Rachel Buxton
Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science and Department of Biology
| Degrees: | B.Sc. (University of Victoria), M.Sc. (Memorial University), Ph.D. (University of Otago) |
| Email: | RachelBuxton@cunet.carleton.ca |
| Office: | 4438 Herzberg Building |
| Website: | https://www.biodiversityconservationsolutions.com/ |
I am a conservation scientist at Carleton University whose interdisciplinary research aims to guide and mobilize conservation solutions. My main research interests include soundscapes, seabird ecology, ecological restoration, the link between biodiversity and human health, and systematic conservation planning. Part of my research program focuses on the impact of noise pollution and the benefits of natural sound, quantifying the relationship between sound and biodiversity patterns, and the importance of the acoustic environment for the health of wildlife and humans. I also examine information gaps to achieve biodiversity conservation targets in Canada. More recently, my work explores nature-based solutions for healthy people and nature in Canadian cities. I work with groups of practitioners, decision-makers, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders to ensure my research is applicable to support conservation policy and practice. In drawing from my experiences as a research scientist, mom, life-long learner, teacher, mentor, and community member, I am committed to making a difference for biodiversity conservation and environmental justice.
Selected Publications
Buxton, R.T., Bennett, J.R., Reid, A.J., Shulman, C., Cooke, S.J., Francis, C.M., Nyboer, E., Pritchard, G., Binley, A., Avery-Gomm, S., Ban, N.C., Beazley, K.F., Bennett, E., Blight, L.K., Bortolotti, L.E., Camfield, A.F., Gadallah, Z., Jacob, A.L., Naujokaitis-Lewis, I., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Roche, D.G., Soulard, F., Stralberg, D., Sadler, K.D., Solarik, K.A., Ziter, C.D., Brandt, J., McKindsey, C., Greenwood, D.A., Boxall, P.C., Ngolah, C.F., Chan, K.M.A., Lapen, D., Poser, S., Girard, J., DiBacco, C., Hayne, S., Orihel, D., Lewis, D.W., Littlechild, D., Marshall, S.J., McDermott, L., Whitlow, R., Browne, D., Sunday, J., and Smith, P.A. 2021. Key information needs to move from knowledge to action for biodiversity conservation in Canada. Biological Conservation 256: 108983.
Buxton, R. T., and Pearson, A.L., Allou, C., Fristrup, K., and Wittemyer, G. 2021. A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks. PNAS 118 (14): e2013097118.
Buxton, R.T., Avery-Gomm, S., Lin, H.Y., Smith, P.A., and Bennett, J.R. 2020. Half of resources in threatened species conservation plans are allocated to research and monitoring. Nature Communications. 11: 4668.
Buxton, R. T., McKenna, M.F., Clapp, M., Meyer, E., Crooks, K., Angeloni, L., and Wittemyer, G. 2018. Efficacy of extracting indices from large-scale acoustic recordings to monitor biodiversity. Conservation Biology 32:1174-1184.
Buxton, R. T., McKenna, M. F., Mennitt, D., Fristrup, K., Crooks, K., Angeloni, L., and Wittemyer, G. 2017. Noise pollution is pervasive in US protected areas. Science 356: 531-533.
Buxton, R. T., Brown, E., Sharman, L., Gabriele, C. and McKenna, M. B. 2016. Using bioacoustics to examine songbird phenology. Ecology and Evolution 3: 4697-4710
Buxton, R.T., Jones, C.J., Moller, H., and Towns, D.R. 2014. Drivers of seabird population recovery on New Zealand islands after predator eradication. Conservation Biology 28: 333-344.