Smithsonian scientists are using satellite technology to better understand how we can conserve the critically endangered Asian elephant.
Title
- Landscape Ecologist and Conservation Biologist, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
- Head of the Conservation Ecology Center (CEC), SCBI
- Director, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab at CEC, SCBI
Recent Publications
- The relationship between climate and adult body size in redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) (2017)
- Drivers of Change in Myanmar’s Wild Elephant Distribution (2016)
- Assessment of Mining Extent and Expansion in Myanmar Based on Freely-Available Satellite Imagery (2016)
- Spatiotemporal habitat dynamics of ungulates in unpredictable environments: The khulan (Equus hemionus) in the Mongolian Gobi desert as a case study (2016)
- Space Use and Movement of a Neotropical Top Predator: The Endangered Jaguar (2016)
Locations
- Myanmar
Technology
Species
Peter Leimgruber is a landscape ecologist and conservation biologist studying biodiversity conservation of extinction-prone species including Asian elephant, Mongolian gazelle, Przewalski’s horse, tiger, and giant panda.
He heads the Conservation Ecology Center (CEC) at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. CEC scientists conduct basic and applied research to save species. Peter also directs the CEC’s Conservation GIS Lab. A major focus of his work is conserving mobile and migratory species that spend most of their lifecycles outside protected areas.
Peter and his team use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite mapping, satellite tracking, and remote sensing to track the movements of highly mobile species. They use these technologies to assess habitat needs, determine how human and climate-induced changes affect the species’ habitat, and develop appropriate conservation strategies.
In the last 15 years, Peter and his lab have provided academic and practice-oriented training to conservation professionals and students, including six postdoctoral students, seven graduate students, 104 interns, and over 700 short-term trainees. Peter leads SCBI’s training and capacity-building efforts in conservation GIS. Peter received his PhD from the University of Oklahoma.
Programs
Using Satellite Technology to Track and Conserve Asian Elephants in Myanmar
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