Norwegian evolutionary biologist
Eivin Røskaft is a Norwegian evolutionary biologist, academic, and author. He is a professor emeritus in evolutionary biology at the department of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway.
Røskaft's research is focused on the application of evolutionary biology to conservation, which has led to projects in Asia and Africa that pertain to human-wildlife conflict, animal population dynamics, and animal behaviour in relation to human activities. He has authored or co-authored several publications, including the books "Conservation of Natural Resources: Some African &amp; Asian Examples", and "Northern Serengeti Road Ecology", and is an honorary professor at Hainan University, Haikou, China, and Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic. He is also an elected member of Royal Norwegian Scientific Society, and the recipient of their Scientific Award.
Education.
Røskaft was born on February 16, 1951, in Namsos, Norway. He completed his PhD in 1984 in zoology (ethology/sociobiology) under the supervision of Yngve Espmark from University of Trondheim. He then worked at the University of Trondheim from 1978 to 1982 as a research assistant before getting appointed as a scientific researcher there in 1985. Additionally, he conducted research in sociobiology as a postdoctoral researcher at the Burke Museum, University of Washington under Sievert Rohwer from 1984 to 1985, and later joined the faculty of his alma mater in 1988.
Career.
Røskaft started his academic career as an associate professor in the Program for Applied Ecology at the University of Trondheim in 1988, and was promoted to professor there in 1991. As of 1999, he has been serving as a professor in evolutionary biology in the department of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Between 1989 and 1993, he held brief appointments as the dean of faculty of natural sciences, and the director of Center for Environment and Development at the NTNU. During 1993–1999, he served as the director at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). Later, he was appointed as the head of the department of biology for the 2002–2009 term.
Research.
Most known for research works spanning the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and ethology, Røskaft has authored more than 300 papers, including articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Avian ecology.
Røskaft has conducted research on the behavior and ecology of birds, with a particular focus on avian brood parasitism, and has been leading a coevolutionary project between avian brood parasites and their hosts since 1984. His early work on parasitism by the common cuckoo invalidated the hypothesis that their egg removal behaviour evolved to prevent hosts, such as meadow pipits from detecting an increase in egg counts, determining that meadow pipit can detect parasitism if cuckoo has been spotted nearby. Having studied the cuckoo hosts' rejection behaviour towards artificial brood parasite eggs, he presented supporting evidence some birds, that are better able to withstand being ejected by small host species, had thicker egg shells than others. One of his highly cited papers on this subject lending support to the hypothesis showed that varied degrees of host species responses to cuckoo parasitism represent distinct stages in a continuous coevolutionary arms race. Furthermore, his research focused on the coevolutionary arms race between the cuckoo and among other European hosts, European passerines, resulting into variance in their egg colour and marking pattern. His studies on host preference in the common cuckoo revealed statistically significant relationships between the volume, ground colour, size, and spot coverage of cuckoo eggs and host eggs, supporting the "nest site hypothesis" which argues that cuckoo female tends to parasitize a group of host species with comparable eggs or nest site.
Ecosystem conservation projects in Africa/Asia.
With his work in Africa and Asia, Røskaft's research to better understand the drivers of human-wildlife conflicts, such as livestock predation, crop damage, and human injury or fatalities caused by wildlife has had implications in the fields of conservation biology, ethology, and ecology. He examined the effectiveness of various interventions, such as incentives for coexistence, education programs, and fencing, to mitigate conflicts and promote conservation of wildlife in these areas. In addition to his research, he has contributed to capacity building efforts, such as training local communities, and other stakeholders in wildlife conservation and management.
Røskaft has coordinated multiple research programs and initiatives with Tanzanian scientists in Tanzania. One of his primary areas of focus has been how climate change and population growth affect the dynamics of population, behavior, and disease prevalence in wildlife, such as wildebeest, impala, and African wild dogs within Serengeti National Park, a World Heritage Site in Tanzania.
Røskaft also coordinated an EU-funded four-year project, AfricanBioServices, under the Tanzania-NTNU Conservation Research Group (TNCRG), focused on understanding the relations and relationships between humans and ecosystems, and analyzed how biodiversity and human well-being are impacted by ongoing climate change, human rising population, and land use change in the Greater Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in Eastern Africa.
Human-wildlife conflict.
Røskaft has conducted research on human-wildlife interactions near protected areas in Africa and Asia. Much of his work on this subject has examined the impact of human activities on large carnivore populations, and explored strategies for reducing human–wildlife conflicts. In his studies focused on human attitudes towards large carnivores, he assessed the self-reported fear of carnivore species in Norwegian population, and discussed how factors such as gender, age, human population density and activities related to experience with or knowledge about these animals affect this fear. Additionally, his work refers to the importance of educational initiatives that facilitate learning of these species' biology and habits while promoting credible advice for first-hand outdoor encounters with them in their habitats. He also suggested that information systems be set up for large carnivore conservation efforts as well as other issues pertaining to these topics while addressing concerns for human safety in large carnivore conservation. Afterwards, in a 2007 joint study, it was emphasized that it is crucial to take into account the complex but generally more negative opinions that humans have towards such animals, while developing conservation programs for wolves and bears.
Røskaft has looked into the factors that contribute to human-wildlife conflict, and has investigated ways to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife. In an effort to explore areas related to human-wildlife conflicts, he analyzed the characteristics of HWC in western Serengeti, Tanzania, and presented a 17-year overview of (HWC) in Narok County, Kenya. He also studied livestock depredation by carnivores, particularly in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania, indicating that distance from the protected area, carnivore species involved and methods used to protect livestock all have an effect on depredation rates. This collaborative work proposed encouraging communities’ initiatives to build better enclosures, creating educational initiatives, and properly staffing veterinary hospitals with skilled employees and resources. In related research, he evaluated the effectiveness of pastoralists' herding techniques in relation to cattle depredation since wild predators frequently engage in conflicts with humans and offered insights into how defensive tools like knives and spears can lessen carnivore attacks.
References.
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