Conservation/Evolutionary genetics
Population ecology
Wildlife health
Institute of Zoology
Zoological Society of London
London
NW1 4RY
Amanda’s research focuses on small population recovery, with a particular focus on Extinct in the Wild species.
Amanda's work also looks at other species where ex-situ management (i.e. under human care) is an important part of their conservation strategy. Amanda’s current research aims to aid recovery efforts for the Extinct in the Wild sihek (Guam kingfisher) by determining how individual health can influence population processes for the ex-situ population, and what this means for species conservation and individual welfare. As part of this project, Amanda collaborates with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Guam’s Department of Agriculture, as well as the Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance (DRAHS) team at ZSL and the Royal Veterinary College.
Amanda also has research interests in the changes populations of wild species undergo when they have been at small population size and/or maintained ex-situ and what this may mean for these species’ recovery potential.
August 2021-present: Morris Animal Foundation Research Fellowship, Institute of Zoology, ZSL
March 2019-August 2021: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology, ZSL
February 2018-March 2019: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Aberdeen
April 2017-February 2018: Research Ecologist, British Trust for Ornithology
October 2016-April 2017: Data technician, Scottish Chough Study Group, University of Aberdeen
2012-2016: PhD Biological Science – “Conservation genetics and demographics of red-billed chough in Scotland”, University of Aberdeen
2009-2010: MRes Ecology, Bangor University
2006-2009: BSc Biology, Cardiff University
Trask, A.E., Carraro, C., Kock, R., McCrea, R., Newland, S., Royer, E., Medina, S., Fontenot, D., Ewen, J. (2023) Balancing conservation and welfare in ex-situ management of the extinct in the wild sihek: sex- and age-specific causes of mortality and contributions to population growth rate. Animal Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12895
Reid, J.M., Bignal, E., Bignal, S., McCracken, D.I., Fenn, S.R., Trask, A.E., Monaghan, P. (2022) Applying advances in population and evolutionary ecology to conservation strategy through long-term study of red-billed choughs. Journal of Animal Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13615
Fenn, S.R., Bignal, E.M., Bignal, S., Trask, A.E., McCracken, D.I., Monaghan, P., Reid, J.M. (2021) Within-year and among-year variation in impacts of targeted conservation management on juvenile survival in a threatened population. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13998
Canessa, S., Trask, A.E., and Ewen, J.G. (2021). Mind the gap (between assessing risks and prioritizing management). NeoBiota. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.68.60816
Trask, A.E., Ferrie, G., Canessa, S., Moehrenschlager, A., Laut, M., Barnhart Duenas, L. Ewen J.G. (2021) Multiple life-stage inbreeding depression impacts demography and extinction risk in an extinct-in-the-wild species. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79979-4
Fenn, S.R., Bignal, E.M., Trask, A.E., McCracken, D.I., Monaghan, P., Reid, J.M. (2020) Collateral benefits of targeted supplementary feeding on demography and growth rate of a threatened population. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13721
Trask, A., Canessa, S., Moehrenschlager, A., Newland, S., Medina, S., Ewen. J. (2020) Extinct-in-the-wild species' last stand. Science, 369, 516. DOI: 10.1126/science.abd4560.
Trask, A.E., Bignal, E.M., Fenn, S.R., McCracken, D.I., Monaghan, P., & Reid, J.M. (2020) Conservation Strategy for Red-Billed Choughs in Scotland: Assessment of the Impact of Supplementary Feeding and Evaluation of Future Management Strategies. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report RR1152.
Boersch-Supan, P. Trask A.E., Baillie, S. (2019) Robustness of simple avian population trend models for semi-structured citizen science data is species-dependent. Biological Conservation. 240, 108286.
Trask, A.E., Fenn, S.R., Bignal, E.M., McCracken, D.I., Monaghan, & Reid, J.M. (2019) Evaluating the efficacy of independent versus simultaneous management strategies to address ecological and genetic threats to population viability. Journal of Applied Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13464.
Trask, A.E., Bignal, E.M., McCracken, D.I., Piertney, S.B. & Reid, J.M. (2017) Estimating demographic contributions to effective population size in an age-structured wild population experiencing environmental and demographic stochasticity. Journal of Animal Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12703.
Trask, A.E., Bignal, E.M., McCracken, D.I., Monaghan, P., Piertney, S.B. & Reid, J.M. (2016) Evidence of the phenotypic expression of a lethal recessive allele under inbreeding in a wild population of conservation concern. Journal of Animal Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12503. *highly commended in the British Ecological Societies’ Elton Prize.