Overview
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
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford
Research interests
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Conservation policy and practice
Works
Search Professor James Watson’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
Eroded protections threaten US forests
Perez-Hammerle, Katharina-Victoria, Moon, Katie, Possingham, Hugh P., Jose Martinez-Harms, Maria and Watson, James E. M. (2020). Eroded protections threaten US forests. Science, 370 (6519), 921-922. doi: 10.1126/science.abf5654
2020
Other Outputs
Preventing extinctions post-2020 requires recovery actions and transformative change
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. (2020). Preventing extinctions post-2020 requires recovery actions and transformative change. doi: 10.1101/2020.11.09.374314
2020
Journal Article
Unveiling the environmental benefits of reducing sugar
de Andrade Junior, Milton A. U., Watson, James E. M. and Maxwell, Sean L. (2020). Unveiling the environmental benefits of reducing sugar. Lancet Planetary Health, 4 (11), E497-E498. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30226-6
2020
Journal Article
Set ambitious goals for biodiversity and sustainability
Díaz, Sandra, Zafra-Calvo, Noelia, Purvis, Andy, Verburg, Peter H., Obura, David, Leadley, Paul, Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca, De Meester, Luc, Dulloo, Ehsan, Martín-López, Berta, Shaw, M. Rebecca, Visconti, Piero, Broadgate, Wendy, Bruford, Michael W., Burgess, Neil D., Cavender- Bares, Jeannine, DeClerck, Fabrice, Fernández-Palacios, José María, Garibaldi, Lucas A., Hill, Samantha L.L., Isbell, Forest, Khoury, Colin K., Krug, Cornelia B., Liu, Jianguo, Maron, Martine, McGowan, Philip J.K., Pereira, Henrique M., Reyes-García, Victoria, Rocha, Juan ... Zanne, Amy E. (2020). Set ambitious goals for biodiversity and sustainability. Science, 370 (6515), 411-413. doi: 10.1126/science.abe1530
2020
Journal Article
Importance of species translocations under rapid climate change
Butt, Nathalie, Chauvenet, Alienor L.M., Adams, Vanessa M., Beger, Maria, Gallagher, Rachael V., Shanahan, Danielle F., Ward, Michelle, Watson, James E.M. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2020). Importance of species translocations under rapid climate change. Conservation Biology, 35 (3) cobi.13643, 775-783. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13643
2020
Journal Article
Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century
Maxwell, Sean L., Cazalis, Victor, Dudley, Nigel, Hoffmann, Michael, Rodrigues, Ana S. L., Stolton, Sue, Visconti, Piero, Woodley, Stephen, Kingston, Naomi, Lewis, Edward, Maron, Martine, Strassburg, Bernardo B. N., Wenger, Amelia, Jonas, Harry D., Venter, Oscar and Watson, James E. M. (2020). Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century. Nature, 586 (7828), 217-227. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2773-z
2020
Journal Article
Best‐practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land‐clearing
Wenger, Amelia S., Harris, Daniel, Weber, Samuel, Vaghi, Ferguson, Nand, Yashika, Naisilisili, Waisea, Hughes, Alec, Delevaux, Jade, Klein, Carissa J., Watson, James, Mumby, Peter J. and Jupiter, Stacy D. (2020). Best‐practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land‐clearing. Journal of Applied Ecology, 57 (12) 1365-2664.13743, 2381-2392. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13743
2020
Journal Article
Agricultural intensification is causing rapid habitat change in the Tonle Sap Floodplain, Cambodia
Mahood, Simon P., Poole, Colin M., Watson, James E. M., MacKenzie, Richard A., Sharma, Sahadev and Garnett, Stephen T. (2020). Agricultural intensification is causing rapid habitat change in the Tonle Sap Floodplain, Cambodia. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 28 (5), 713-726. doi: 10.1007/s11273-020-09740-1
2020
Journal Article
Just ten percent of the global terrestrial protected area network is structurally connected via intact land
Ward, Michelle, Saura, Santiago, Williams, Brooke, Ramírez-Delgado, Juan Pablo, Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur, Allan, James R., Venter, Oscar, Dubois, Grégoire and Watson, James E. M. (2020). Just ten percent of the global terrestrial protected area network is structurally connected via intact land. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 4563, 4563. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18457-x
2020
Journal Article
Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy
Leclère, David, Obersteiner, Michael, Barrett, Mike, Butchart, Stuart H. M., Chaudhary, Abhishek, De Palma, Adriana, DeClerck, Fabrice A. J., Di Marco, Moreno, Doelman, Jonathan C., Dürauer, Martina, Freeman, Robin, Harfoot, Michael, Hasegawa, Tomoko, Hellweg, Stefanie, Hilbers, Jelle P., Hill, Samantha L. L., Humpenöder, Florian, Jennings, Nancy, Krisztin, Tamás, Mace, Georgina M., Ohashi, Haruka, Popp, Alexander, Purvis, Andy, Schipper, Aafke M., Tabeau, Andrzej, Valin, Hugo, van Meijl, Hans, van Zeist, Willem-Jan, Visconti, Piero ... Young, Lucy (2020). Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy. Nature, 585 (7826), 551-556. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2705-y
2020
Other Outputs
Renewable energy can save the natural world – but if we’re not careful, it will also hurt it
Sonter, Laura, Watson, James and Valenta, Richard (2020, 09 02). Renewable energy can save the natural world – but if we’re not careful, it will also hurt it The Conversation
2020
Journal Article
Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity
Sonter, Laura J., Dade, Marie C., Watson, James E. M. and Valenta, Rick K. (2020). Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 4174, 4174. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-17928-5
2020
Journal Article
Spatial priorities for conserving the most intact biodiverse forests within Central Africa
Grantham, H. S., Shapiro, A., Bonfils, D., Gond, V., Goldman, E., Maisels, F., Plumptre, A. J., Rayden, T., Robinson, J. G., Strindberg, S., Stokes, E., Tulloch, A. I.T.T., Watson, J. E.M., Williams, L. and Rickenbach, O. (2020). Spatial priorities for conserving the most intact biodiverse forests within Central Africa. Environmental Research Letters, 15 (9) 0940B5. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab9fae
2020
Journal Article
The importance of indigenous peoples’ lands for the conservation of terrestrial mammals
O'Bryan, Christopher J., Garnett, Stephen T., Fa, John E., Leiper, Ian, Rehbein, Jose, Fernández‐Llamazares, Álvaro, Jackson, Micha V., Jonas, Harry D., Brondizio, Eduardo S., Burgess, Neil D., Robinson, Catherine J., Zander, Kerstin K., Venter, Oscar and Watson, James E.M. (2020). The importance of indigenous peoples’ lands for the conservation of terrestrial mammals. Conservation Biology, 35 (3) cobi.13620, 1002-1008. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13620
2020
Journal Article
Protected areas are now the last strongholds for many imperiled mammal species
Pacifici, Michela, Di Marco, Moreno and Watson, James E. M. (2020). Protected areas are now the last strongholds for many imperiled mammal species. Conservation Letters, 13 (6) e12748. doi: 10.1111/conl.12748
2020
Journal Article
A policy-driven framework for conserving the best of Earth’s remaining moist tropical forests
Hansen, Andrew J., Burns, Patrick, Ervin, Jamison, Goetz, Scott J., Hansen, Matthew, Venter, Oscar, Watson, James E. M., Jantz, Patrick A., Virnig, Anne L. S., Barnett, Kevin, Pillay, Rajeev, Atkinson, Scott, Supples, Christina, Rodríguez-Buritica, Susana and Armenteras, Dolors (2020). A policy-driven framework for conserving the best of Earth’s remaining moist tropical forests. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 4 (10), 1377-1384. doi: 10.1038/s41559-020-1274-7
2020
Journal Article
A global mapping template for natural and modified habitat across terrestrial Earth
Gosling, Joe, Jones, Matt I., Arnell, Andy, Watson, James E. M., Venter, Oscar, Baquero, Andrea C. and Burgess, Neil D. (2020). A global mapping template for natural and modified habitat across terrestrial Earth. Biological Conservation, 250 108674, 108674. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108674
2020
Journal Article
Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat
Ward, Michelle, Tulloch, Ayesha I. T., Radford, James Q., Williams, Brooke A., Reside, April E., Macdonald, Stewart L., Mayfield, Helen J., Maron, Martine, Possingham, Hugh P., Vine, Samantha J., O’Connor, James L., Massingham, Emily J., Greenville, Aaron C., Woinarski, John C. Z., Garnett, Stephen T., Lintermans, Mark, Scheele, Ben C., Carwardine, Josie, Nimmo, Dale G., Lindenmayer, David B., Kooyman, Robert M., Simmonds, Jeremy S., Sonter, Laura J. and Watson, James E. M. (2020). Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 4 (10), 1321-1326. doi: 10.1038/s41559-020-1251-1
2020
Journal Article
Compounding impact of deforestation on Borneo’s climate during El Niño events
Chapman, Sarah, Syktus, Jozef I, Trancoso, Ralph, Salazar, Alvaro, Thatcher, Marcus J., Watson, James E. M., Meijaard, Erik, Sheil, Douglas, Dargusch, Paul and McAlpine, Clive Alexander (2020). Compounding impact of deforestation on Borneo’s climate during El Niño events. Environmental Research Letters, 15 (8) 084006, 084006. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab86f5
2020
Journal Article
Environmental destruction not avoided with the Sustainable Development Goals
Zeng, Yiwen, Maxwell, Sean, Runting, Rebecca K., Venter, Oscar, Watson, James E. M. and Carrasco, L. Roman (2020). Environmental destruction not avoided with the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Sustainability, 3 (10), 795-798. doi: 10.1038/s41893-020-0555-0
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor James Watson is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Ecology and conservation of the Buff-breasted Button-quail (Turnix olivii)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron
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Master Philosophy
Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success
Principal Advisor
-
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
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Master Philosophy
Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Classifying and understanding the effectiveness of ecological corridors and their role in wider landscape and seascape integrity
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Carissa Klein
-
Doctor Philosophy
Biogeography and conservation assessment of the endangered Northern Masked Owl
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Megafauna losses and predatory interactions in tropical forests
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin
Completed supervision
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2024
Master Philosophy
Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success
Principal Advisor
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Ecology and conservation of the Buff-breasted Button-quail (Turnix olivii)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing the state and planning for the conservation of intact ecosystems
Principal Advisor
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Conservation Biogeography of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Richard Fuller
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Improving Australia's response to the biodiversity crisis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr April Reside
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Environmental implications of meeting future demand for sugarcane-based ethanol in Brazil.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anthony Halog
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Improving Marine Conservation Planning in a Time of Global Change
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham, Associate Professor Carissa Klein
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Wilderness Conservation in the Anthropocene
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment and planning for emerging impacts of climate change on species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Eve McDonald-Madden
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Megafauna losses and predatory interactions in tropical forests
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Ecological restoration planning for effective conservation of terrestrial biodiversity
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Biodiversity Risks and Safeguards of Global Infrastructure Finance: The Case of China's Belt and Road Initiative
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Reducing fishing impacts on species of conservation concern at multiple scales
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Salit Kark, Associate Professor Carissa Klein
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Planning for Australian threatened species' recovery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing the effectiveness of planned adaptation in rural Pacific Island communities: case studies from Fiji and Kiribati
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen McNamara
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Impact mitigation in marine and coastal environments: policy challenges and shortfalls
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
The exposure and contribution of predators and scavengers to humans
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Matthew Holden, Professor Eve McDonald-Madden
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Development, armed conflict and conservation: improving the effectiveness of conservation decisions in conflict hotspots using Colombia as a case study
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham, Associate Professor Laura Sonter, Professor Martine Maron
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Natural capital and distributive justice; a multidisciplinary, multi-scalar assessment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bradd Witt
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
The impact of urban growth and climate change on heat stress in a sub-tropical Australian city
Associate Advisor
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Using fine and coarse conservation targets to maximize cost-effectiveness of road mitigation and protected areas
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
Media
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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