Protected area networks serve as the cornernstone for the long-term protection of biodiversity and effective, evidenced-based planning is necessary for any conservation initiative to be successful. To this end, we have focused our research on two main areas: (1) Assessing the effectiveness of protected areas and the networks they form, as well as the tools used to assess their effectiveness, and (2) Determining the optimal decisions to make when conserving a species or group of species under a realistic set of constraints (i.e. money, time). For the latter, we seek to integrate demographic and movement data across multiple stages of the annual cycle to develop optimal conservation strategies for at-risk species. and use both theoretical- and empirical-based models to explore how various population parameters influence resource allocation decisions.

Selected Publications

10. Camaclang, AE, Iyer, A, Liang, C, Giles, E, Frank, B, Currie, J, Alambo, KI, Lamoureux, J, Matchett, S, Miller, T, Norris, DR, Perron, MA, Rumney, RHM, Schueler, FW, Timms, L, Paquette, C, Hemming, V, Snider, J & Martin, TG. Nature requires investment: applying Priority Threat Management to support biodiversity and climate targets. In revision: Ecological Solutions and Evidence

9. Custode, LB, Pither, R, & Norris, DR. A graph theory approach to describing protected area connectivity in Canada. In revision: Conservation Science and Practice

8. Flockhart, DTT, Nicol, S, Chades, I, Mitchell, GW, Martin, TG, Fuller, RA & Norris, DR. Optimal conservation of migratory monarch butterflies requires immediate action and international coordination. In revision: Current Biology

7. Chowdhury, S, Cardillo, M, Chapman, J, Green, D, Norris, DR, Riva, F, Zalucki, MP, Fuller, RA. 2025. Protected areas fail to cover the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies. In press: Conservation Biology

6. Custode, LB, Pither, R, Moola, F & Norris, DR. 2023. A Canada-wide macro assessment of protected area connectivity. Biological Conservation 285: 110246.

5. Stevens, M & Norris, DR. 2022. A mixed methodology for evaluating use of evidence in conservation planning. Conservation Biology 36(4):e13876.

4. Custode, L, Guzzo, MM, Bush, N, Ewing, C, Procko, M, Knight, SM, Rousseau-Clair, M-M & Norris, DR. 2021. Canadian private protected areas are located in regions of higher vertebrate species richness than government protected areas. Facets 6(1):1323-1336.

3. Sheehy, J, Taylor, CM & Norris, DR. 2011. The importance of stopover habitat for developing effective conservation strategies in migratory animals. Journal of Ornithology 152(S1): S161-S168.

2. Sheehy, J, Taylor, CM, McCann, KS & Norris, DR. 2010. Optimal conservation of migratory animals: integrating demographic information across seasons. Conservation Letters 3: 192-202.

1. Martin, TG, Chades, I, Arcese, P, Marra, PP, Possingham, HP & Norris DR. 2007. Optimal conservation of migratory species. Public Library of Science, One 2(8): e751.

photo: Evelyn Norris