs (38)

21 - 40 of 465 works

2023

Journal Article

The unfolding low-carbon transition in the UK electricity system

Pearson, Peter J. G. and Watson, Jim (2023). The unfolding low-carbon transition in the UK electricity system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120 (47) e2206235120, 1-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2206235120

The unfolding low-carbon transition in the UK electricity system

2023

Journal Article

Mapping industrial influences on Earth’s ecology

Watson, James E. M., Ellis, Erle C., Pillay, Rajeev, Williams, Brooke A. and Venter, Oscar (2023). Mapping industrial influences on Earth’s ecology. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 48 (1), 289-317. doi: 10.1146/annurev-environ-112420-013640

Mapping industrial influences on Earth’s ecology

2023

Journal Article

A global assessment of forest integrity within Key Biodiversity Areas

Crowe, Olivia, Beresford, Alison E., Buchanan, Graeme M., Grantham, Hedley S., Simkins, Ashley T., Watson, James E.M. and Butchart, Stuart H.M. (2023). A global assessment of forest integrity within Key Biodiversity Areas. Biological Conservation, 286 110293, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110293

A global assessment of forest integrity within Key Biodiversity Areas

2023

Journal Article

Priorities for protected area expansion so nations can meet their Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commitments

Watson, James E. M., Venegas‐Li, Ruben, Grantham, Hedley, Dudley, Nigel, Stolton, Sue, Rao, Madhu, Woodley, Stephen, Hockings, Marc, Burkart, Karl, Simmonds, Jeremy S., Sonter, Laura J., Sreekar, Rachakonda, Possingham, Hugh P. and Ward, Michelle (2023). Priorities for protected area expansion so nations can meet their Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commitments. Integrative Conservation, 2 (3), 140-155. doi: 10.1002/inc3.24

Priorities for protected area expansion so nations can meet their Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commitments

2023

Journal Article

How to fuel an energy transition with ecologically responsible mining

Sonter, Laura J., Maron, Martine, Bull, Joseph W., Giljum, Stefan, Luckeneder, Sebastian, Maus, Victor, McDonald-Madden, Eve, Northey, Stephen A., Sánchez, Luis E., Valenta, Rick, Visconti, Piero, Werner, Tim T. and Watson, James E. M. (2023). How to fuel an energy transition with ecologically responsible mining. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120 (35) e2307006120, 1-3. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2307006120

How to fuel an energy transition with ecologically responsible mining

2023

Journal Article

Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)

Leseberg, Nicholas P., Kutt, Alex, Evans, Megan C., Nou, Tida, Spillias, Scott, Stone, Zoe, Walsh, Jessica C., Murphy, Stephen A., Bamford, Mike, Burbidge, Allan H., Crossing, Kate, Davis, Robert A., Garnett, Stephen T., Kavanagh, Rodney P., Murphy, Robert, Read, John, Reid, Julian, van Leeuwen, Stephen, Watson, Alexander W. T., Watson, James E. M. and Maron, Martine (2023). Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Biodiversity and Conservation, 32 (8-9), 2869-2891. doi: 10.1007/s10531-023-02633-8

Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)

2023

Journal Article

Priorities for embedding ecological integrity in climate adaptation policy and practice

Elsen, Paul R., Oakes, Lauren E., Cross, Molly S., DeGemmis, Alfred, Watson, James E. M., Cooke, Hilary A., Darling, Emily S., Jones, Kendall R., Kretser, Heidi E., Mendez, Martin, Surya, Gautam, Tully, Elizabeth and Grantham, Hedley S. (2023). Priorities for embedding ecological integrity in climate adaptation policy and practice. One Earth, 6 (6), 632-644. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.05.014

Priorities for embedding ecological integrity in climate adaptation policy and practice

2023

Journal Article

Retaining natural vegetation to safeguard biodiversity and humanity

Simmonds, Jeremy S., Suarez‐Castro, Andres Felipe, Reside, April E., Watson, James E.M., Allan, James R., Atkinson, Scott C., Borrelli, Pasquale, Dudley, Nigel, Edwards, Stephen, Fuller, Richard A., Game, Edward T., Linke, Simon, Maxwell, Sean L., Panagos, Panos, Puydarrieux, Philippe, Quétier, Fabien, Runting, Rebecca K., Santini, Talitha, Sonter, Laura J. and Maron, Martine (2023). Retaining natural vegetation to safeguard biodiversity and humanity. Conservation Biology, 37 (3) e14040, 1-16. doi: 10.1111/cobi.14040

Retaining natural vegetation to safeguard biodiversity and humanity

2023

Journal Article

Countries’ differentiated responsibilities to fulfill area-based conservation targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Shen, Xiaoli, Liu, Mingzhang, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Wang, Jiangyue, Locke, Harvey, Watson, James E.M., Ellis, Erle C., Li, Sheng and Ma, Keping (2023). Countries’ differentiated responsibilities to fulfill area-based conservation targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. One Earth, 6 (5), 548-559. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.04.007

Countries’ differentiated responsibilities to fulfill area-based conservation targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

2023

Journal Article

Evenness mediates the global relationship between forest productivity and richness

Hordijk, Iris, Maynard, Daniel S., Hart, Simon P., Lidong, Mo, ter Steege, Hans, Liang, Jingjing, de‐Miguel, Sergio, Nabuurs, Gert‐Jan, Reich, Peter B., Abegg, Meinrad, Adou Yao, C. Yves, Alberti, Giorgio, Almeyda Zambrano, Angelica M., Alvarado, Braulio V., Esteban, Alvarez‐Davila, Alvarez‐Loayza, Patricia, Alves, Luciana F., Ammer, Christian, Antón‐Fernández, Clara, Araujo‐Murakami, Alejandro, Arroyo, Luzmila, Avitabile, Valerio, Aymard C, Gerardo A., Baker, Timothy, Bałazy, Radomir, Banki, Olaf, Barroso, Jorcely, Bastian, Meredith L., Bastin, Jean‐Francois ... Crowther, Thomas W. (2023). Evenness mediates the global relationship between forest productivity and richness. Journal of Ecology, 111 (6), 1308-1326. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.14098

Evenness mediates the global relationship between forest productivity and richness

2023

Journal Article

Global assessment of the biodiversity safeguards of development banks that finance infrastructure

Narain, Divya, Sonter, Laura J., Lechner, Alex Mark, Watson, James E.M., Simmonds, Jeremy S. and Maron, Martine (2023). Global assessment of the biodiversity safeguards of development banks that finance infrastructure. Conservation Biology, 37 (4) e14095, 1-13. doi: 10.1111/cobi.14095

Global assessment of the biodiversity safeguards of development banks that finance infrastructure

2023

Journal Article

Global governance for pandemic prevention and the wildlife trade

Gallo-Cajiao, Eduardo, Lieberman, Susan, Dolšak, Nives, Prakash, Aseem, Labonté, Ronald, Biggs, Duan, Franklin, Christine, Morrison, Tiffany H., Viens, A. M., Fuller, Richard A., Aguiar, Raphael, Fidelman, Pedro, Watson, James E. M., Aenishaenslin, Cécile and Wiktorowicz, Mary (2023). Global governance for pandemic prevention and the wildlife trade. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7 (4), e336-e345. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00029-3

Global governance for pandemic prevention and the wildlife trade

2023

Journal Article

The costs of managing key threats to Australia's biodiversity

Yong, Chuanji, Ward, Michelle, Watson, James E. M., Reside, April E., van Leeuwen, Stephen, Legge, Sarah, Geary, William L., Lintermans, Mark, Kennard, Mark J., Stuart, Stephanie and Carwardine, Josie (2023). The costs of managing key threats to Australia's biodiversity. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (5), 898-910. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14377

The costs of managing key threats to Australia's biodiversity

2023

Journal Article

Over half of threatened species require targeted recovery actions to avert human-induced extinction

Bolam, Friederike C., Ahumada, Jorge, Akçakaya, H. Reşit, Brooks, Thomas M., Elliott, Wendy, Hoban, Sean, Mair, Louise, Mallon, David, McGowan, Philip J.K., Raimondo, Domitilla, Rodríguez, Jon Paul, Roe, Dilys, Seddon, Mary B., Shen, Xiaoli, Stuart, Simon N., Watson, James E.M. and Butchart, Stuart H.M. (2023). Over half of threatened species require targeted recovery actions to avert human-induced extinction. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 21 (2), 64-70. doi: 10.1002/fee.2537

Over half of threatened species require targeted recovery actions to avert human-induced extinction

2023

Journal Article

Human responses to climate change will likely determine the fate of biodiversity

Watson, James E.M. and Brodie, Jedediah F. (2023). Human responses to climate change will likely determine the fate of biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120 (8) e2205512120, e2205512120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205512120

Human responses to climate change will likely determine the fate of biodiversity

2023

Journal Article

Rapid and recent range collapse of Australia’s Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus

MacColl, Christopher, Leseberg, Nicholas P., Seaton, Richard, Murphy, Stephen A. and Watson, James E.M. (2023). Rapid and recent range collapse of Australia’s Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus. Emu - Austral Ornithology, 124 (2), 93-104. doi: 10.1080/01584197.2023.2172735

Rapid and recent range collapse of Australia’s Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus

2023

Journal Article

Implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the governance of biodiversity conservation

Gallo-Cajiao, Eduardo, Dolšak, Nives, Prakash, Aseem, Mundkur, Taej, Harris, Paul G., Mitchell, Ronald B., Davidson, Nick, Hansen, Birgita, Woodworth, Bradley K., Fuller, Richard A., Price, Melissa, Petkov, Nicky, Mauerhofer, Volker, Morrison, Tiffany H., Watson, James E. M., Chowdhury, Sayam U., Zöckler, Christoph, Widerberg, Oscar, Yong, Ding Li, Klich, Daniel, Smagol, Vitaliy, Piccolo, John and Biggs, Duan (2023). Implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the governance of biodiversity conservation. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 4 989019, 1-8. doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2023.989019

Implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the governance of biodiversity conservation

2023

Journal Article

Three-quarters of insect species are insufficiently represented by protected areas

Chowdhury, Shawan, Zalucki, Myron P., Hanson, Jeffrey O., Tiatragul, Sarin, Green, David, Watson, James E.M. and Fuller, Richard A. (2023). Three-quarters of insect species are insufficiently represented by protected areas. One Earth, 6 (2), 139-146. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.12.003

Three-quarters of insect species are insufficiently represented by protected areas

2023

Journal Article

Protected areas and the future of insect conservation

Chowdhury, Shawan, Jennions, Michael D., Zalucki, Myron P., Maron, Martine, Watson, James E.M. and Fuller, Richard A. (2023). Protected areas and the future of insect conservation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 38 (1), 85-95. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.004

Protected areas and the future of insect conservation

2023

Journal Article

Feral cat GPS tracking and simulation models to improve the conservation management of night parrots

Murphy, Stephen A., McGregor, Hugh, Leseberg, Nicholas P., Watson, James and Kutt, Alex S. (2023). Feral cat GPS tracking and simulation models to improve the conservation management of night parrots. Wildlife Research, 50 (5), 325-334. doi: 10.1071/WR21123

Feral cat GPS tracking and simulation models to improve the conservation management of night parrots

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Queensland regional planning assessments
    Queensland Conservation Council
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    A critical pathway for Australia's Conservation Future (Ian Potter Foundation grant administered by the University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Linking assessment of global goals for ecosystems and species by coupling WCS and CSIRO capabilities in landscape integrity mapping and biodiversity modelling
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    A conservation metric for business to measure biodiversity
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Assessing the biotic response to intact forest metrics
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023
    Wilderness Inventory Data Review
    Minister for Climate, Environment and Water (South Australia)
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2023
    Mapping threatened species recovery across Federal electorates
    World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Threatened Species: pilot project
    Australian Capital Territory - Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate - Conservation Research Branch
    Open grant
  • 2021
    Apply Key Biodiversity Criteria to Bush Heritage Priority Landscapes to determine intactness and land condition
    Bush Heritage Australia
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Vibrant Oceans: Applied Coral Reef Conservation
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    KBA mapping for Australia
    Birdlife Australia
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    The ecology and conservation biogeography of the buff-breasted button-quail
    Birds Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    ACF Key Biodiversity Areas Mapping Project
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Ecosystem risk assessment (ARC Linkage Project administered by The University of New South Wales)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Global priorities for terrestrial biodiversity
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2023
    Land clearing assessment on species
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Identifying Nature's Strongholds
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Conservation Priority Setting
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Africa Climate Change and Biodiversity - ABCG II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Identifying the most important terrestrial wilderness areas on the planet
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Australia wide analysis for threatened species
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Intact Forests - Framework Metric
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    SNAPP Compensatory Conservation Working Group
    The Nature Conservancy
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2021
    Macarthur Intact Forests
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Rapid response to significant unanticipated threat - testing novel feral cat control strategies to support conservation of the endangered alwal/golden-shouldered parrot [...]
    Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Night Parrot Research, Pullen Pullen Reserve, Qld
    Bush Heritage Australia
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Africa Spatial Planning - ABCG II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    GIS support to WCS Indonesia Program's Sulawesi project
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Intact forests values assessment
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Provide MARXAN analysis of WCS Papua New Guinea program
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2022
    The capacity of forests to protect regional climate under global warming
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Assessing biodiversity priorities and carbon values across the Great Eastern Ranges
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Africa Biodiversity Consultative Group II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    Support for Research Assistants
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    The Luc Hoffman Institute Fellow - Pathways for Drivers of Positive Change
    WWF International
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Analysis of the public protected area framework in NSW and future opportunities
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Assimilating development objectives in conservation planning
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    ECO-SMarT
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Integrating human response to climate change into conservation planning: developing an integrated decision framework
    Research Donation Generic
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - Lower Mekong
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    `MacArthur Foundation - Portfolio Approach
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - Tanzania - Green Economies
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2021
    NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub
    National Environmental Science Program
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Africa Biodiversity Consultative Group
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Conservation strategy fund - Uganda
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    MacArthur Foundation - Birdlife subgrant - Support WCS's East Africa climate assessment work for Rwanda and Tanzania
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - West Indian Ocean spatial planning assessment
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Eastern DRC spatial planning
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Climate adaptation on coral reefs
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant

Availability

Professor James Watson is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Biogeography and conservation assessment of the endangered Northern Masked Owl

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Ecology and conservation of the Buff-breasted Button-quail (Turnix olivii)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Conservation Biogeography of the Red Goshawk

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Managing grazing in the grasslands of Queenslands Channel Country: a critical refuge for the Critically Endangered Plains Wanderer

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Autecology of an endangered Australian passerine: CarpentarianGrasswren (Amytornis dorotheae)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron

  • Master Philosophy

    Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Megafauna losses and predatory interactions in tropical forests

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Matthew Luskin

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor James Watson directly for media enquiries about:

  • biodiversity
  • climate change
  • extinction
  • landclearing
  • landuse planning
  • logging
  • saving species
  • species loss

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