About
Merenlender was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in West Los Angeles, California. She graduated from UC California San Diego in 1985 with a BA in Biology, where she also received her MS from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 1986. She was a visiting graduate student at Princeton University from 1991 to 1993, and she graduated from the University of Rochester in 1993 with a PhD in Biology.
Education
PhD Biology University of Rochester, 1993
M.S. Biology University of California, San Diego, 1986
B.S. Biology University of California, San Diego, 1985
Research Interests / Specializations:
Conservation Science
Climate Stewardship
Climate-wise Habitat Connectivity
Working Lands Conservation
Community Science
Research Description:
My primary focus is in the field of conservation biology. In particular, I am interested in the forces that influence loss of biodiversity at all hierarchical levels from genes to ecosystems. My experience spans from single species management to regional land use planning. I am also started the UC California Naturalist Program. This community of practice introduces Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engages the public in environmental stewardship. We are in the process of developing a new certification course to prepare UC Climate Stewards to communicate and engage in local solutions to advance community and ecosystem resilience. My other interests include connectivity science, citizen science, ecological monitoring, restoration ecology, cumulative impacts to watersheds, and working landscapes.
Current Projects
My research program covers a diverse suite of projects that involve mapping, monitoring, and modeling natural resources and human land-use patterns. I have developed an applied research program that integrates biodiversity research and conservation planning mostly in California. This is done through integrating spatially explicit land use change models with environmental data. Our current focus is on habitat connectivity and climate change resilience of protected area networks and vineyard landscape ecology. The students and staff who work with me study wildlife in the agricultural matrix, watershed restoration, and sustainable land use.
To assess the effects of land-use conversion on biodiversity, my research group is measuring biological community integrity and diversity found in different land use types such as suburban developments, small ranches, vineyards and undeveloped areas within similar oak woodland habitat. This data in combination with a development and agricultural build out models gives a full picture of the future threats to the biological resources in the region. Most recently, we have launched a study of bats in North Coast redwood forests to examine the influece of fog and forest management on the distribution and behavior of bats and explore vulnerabilities to future spread of White-Nose Syndrome.
For more information please see our lab web site.
Selected Publications
Most Recent Publications
MERENLENDER, A with BULER, B. “Climate Stewardship: Taking Collective Action to Protect California” 2021 UC Press 290 Pages 324 ISBN: 9780520378940
ELSEN, P.R., MONAHAN, W.B., and MERENLENDER, A.M. 2020 Topography and human pressure in mountain ranges alter expected species responses to climate change. Nature Communications 11, 1974
GRAY, M. MICHELI, E, COMENDANT, T. and MERENLENDER, A 2020 Quantifying Climate-Wise Connectivity across a Topographically Diverse Landscape. Land 9:355
GRAY, M. MICHELI, E, COMENDANT, T. and MERENLENDER, A 2020 A. Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement. Land 2020, 9, 413
MUÑOZ-SÁEZ, A., KITZES, J. and MERENLENDER, A.M 2020 Bird friendly wine country through diversified vineyards. Conservation Biology, 35(1):274-284
MUÑOZ-SÁEZ, A., HEATON, E., REYNOLDS, M. and MERENLENDER, A.M. 2020 Agricultural adapters from the vineyard landscape impact native oak woodland birds. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 300:106960
ELSEN, P.R., MONAHAN, W.B., DOUGHERTY, E.R. and A.M. MERENLENDER 2020 Keeping pace with climate change in global terrestrial protected areas. Science Advances, 6 : eaay0814
KREMEN, C. and MERENLENDER, A.M. Making landscapes that work for biodiversity and people in the Anthropocene, Science 362 304 eaau6020.
KEELEY, A. T., BASSON, G. , CAMERON, D. R., HELLER, N. E., HUBER, P. R., SCHLOSS, C. A., THORNE, J. H. and MERENLENDER, A. M. 2018 Making habitat connectivity a reality. Conservation Biology. 32(6): 1221-1232
KEELEY, A., ACKERLY, D., CAMERON, D.R., HELLER, N., HUBER, P., SCHLOSS, C., THORNE, J., and MERENLENDER, A. 2018 New concepts, models, and assessments of climate-wise connectivity Environmental Research Lette 13 073002
ELSEN, P.R., MONAHAN, W.B., and A.M. MERENLENDER 2018 Global patterns of protection of elevational gradients in mountain ranges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (23) 6004-6009
LARSON, C.L. REED, S.E., MERENLENDER, A.M. and K.R. CROOKS 2018 Accessibility drives species exposure to recreation in a fragmented urban reserve network. Landscape and Urban Planning 175:62-71
LARSON, C.L. REED, S.E., MERENLENDER, A.M. and K.R. CROOKS 2017 Effects of Recreation on Animals Revealed as Widespread through a Global Systematic Review PLoS ONE 11(12): e0167259
CHAPPLE, D.E., FABER, P, SUDING, K.N. and MERENLENDER, A.M. 2017 Climate Variability Structures Plant Community Dynamics in Mediterranean Restored and Reference Tidal Wetlands. Water 9(3), 209
MARTÍNEZ-HARMS, M. J., QUIJAS, S., MERENLENDER, A. M., and P. BALVANERA 2016 Enhancing ecosystem services maps combining field and environmental data, Ecosystem Services. 22:32-40
MERENLENDER, CRALL, A.W., DRILL, S., PRYSBY, M. and H. BALLARD 2016 Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology Online.
KELLY, R.M., KITZES, J., WILSON, H. and A.M. MERENLENDER 2016 Habitat diversity promotes bat activity in a vineyard landscape. Agicultur, Ecosystems and Enviornment 223:175-181
GRAY, M., WILMERS, C.C., REED, S. E., and A. M. MERENLENDER 2016 Landscape feature-based permeability models relate to puma occurrence. Landscape and Urban Planning 147:50-58.
MERENLENDER, A.M., ACKERLY, D., SUDING, K., SHAW, R. and ZAVELETA, E. 2015 Chapter 41:Stewardship, Conservation, and Restoration in the Context of Environmental Change. California Ecosystems UC Press
DE NEVERS, G., EDELMAN, D.S., and A. M. MERENLENDER 2013. The California Naturalist Handbook UC Press
Honors and Awards
President, Society for Conservaiton Biology 2019-2021
Conservation planning award - American Planning Association - 2001
Program of the Year -- Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs 2015
Outstanding Extension -- UC Agriculture and Natural Resources 2016
California Academy of Science Fellow 2018
Recent Teaching:
90 - INTRO TO CRS
199 - SUPERV INDEP STUDY
201C - ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM
298 - DIRECT GROUP STUDY
299 - INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH
