Craig Fergus

Smithsonian Institution · Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

Finding balance between the needs of people and wildlife is an essential component of planning sustainable landscapes. Because mammals make up a diverse and ecologically important taxon with varying responses to human disturbance, we used representative mammal species to examine how alternative land-use policies might affect their habitats and dist...

This case study describes the application of a framework for developing stakeholder-driven scenarios of the future. The purpose of these scenarios is to inform land use planning toward the protection of ecosystems and derivable ecosystem services in Northwestern Virginia. We held two scenario development workshops with regional experts in conservat...

Abstract Land use is one of the largest threats to biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem services. These losses can be mitigated through strategic land use planning efforts that balance the social, economic, and environmental needs of society and the ecosystems that support it. A crucial component in the development of strategic plans is...

As a leading cause of forest health degradation, non-native invasive plant species are a key focus for many forest management and conservation efforts. These efforts come at a high price for resource limited agencies and organizations making cost effectiveness an important objective of invasion response plans. In this paper we present an approach t...

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global blueprint to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and protect the planet. Progress toward these goals is falling short. Achieving the SDGs requires coordination among government, private industry, and nongovernmental organizations to align the actions of multiple sectors wi...

While the impact of land use/land cover (LULC) change on watersheds has been extensively studied, little attention has been given to the variability of this impact with respect to the projected LULC scenarios at a range of spatial scales. Here, a spatial LULC change model was coupled with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model to investigate LULC chang...

Protected lands are an established method for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Moreover, agencies and organizations are increasingly looking to private lands as places for new protected lands establishment. However, the effectiveness of protected lands in guarding against the loss of species or services can vary based on their covera...

We coupled a spatially-explicit land use/land cover (LULC) change model, Dinamica EGO, (Environment for Geoprocessing Objects), with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model (CBWM) to project the impact of future LULC change on loading of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) as well as runoff volume in the watershe...

Our objective was to design a mechanism that effectively attracts and captures Triatominae species, also known as kissing bugs, in the field. These insects carry the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and are the major vector for Chagas Disease throughout the Americas. By designing a dependable method of capturing these bugs, we hoped to aid in f...