Professor James Watson

Professor (Environ Mgmt)

School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
james.watson@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 61645

Overview

James Watson is a Professor of Conservation Science at The University of Queensland. He leads both the Green Fire Science research group (www.greenfirescience.com), whose mission is to do applied research that is linked directly to the practice of large-scale conservation and the Research and Recovery of Endangered Species (https://raresgroup.com.au) whose mission is to focus on Australia's rarest species to try and work out their needs and work with those on-ground practioners to try and save them.

As a Rhodes Scholar, James undertook his PhD research studying in Madagascar, trying to come up with conservation plans to save endemic bird species inhabiting the country’s remaining littoral forest. Since then he has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers on conservation related matters, ranging from assessing the impacts of climate change on species to mapping the effectiveness of protected areas on biodiversity conservation outcomes globally. He currently serves on the International Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Data and Knowledge Task Force, and is a Research Fellow for the United Nation’s Environment Program, a Senior Technical expert for the United Nations Development Program’s Global Programme on Nature for Development, and was the founding chair of the International Union for Nature Conservation Climate Change Specialist Group. James sits on the scientific committees of BirdLife Australia, Bush Heritage Australia and SUBAC. James was global president of the Society for Conservation Biology in 2015-17.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Publications

  • Fermepin, Solange, Watson, James E.M., Grantham, Hedley S. and Mendez, Martin (2024). Global marine conservation priorities for sustaining marine productivity, preserving biodiversity and addressing climate change. Marine Policy, 161 106016, 106016. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106016

  • Backstrom, Louis J., Callaghan, Corey T., Leseberg, Nicholas P., Sanderson, Chris, Fuller, Richard A. and Watson, James E. M. (2024). Assessing adequacy of citizen science datasets for biodiversity monitoring. Ecology and Evolution, 14 (2) ARTN e10857, e10857. doi: 10.1002/ece3.10857

  • Hansen, Andrew J., Aragon-Osejo, Jose, González, Iván, Veneros, Jaris, Virnig, Anne Lucy Stilger, Jantz, Patrick, Venter, Oscar, Goetz, Scott, Watson, James E.M., Cordoba, Natalia, Rodriguez, Susana, Monroy, Luisa, Iglesias, Juan, Beltrán, Lenin, Borja, Daniel, Ureta, Diego, Tingo, Jossie, Oñate, Carlos, Valencia, Freddy, Zambrano, Holger, Pequeño, Tatiana, Llactayo, William, Huamani, Walter, Duran, Patricia, Arana, Alexs, Arenas, Marco, Pasquel, Claudia, Tovar, Antonio and Huerta, Patricia (2024). Developing national complementary indicators of SDG15 that consider forest quality: Applications in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Ecological Indicators, 159 111654, 111654. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.111654

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Grants

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Supervision

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Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Allan, James R., Possingham, Hugh P., Venter, Oscar, Biggs, Duan and Watson, James E.M. (2020). The Extraordinary Value of Wilderness Areas in the Anthropocene. Encyclopedia of the World's Biomes: Volumes 1-5. (pp. V5-158-V5-168) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12427-3

  • Fuller, Richard A. and Watson, James E. M. (2018). Replacing underperforming nature reserves. Effective conservation science: data not dogma. (pp. 147-151) edited by Peter Kareiva, Michelle Marvier and Brian Silliman. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198808978.003.0023

  • Allan, James R., Shi, Yichuan, Bertzky, Bastian, Jaeger, Tilman, Venter, Oscar, Mackey, Brendan, van Merm, Remco, Osipova, Elena, Watson, James Edward and Kormos, Cyril F. (2017). Current wilderness coverage on the World Heritage list: broad gaps and opportunities. World heritage, wilderness and large landscapes and seascapes. (pp. 27-47) edited by Cyril F. Kormos, Tim Badman, Tilman Jaeger, Bastian Bertzky, Remco van Merm, Elena Osipova, Yichuan Shi and Peter Bille Larsen. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

  • Kormos, Cyril F., Jaeger, Tilman, Bertzky, Bastian, Badman, Tim, van Merm, Remco, Osipova, Elena, Shi, Yichuan, Mackey, Brendan G., Mittermeier, Russell A., Jacobson, Mathew, Busch, Kyra, Khamaganova, Erjen, Hilty, Jodi, Larsen, Peter Bille, Watson, James E.M. and Locke, Harvey (2017). The need for a wilderness and large landscapes and seascapes approach under the World Heritage Convention. World heritage, wilderness and large landscapes and seascapes. (pp. 1-9) edited by Cyril F. Kormos, Tim Badman, Tilman Jaeger, Bastian Bertzky, Remco van Merm, Elena Osipova, Yichuan Shi and Peter Bille Larsen. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

  • Foden, Wendy B., Watson, James E. M., Hoffmann, Ary, Corlett, Richard and Hole, David (2016). Future directions in CCVA of species. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change. Version 1.0. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 59. (pp. 63-66) Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN Species Survival Commission.

  • Foden, W. B., Young, B. E. and Watson, J. E. M. (2016). Introduction. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change. Version 1.0. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 59. (pp. 1-5) Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN Species Survival Commission.

  • Menon, Ravi, Gonzalez, Tanhia, Ferruzzi, Mario, Jackson, Eric, Winderl, Dan and Watson, Jay (2016). Oats-From Farm to Fork. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. (pp. 1-55) Cambridge, MA United States: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2015.12.001

  • Watson, J. E., Segan, D. B. and Fuller, R. A. (2016). Optimal protection of the world’s threatened birds, mammals and amphibians. Protected areas: are they safeguarding biodiversity?. (pp. 66-80) edited by Lucas N. Joppa, Jonathan E. M. Baillie and John G. Robinson. Chichester United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781118338117.ch4

  • Young, Bruce E., Martin, Tara, Watson, James E. M., Foden, Wendy B., Williams, Stephen and Scheffers, Brett (2016). Setting Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment goals and objectives. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change. Version 1.0. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 59. (pp. 13-16) Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN Species Survival Commission.

  • Huntley, Brian, Foden, Wendy B., Smith, Adam, Platts, Philip, Watson, James E. M. and Garcia, Raquel A. (2016). Using CCVAs and interpreting their results. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change. Version 1.0. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 59. (pp. 33-48) Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN Species Survival Commission.

  • Watson, Alexander W. T., Judd, Simon, O’Sullivan, Wayne and Watson, James E. M. (2015). A collaborative approach for mining, environment organisations and Traditional Owners to manage and conserve biodiversity in Australia’s Great Western Woodlands. Mining in ecologically sensitive landscapes. (pp. 251-264) edited by Mark Tibbett. Collingwood, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.

  • Watson, James (2015). A global perspective on the role of protected areas in protecting natural capital. Valuing Nature: Protected Areas and Ecosystem Services. (pp. 54-57) edited by Penelope Figgis, Brendan Mackey, James Fitzsimons, Jason Irving and Pepe Clarke. Sydney, Australia: Australian Committee for IUCN.

  • Watson, J. E. M., Segan, D. B. and Tewksbury, J. (2015). Tropical forests in a changing climate. Climate change and biodiversity. (pp. 196-207) New Haven, CT, United States: Yale University Press.

  • Dudley, Nigel and Watson, James (2014). Climate change. Applications of key biodiversity areas: end-user consultations. (pp. 92-95) edited by Nigel Dudley, Jessica L. Boucher, Annabelle Cuttelod, Thomas M. Brooks and Penny F. Langhammer. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

  • Watson, James E. M., Cross, Molly, Rowland, Erika, Joseph, Liana N., Rao, Madhu and Seimon, Anton (2011). Planning for species conservation in a time of climate change. Climate Change: Research and technology for adaptation and mitigation. (pp. 379-402) edited by Juan Blanco and Houshang Kheradmand. Rijeka, Croatia: InTech - Open Access Publisher. doi: 10.5772/24920

  • Watson, James E. M., Grantham, Hedley S., Wilson, Kerrie A. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2011). Systematic conservation planning: Past, present and future. Conservation biogeography. (pp. 1956-1976) edited by Richard J. Ladle and Robert J. Whittaker. London , U. K.: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781444390001.ch6

  • Anderson, G., Atkins, R., Pulsford, I., Worboys, G. L., Howling, G., Watson, J. E. M., Judd, S., Mackey, B. G. and Bradby, K. (2010). Australasian connectivity initiatives. Connectivity conservation management: a global guide. (pp. 86-115) edited by Graeme L. Worboys, Wendy L. Francis and Michael Lockwood. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781849774727

  • Watson, James E. M., Judd, Simon, Mackey, Brendan G. and Bradby, Keith (2010). Ecological restoration in Gondwanalink (south-western Western Australia) using the WildCountry principles: a convergence of thought and action. Connectivity Conservation Management: a global guide. (pp. 105-115) edited by Graeme L. Worboys, Wendy L. Francis and Michael Lockwood. London, Unitd Kingdom: Earthscan.

  • Watson, James E. M. (2007). Conservation of bird diversity in Madagascar’s southeastern littoral forests. Biodiversity conservation and mining in southeast Madagascar. (pp. 253-260) edited by J. U. Ganzhorn, S. M. Goodman, J. B. Ramanamanjato and M. Vincelette. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Master Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Joint Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision