Joshua Daskin, PhD

Joshua Daskin, Ph.D.

Director of Conservation

Josh is the Director of Conservation at Archbold where his overarching focus is to build the use of science in conservation of biodiversity and large landscapes. He leads develop and implementation of Archbold’s conservation strategy, collaborations with agencies, landowners, NGOs, and researchers from the immediate Archbold neighborhood to the statewide Florida Wildlife Corridor and beyond, and oversees land management on the Station and Reserve.

Email:

Josh earned a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Brandeis University, a M.Sc. in Zoology while a Fulbright Scholar at James Cook University in Australia, and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. Prior to his current position at Archbold, Josh helped reestablish scientific capacity in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique following the country's devastating civil war, while researching how war affects wildlife Africa-wide. He was also a biologist in the US Fish and Wildlife Service headquarters leading Species Status Assessments under the Endangered Species Act.

Key conservation program emphases:

-Lead the scientific arm of the statewide campaign to conserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

-Oversee invasive species and fire management on Archbold Biological Station and Reserve.

-Coordinate Archbold collaboration with regional conservation cooperatives including the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape and Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Working Group.

-Represent of conservation interests to county and regional community groups.

-Build capacity and strategy to deploy and track impacts of Archbold science for conservation.

-Research in landscape ecology and conservation science.

Recent publications:

  • Becker JA, Daskin JH, Pringle RM, Long RA. 2023. How Body Size Shapes Behavior and Ecological Niche Differences in African Ungulates. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 104:1–6. Wiley, Ecological Society of America.
  • Daskin JH, Becker JA, Kartzinel TR, Potter AB, Walker RH, Eriksson FA, Buoncore C, Getraer A, Long RA, Pringle RM. 2023. Allometry of behavior and niche differentiation among congeneric African antelopes. Ecological Monographs:e1549. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Daskin J. 2022, December 20. What if we cared for the wildlife out of sight? Orlando Sentinel. Available from https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/guest-commentary/os-op-wildlife-unseen-care-20221220-edzhfaxwyza2hfvwrctfpnaqf4-story.html.
  • Daskin JH, Pringle RM. 2022. Ecological effects of warfare on wildlife. Pages 41–53 Animals in the International Law of Armed Conflict. Cambridge University Press.
  • Daskin JH, Tilman AR. 2022. Alternative restocking strategy could reverse declines of a critically endangered sturgeon. Environmental Conservation 49:53–58. Cambridge University Press.
  • Gaynor K, Daskin J, Rich L, Brashares J. 2021. Postwar wildlife recovery in an African savanna: evaluating patterns and drivers of species occupancy and richness. Animal Conservation 24:510–522.
  • Guyton JA et al. 2020. Trophic rewilding revives biotic resistance to shrub invasion. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4:712–724. Nature Publishing Group UK London.
  • Atkins JL, Long RA, Pansu J, Daskin JH, Potter AB, Stalmans ME, Tarnita CE, Pringle RM. 2019. Cascading impacts of large-carnivore extirpation in an African ecosystem. Science 364:173–177. American Association for the Advancement of Science.
  • Daskin JH, Aires F, Staver AC. 2019. Determinants of tree cover in tropical floodplains. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286:20191755. The Royal Society.
  • Pansu J, Guyton JA, Potter AB, Atkins JL, Daskin JH, Wursten B, Kartzinel TR, Pringle RM. 2019. Trophic ecology of large herbivores in a reassembling African ecosystem. Journal of Ecology 107:1355–1376.
  • Pringle RM et al. 2019. Predator-induced collapse of niche structure and species coexistence. Nature 570:58–64. Nature Publishing Group UK London.
  • Atkins JL, Long RA, Pansu J, Daskin JH, Potter AB, Stalmans M, Tarnita CE, Pringle RM. 2018. Life in a landscape of fearlessness: Cascading impacts of large-carnivore removal in an African savanna. Page 2018 ESA Annual Meeting (August 5–10). ESA.
  • Daskin JH, Pringle RM. 2018. Warfare and wildlife declines in Africa’s protected areas. Nature 553:328–332. Nature Publishing Group UK London.
  • Tucker RC, Rothermel BB, Daskin JH. 2017. Preparing Florida pasture for grassland restoration: seedling establishment after herbiciding and tilling. Natural Areas Journal 37:39–48. Natural Areas Association.
  • Daskin JH, Stalmans M, Pringle RM. 2016. Ecological legacies of civil war: 35-year increase in savanna tree cover following wholesale large-mammal declines. Journal of Ecology 104:79–89.

  • Curriculum Vitae