Dr. Elizabeth Hunter

FACULTY AFFILIATE   |   Global Change Center

Fish & Wildlife Conservation

Lab Website  •  Google Scholar  •  Dept Page

ehunter1@vt.edu 

Dr. Hunter is a vertebrate conservation biologist and landscape ecologist focusing on developing management strategies for vulnerable species and ecosystems in the face of global change. Her research program combines multi-faceted data collection in the field with rigorous, cutting-edge quantitative analytical techniques that are tailored to management-relevant questions in conservation biology. Having worked with diverse taxa (primarily birds and reptiles), ecosystems, and questions, her research is centered around two main themes: the conservation and management of species in the face of climate change, and ecosystem restoration through species and process reintroductions. Dr. Hunter’s work typically spans multiple spatial and temporal scales from microhabitats to range-wide and regional distributions, incorporating dynamics in seasonal, yearly, and decadal time frames and requiring advanced spatial analyses (e.g., species distribution models) and projection models.

As an Assistant Unit Leader in the USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, she works regularly with state and federal agencies to collect data, conduct analyses and contribute to planning and synthesis activities (e.g., State Wildlife Action Plans, Species Status Assessments). Dr. Hunter also brings experience in using decision analyses to identify data gaps and optimal strategies for management of multiple species or objectives under limited resources.