Dr Dawn Scott

Principal Lecturer

contact:
Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Moulsecoomb
Brighton
BN2 4GJ

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 642071

Email: dawn.scott@brighton.ac.uk

Research Interests

• Behaviour and ecology of mammals.
• Community ecology; structuring processes of small mammal communities.
• Biodiversity assessment, monitoring and evaluation for management purposes.
• Ecology of desert animals; behavioural and physiological adaptations to arid environments.
• Conservation biology; sustainable utilisation and management of natural resources.
• Wildlife Conservation genetics

My principal areas of research are focused on the effects of environmental change, such as habitat modification, degradation, loss and fragmentation, and changes in land use and management on animal biodiversity and ecology, which is then integrated into developments of conservation theory and practice.
There are three main themes I am currently expanding and developing in conservation biology. These fundamentally address some of long term consequences of our current approaches to conservation.

• Wildlife Conservation Genetics: The genetic consequences of isolation and fragmentation, using brown hyena populations in South Africa, water voles and hazel dormice in the UK.

• Human-Wildlife Conflict: exploring the economic and ecological issues surrounding human-carnivore conflict in South Africa and predation and conflict between domestic cats and urban wildlife in the UK.

• Impacts of Conservation Approaches on Species Ecology and Behaviour: Comparing behaviour between protected and unprotected populations in brown hyenas and looking at the ecological, behavioural and genetic consequences of population reintroduction in water voles.

Offices Held
Internal:

• Assistant Head of School
• Head of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Division
• Course Leader & Admissions Tutor for Ecology and Biogeography BSc Hons

External:

• Expert Member for the IUCN Hyaena specialist group & Rodent specialist group
• Council Member: The Mammal Society
• Trustee: Sussex Wildlife Trust
• Chair: Sussex Mammal Group
• Editor: Mammal Notes, The Mammal Society

Teaching: (undergraduate)
2001-present, University of Brighton. Teaching on BSc Biological Sciences, BSc Ecology & Biogeography, BSc (Hons) Geography, BSc (Hons) Environmental Sciences, and BSc (Hons) Geography and Geology
Module leader for:

• Physiological ecology
• Ecological Field Skills
• Ecological techniques
• Biology field trip to South Africa
• Behavioural and evolutionary ecology
• Wildlife conservation and management
• Biogeography
• Ecology Projects

Module Teaching in:

• Applied ecology
• Biodiversity
• Evolutionary biology
• Forensic biology
• Reproductive biology
• Ecological processes 1&2
• Animal and plant interactions

I have also supervised over 60 level 3 undergraduate final year dissertation projects in many aspects of ecology.
Teaching (postgraduate)
I also currently teach on the MSc in Environmental Assessment and Management, GIS and MRes in Biosciences
Reseach Supervision

• PhD: Glenn Langler (The possible effects of leachate contamination on the macroinvertebrate fauna of groundwater habitats) 1999-2003
• PhD: Richard Yarnell (The effects of fire on small vertebrate and vegetation communities of a bushveld area, South Africa) 2002-2005
• MPhil: Fran Southgate (The influence of water quality on Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens) distribution in Sussex) 2003-2005
• PhD: Maureen Berg (The effects of coastal wetland abandonment on communities in Estonia) 2004-2007
• PhD: Andrew Flint (The effects of fragmentation and isolation of wildlife in Ghyll woodlands) 2004-2010
• MPhil: Jayne Staines (Genetic consequence of inbreeding in fragmented populations of the Brown Hyaena) 2007-2009
• PhD: Michelle Thorn (Carnivore ecology inside and outside rotected areas in South Africa) 2006-2009
• PhD: Louisa Richmond-Coggan. (Comparative habitat use and ranging behaviour of brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) inside and outside protected areas in South Africa).2008-2011.
• PhD: David Oakley: (Spatial ecology of weasels in the UK). 2010-2014.

Recent Research Projects
Jan 2006 - ongoing: Estimating brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea) densities inside and outside National Parks in South Africa. Project to investigate carnivore diversity outside protected areas, using the brown hyena as our flagship species to look at ways of assessing and mitigating human-carnivore conflict in commercial landscapes in South Africa. Earthwatch, PTES & Leverhulme funded.
January 2009: The development and trail of an anti-bird-predation collar for domestic cats. Project lead. Commercial Activation Fund. £10,000
October 2008 ongoing: The current status of dormice in Sussex. Project lead. In collaboration with Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre, Sussex Wildlife Trust and Sussex Mammal Group.
August 2008- ongoing: Re-establishment of water voles in the Arun valley following captive bred release. Project lead. This is investigating post release dispersal and establishment rates of water voles to determine the impact of landscape structure and habitat on reestablishment & conservation genetics. In collaboration with Sussex Rivers and Otters Partnership and the WWT.
Sept 2006- March 2007: Development and trailing small mammal traps for conservation purposes.
Grant to develop and trail a range of small mammal traps, with the purpose of developing an effective but low cost trap with high animal welfare considerations.
February 2005-2006: ‘Wetlands for Wildlife’, Sussex UK. Biodiversity monitoring research and consultancy in collaboration with Sussex Wildlife Trust, Sussex Rivers and Otters Partnership and South East water. Investigating the impact of instigating farm plans to improve wetland environments around Pett levels, Sussex, with specific emphasis on wetland mammals; otters, mink, water vole and water shrew as well as range of other biological indicators.
October 2004: The impacts of landscape mosaic on small mammal ecology and behaviour to coastal grasslands, Estonia. Investigation into the impact of coastal grassland landscape mosaic effects small mammal populations.
October 2003: Small mammal community composition in the Tranovaho region of Southern Madagascar. The aim of this study was to investigate what environmental factors associated with logging which influence small mammal community composition in the Tranovaho region of Southern Madagascar. Paper accepted in Biological Conservation 2005.BP conservation award.
Feb 2003 - Dec 2003: 'Can human modified habitat provide suitable habitat for threatened cat species?' Sumatra Indonesia. The aim of this study was to assess to what extent oil palm can provide favourable ecological conditions for small felids. This was achieved by determining the presence, relative abundance and species richness of small felids in an oil palm estate, estimating the diversity and abundance of small mammals that act as a prey base for these species and determining felid diet. British Ecological Society Small Project Grant & RGS -IBG Small Project Grant, in collaboration with ZSL and Asiatic Persada.
Dec 2002 - 2005: The effects of burning on small vertebrate communities in South Africa. Project Supervisor. Funding from University of Brighton Studentship (£45,000) and support by British Airways Bursary in Collaboration with Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. This research project investigates timing, extent and patchiness of burning to aid savannah management, working at Mankwe Game Reserve in South Africa. The aim of the project is to provide information on burning ecology so that it can be applied in a sustainable way to maintain ecosystem integrity and biodiversity.
Reviewer for the journals: Acta Zoologica, Journal of Applied Ecology, Biological Conservation, Landscape ecology, Journal of Arid Environments, Journal of Tropical Ecology, New Zealand Journal of Ecology, Global Change Biology, Mammalian Biology.

Recent Publications