Paul Beier, Ph.D. - Regents' Professor  

Research Interests

Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology

Conservation Planning and Wildlife Ecology

Our research addresses diverse topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Much of our current work focuses on design of wildlife corridors, with an emphasis on collaborative, science-based procedures. In urban southern California, in diverse landscapes in Arizona, and in the transborder area of Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso, each corridor project is a true partnership among diverse stakeholders. We also investigate the dynamics of plague and rodent communities with emphasis on Gunnison prairie dogs, genetic patterns of wildlife in landscapes fragmented by natural and human-caused barriers, and the ecological role of birds in forest ecosystems.

A small fraction of our work is pure ecology with minimal conservation relevance, such as our recent study of a bird-wasp nesting association in Ghana. However, this study was one of the first scientific research efforts to use a new community-owned and community-operated wildlife sanctuary, and the project helped build scientific and conservation capacity in a region where they are sorely needed.

International Forestry

Dr. Beier has worked in Ghana since 1998, with extended visits during 1999-2000 (12 months) and 2006-2007 (5 months). He has conducted research on elephant-human conflict (Pachyderm 2005), a bird-wasp nesting association (Auk 2006), and the impact of forest fragmentation on birds (Cons. Bio. 2002). In collaboration with Ghana Wildlife Division, Ghana Forestry Division, and Nature Conservation Research Centre of Ghana, he has helped establish two community-based wildlife sanctuaries. He is currently studying habitat use by the vulnerable Bare-headed Rockfowl and helping develop a bird-related tourism project in southwestern Ghana.

Since 2002, Dr. Beier has served on the Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology, with over 11,000 members worldwide and Sections serving each continent. His term as Secretary runs through 2008. He was instrumental in having the Society adopt its first code of ethics and offset the greenhouse gas impacts of the Society's annual meeting.

Education

B.A., Catholic University of America, 1973
M.S., University of California at Berkeley, 1985
Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1988

Contact Information

Office: Building 82 - Room 239
Phone: 928.523.934
Email: Paul.Beier@nau.edu  

Selected Publications

Beier, P., E. C. Rogan, M. F. Ingraldi, and S. S. Rosenstock. In Review. Does forest structure affect reproduction of northern goshawks in ponderosa pine forests? Journal of Wildlife Management.

Beier, P., K. Penrod, C. Luke, W. Spencer, and C. Cabañero. 2006. South Coast Missing Linkages: restoring connectivity to wildlands in the largest metropolitan area in the United States. Pages 555-586 In K. R. Crooks and M. A. Sanjayan, editors, Connectivity conservation, Cambridge University Press In Press.

Beier, P. 2006. Effects of artificial night lighting on terrestrial mammals. Pages 19-42 In C. Rich and T. Longcore, editors, Ecological consequences of artificial night lighting. Island Press, Covelo, California.

Beier, P., and A. I. Tungbani. 2006. Nesting with wasps increases nest success of the Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu. The Auk 123:1022-1037.

Beier, P., M. R. Vaughan, M. J. Conroy, and H. Quigley. 2006. Evaluating scientific inferences about the Florida Panther. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:236-245.

Conroy, M. J., P. Beier, H. Quigley, and M. R. Vaughan. 2006. Improving the use of science in conservation: lessons from the Florida panther. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:1-7

McRae, B. H., P. Beier, L. E. DeWald, L. Y. Huynh, and P. Keim. 2005. Habitat barriers limit gene flow and illuminate historical events in a wide-ranging carnivore. Molecular Ecology 14:1965-1977.

Beier, P., M. van Drielen, and B. O. Kankam. 2002. Avifaunal collapse in West African forest fragments. Conservation Biology 16:1097-1111.

Beier, P., and R. F. Noss. 1998. Do habitat corridors provide connectivity? Conservation Biology 121241-1252.

Beier, P. 1995. Dispersal of juvenile cougars in fragmented habitat. Journal of Wildlife Management 59:228-237.

Beier, P. 1993. Determining minimum habitat areas and corridors for cougars. Conservation Biology 7:94-108.

Beier, P. and S. Loe. 1992. A checklist for evaluating impacts to wildlife movement corridors. Wildlife Society Bulletin 20:434-440.

Dr. Beier's publications are also listed at Google Scholar.

Conservation Biology and Wildlife Ecology Lab