Effects of Urbanization and Human Mobility on Biodiversity
With most land areas altered by human activities, I investigate how urbanization and human mobility shape animal distributions, demographics, and behavior. As a co-founder of the COVID-19 Biologging Initiative, I developed predictive models of space use and habitat selection for terrestrial birds and mammals during reduced human mobility periods. My research shows that without accounting for dynamic human activities, especially mobility, we may overlook substantial anthropogenic impacts on wildlife behavior, distributions, and subsequent ecosystem services. My work further highlights biases in animal telemetry data deployment, especially in urban areas, and contributes to the development of biodiversity indicators for policy-making under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
Ellis-Soto D*, Oliver RY*, Brum-Bastos V, Demsar U, Jesmer B, Long JA, Cagnacci F, Ossi F, Quieroz N, Hindell M, Kays R, Loretto MC, Mueller T, Parchett R, Sims DW, Tucker MA, Ropert-Coudert Y, Rutz C, Jetz W. (2023). A vision for incorporating human mobility in the study of human-wildlife interactions. Nature Ecology & Evolution 7:1362-1372.
Press coverage: e.g. Mongabay.
Tucker, M, …, Ellis-Soto D, et al. Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns (2023) Science, Cover
Oliver R, Chapman M, Ellis-Soto D, Brum-Bastos V, Cagnacci F, Long J, Loretto MC, Patchett R, Rutz C. (2024). Access to human mobility data is essential for building a sustainable future. Cell Reports Sustainability, 1, 100077.
Abraham A, Duvall E, Ferraro K, Webster A, Doughty C, le Roux E, Ellis-Soto D. Understanding anthropogenic impacts on zoogeochemistry is essential for ecological restoration (2023) Restoration Ecology
Ellis-Soto D*, Flack A*, Strandburg-Peshkin* A, William* HJ, Wild* TA, O’Mara T. From biologging to conservation: tracking individual performance in changing environments. (in review, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science).
Oliver R, Yanco S, Ellis-Soto D, Jesmer B, Gao S, …, Rutz C, Jetz W. Compounding and interacting effects of human activities on wildlife behavior. (in review, Science).
Loveridge A, Ellis-Soto D, Stokes EC, Patchett R, Sims DW, Rutz C. Mapping planetary-scale changes in human activity using satellite-sensed nighttime lights. (submitted, Nature Human Behaviour).