Dr. Dominik Behr | Postdoc

I am an ecologist interested in exploring how predictions of animal populations can be improved by accounting for dispersal processes, species interactions, and environmental change. My motivation lies in developing reliable population forecasts, enabling the assessment of extinction risks for endangered species under various scenarios. By identifying key factors that drive these dynamics and exploring different intervention strategies, I aim to support effective wildlife management and conservation practices.

In my research career, I have acquired in-depth knowledge in dispersal and movement ecology, specifically examining how these factors influence the demography and spatial connectivity of individual populations. My primary focus has been on the African wild dog, through which I have gained valuable skills in demographic analyses, individual-based modeling, and mark-recapture analyses. More recently, my work has expanded to other species including meerkats in South Africa, giraffes in Tanzania, mouse lemurs in Madagascar, and both roe deer and wolves in Switzerland. With an interdisciplinary background in ecology and engineering, I strive to combine my understanding of ecological systems with quantitative modeling to support the long-term persistence of wildlife populations.

 

Research interests

Population ecology, movement ecology, conservation biology, population viability analysis, mark-recapture analysis, Bayesian statistics, decision science

 

Research profiles

Google ScholarResearchGateORCiD

 

Current research projects

 

Curriculum vitae

  • 2021–present, Postdoctoral scientist | Population Ecology Research Group, University of Zurich
  • 2014–present, Tour guide | Zoo Zurich
  • 2016–2021, PhD in ecology | Population Ecology Research Group, University of Zurich in collaboration with Botswana Predator Conservation (Maun, Botswana)
  • 2014–2015, MSc in Environmental Sciences | University of Zurich
  • 2014, Nature field guide qualification | Field Guide Association of Southern Africa (Limpopo, South Africa)
  • 2010–2013, Operations project manager | ABB Ltd. Automation Company (Switzerland & China)
  • 2008–2009, Various internships as an operations engineer in the private sector (USA & Switzerland)
  • 2006–2009, MSc in Management, Technology and Economics | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich
  • 2005–2006, Research assistant & teaching assistant | Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich
  • 2003–2006, BSc in Environmental Engineering | ETH Zurich

 

Publications

  • Cozzi G, Reilly M, Abegg D, Behr DM, … McNutt JW (2023) An AI-based platform to investigate African large carnivore dispersal and demography across broad landscapes: A case study and future directions using African wild dogs. African Journal of Ecology
  • Behr DM, Hodel FH, Cozzi G, McNutt JW, Ozgul A (2023) Higher mortality is not a universal cost of dispersal: a case study in African wild dogs. American Naturalist
  • Tucker MA, Schipper AM, … Behr DM, … Cozzi G, … Mueller T (2023) Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns. Science
  • Hofmann DD, Cozzi G, McNutt JW, Ozgul A, Behr DM (2023) A three-step approach for assessing landscape connectivity via simulated dispersal: African wild dog case study. Landscape Ecology
  • Hodel F*, Behr DM*, Cozzi G, Ozgul A (2023) A hierarchical approach for estimating state-specific mortality and state transition in dispersing animals with incomplete death records. Methods in Ecology and Evolution
  • Jordan NR, Golabek KA, Behr DM, … , McNutt JW (2022) Priority of access to food and its influence on social dynamics of an endangered carnivore. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
  • Hofmann DD*, Behr DM*, McNutt JW, Ozgul A, Cozzi G (2021) Bound within boundaries: Do protected areas cover movement corridors of their most mobile, protected species? Journal of Applied Ecology
  • Behr DM, McNutt JW, Ozgul A, Cozzi G (2020) When to stay and when to leave? Proximate causes of dispersal in an endangered social carnivore. Journal of Animal Ecology 
  • Cozzi G, Behr DM, Webster H, Claase M, Bryce CM, Modise B, McNutt JW, Ozgul A (2020) African wild dog dispersal and implications for management. Journal of Wildlife Management 
  • Behr DM, Ozgul A, Cozzi G (2017) Combining human acceptance and habitat suitability in a unified socio-ecological suitability model: a case study for the wolf in Switzerland. Journal of Applied Ecology 

*shared first authorship