Welcome Dr. Wenyuan Zhang to the Gonzalez Lab!

I studied Ecology as an undergraduate at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. In 2018, I graduated from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University, with a MSc degree in Global Change Ecology, specialising in the multiple spatial scale distribution of migratory geese in their stopover sites. During this period, I developed my interests in migration ecology. After my master study, I went to Oxford University to work on conservation biology. My DPhil project, under the supervision of Ben Sheldon, Rich Grenyer and Kevin Gaston, investigated how we estimate biodiversity could influence the way in which we understand biodiversity change across the planet. I have also been working on how both human society and wildlife could benefit from a better understanding of the interaction between human and nature, and proper conservation efforts.

Transferring findings from ecological studies to conservation practices is an attractive challenge to me. Therefore, I come to work with Andy Gonzalez and Laura Pollock as a postdoc, aiming to develop and apply biodiversity models and indicators to support conservation decisions and planning for Canada’s protected area network (e.g., 30% by 2030). There is also a particular focus on spatial planning and prioritisation for connectivity under different scenarios of environmental change.