Title: Scientific Director (2019-2021)
Email: tlovejoy@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-5179
Website: https://esp.gmu.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-bios/thomas-lovejoy/
Groups: Past Staff
University Professor, Environmental Science and Policy
Research Focus
My research focuses on habitat fragmentation, climate change, and biodiversity. My research in these areas has directly contributed to strengthening the field of conservation biology and finding solutions to the myriad environmental challenges facing the planet.
In addition to coining the term “biological diversity”, since the 980s, my research has brought international attention to the world’s tropical rainforests, and in particular, the Brazilian Amazon. In this regard, my research produced the first projection of global extinctions for the Global 2000 Report to the President. Similarly, I developed the “debt-for-nature” swap programs and led the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems project.
Select Publications
■ Lovejoy, T., et al. (2020). Tropical forest fragmentation and isolation: Is community decay a random process? Global Ecology and Conservation.
■ Lovejoy, T. (2020). Biodiversity conservation targets: How to allocate resources. One Earth.
■ Lovejoy, T. and Nobre, C. (2019). Amazon tipping point: Last chance for action. Science Advances.
■ Lovejoy, T., et al. (2018). Is habitat fragmentation good for biodiversity? Biological Conservation.