Walter Jetz

About

Walter Jetz is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Professor of Environmental Studies at Yale University. His work is interdisciplinary, combining elements of biogeography, community ecology, landscape ecology, macroecology, global change ecology, evolution, comparative biology, biodiversity informatics, and conservation. He primarily uses terrestrial vertebrates and plants as study systems. His research aims to integrate across scales of geography and ecological organization, from global to local assemblages, to better understand ecological and evolutionary processes.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Biology
• Geography
• Ecology
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental science
• Environmental planning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Evolutionary biology
• Environmental protection

Selected publications

• Biodiversity impacts and conservation implications of urban land expansion projected to 2050

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2022 · 758 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  SignificanceUnderstanding the impacts of urbanization and the associated urban land expansion on species is vital for informed urban planning that minimizes biodiversity loss. Predicting habitat that will be lost to urban land expansion for over 30,000 species under three different future scenarios, we find that up to 855 species are directly threatened due to unmitigated urbanization. Our projections pinpoint rapidly urbanizing regions of sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Mesoamerica, and Sout…

  DOI

• COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife

  Nature Ecology & Evolution · 2020 · 649 citations

  DOI

• Areas of global importance for conserving terrestrial biodiversity, carbon and water

  Nature Ecology & Evolution · 2021 · 363 citations

  To meet the ambitious objectives of biodiversity and climate conventions, the international community requires clarity on how these objectives can be operationalized spatially and how multiple targets can be pursued concurrently. To support goal setting and the implementation of international strategies and action plans, spatial guidance is needed to identify which land areas have the potential to generate the greatest synergies between conserving biodiversity and nature's contributions to peopl…

  DOI

• Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities

  Journal of Biogeography · 2022 · 147 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Aim: (CMW). Location: Global. Taxon: All extant mammal species. Methods: Range maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species). Results: Range maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use. Main conclusion: Expert maps of species' global distri…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Biological Earth observation with animal sensors

  Trends in Ecology & Evolution · 2022 · 129 citations

  1st authorCorresponding

  Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmental change.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Workshop: Activities supporting the international Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Scenarios Network; March 6-10, 2016, Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland

  NSF · $113k · 2016–2019

• Collaborative Research: VertLife Terrestrial: A complete, global assembly of phylogenetic, trait, spatial and environment characteristics for a model clade

  NSF · $1.1M · 2014–2020

• Projecting the Effects of Environmental Change on the Geographic Ranges of Bird, Mammals, and Amphibians: A First Global Analysis

  NSF · $11k · 2010–2011

Frequent coauthors

• Robert Guralnick

  Florida Museum of Natural History

  204 shared

• Ajay Ranipeta

  Yale University

  170 shared

• Yanina V. Sica

  Yale University

  167 shared

• Stefan Pinkert

  Yale University

  164 shared

• Mélodie A. McGeoch

  Monash University

  160 shared

• Jennifer McGowan

  160 shared

• Matthew S. Rogan

  155 shared

• John Wieczorek

  152 shared

Similar researchers at Yale University

• Richard Prumh-82
• Thomas Nearh-74
• Erika Edwardsh-70