John Wilson

PhD student

john.wilson1@stir.ac.uk

Autobiography: Prior to studying for a degree in ecology at the University of Stirling, I worked in outdoor and environmental education for 10 years. During this time, I developed a particular interest in how people have traditionally interacted with their environment, especially for facilitating their own survival, as well as natural history in general.

Research interests: Norway is home to Europe’s the last wild mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). The reindeer are very sensitive to human presence or activity including infrastructure developments. The impact of developments such as roads has been to create a network of barriers the reindeer are reluctant to cross. The herds now persist in 23 populations, isolated from other populations and restricted in their ability to migrate between winter and calving areas. In an effort to transition from an oil-based economy, the Norwegian government are keen to maximise revenue from tourism to their national park areas. However, this will mean increasing the number of people in the reindeer landscape, as well as increased infrastructure to meet the demands of extra tourists. My research is focussed on understanding the spatial interactions between humans and reindeer over time, with the aim of minimising the impact of increased tourism on the reindeer.

Publications

Gilburn, A. S., Bunnefeld, N., Wilson, J. M., Botham, M. S., Brereton, T. M., Fox, R., & Goulson, D. (2015). Are neonicotinoid insecticides driving declines of widespread butterflies? PeerJ, 3, pp. e1402.

Funding Impact Collaborative Studentship funded by the University of Stirling and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research