2026 ARCS ANNUAL SCHOLAR CELEBRATION AND SYMPOSIUM

“ARCS Supernova: The Minds of TODAY Creating Solutions for TOMORROW.”

2026 ARCS ANNUAL SCHOLAR CELEBRATION AND SYMPOSIUM

“ARCS Supernova: The Minds of TODAY Creating Solutions for TOMORROW.”
Lee Burrows

UC Davis

“Ecology & Conservation of Snake in California: Addressing Invasive Species Management, Habitat Suitability, and Agricultural Practices in California’s Central Valley”

My research examines how landscape context, management actions, and population dynamics shape native and invasive snake populations in California’s Central Valley. Using field data and spatial analyses, I evaluate invasive species management, land use, and agricultural practices to identify how management actions shape ecological outcomes. My research supports conservation strategies that benefit both wildlife and people in human-dominated landscapes.

ABSTRACT

Human-dominated landscapes present both challenges and opportunities for wildlife conservation. In California’s Central Valley, a region historically characterized by extensive wetlands and floodplains, agricultural development and water management have dramatically reshaped habitat and ecological dynamics. Despite these changes, snake species—both native and invasive—continue to persist within these landscapes. Understanding the ecological processes that influence their persistence and population dynamics is essential for effective conservation and management.

My research examines how landscape context, management actions, and population processes interact to influence snake populations in altered ecosystems. Using field data and spatial analyses, I investigate three interconnected themes: (1) invasive snake population dynamics and demographic responses to removal and environmental variability, (2) the intersection of land use and snake occurrence, and (3) the potential for reconciliatory agricultural practices that balance both snake conservation and agricultural productivity.

This research aims to strengthen the scientific basis for managing snake populations in dynamic, human-dominated environments. More broadly, this work contributes to understanding how wildlife conservation can succeed in working landscapes where wildlife and people are deeply intertwined.

DOWNLOAD POSTER
SUBMIT COMMENT OR QUESTION

8 + 14 =