Background

I am a tropical landscape ecologist / conservation scientist. I work with remote sensing data (mostly acquired by sensors on satellites), biodiversity data, habitat quality data and data on human well-being with the aim to monitor natural capital and biodiversity. I head the TROPical landScapes (TROPS) lab that does extensive fieldwork in the tropics, with sites in Tanzania, Brazil, South Africa, Peru, Gabon, Brunei Darussalam, and Sarawak. We work collaboratively to find solutions that maximise positive well-being and conservation outcomes. Our research is at local scale, as this is the scale at which landscape decisions are made. But we implement our research in a global scale context.

Key research outcomes:

• developing and using novel method approaches (https://github.com/VeroL/BioFrag) to demonstrate the pervasive impact of habitat loss and habitat edges on vertebrates, globally (published in Nature, Science and Ecology Letters. Our animation video captures key aspects of the research published in Nature https://youtu.be/KadMixPj8O0. 
• remotely sensing habitat quality indicators that link to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning  (e.g. https://globallai.wordpress.com/) and can be used for conservation planning (published in Journal of Applied Ecology, Remote Sensing of Environment, Peerj, Agriculture and Forest Meteorology)
• methods and targets for implementing forest restoration (e.g. http://force-experiment.com/, http://reforestafrica.com/) and managing socio-ecological resilience (e.g. https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/agrisystanzania/project-team/) at landscape scale 

If you want to follow our latest research, you can follow us on twitter: @marion_pfeifer.

Research

Current key projects: for details see https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/marionpfeifer/

• Agrisys Tanzania (BBSRC funded, 2019-2021) is using the framework of coupled human- and natural systems to quantify natural captial in tropical agroforestry landscapes (https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/agrisystanzania/project-team/) accounting for trade-offs between services and disservices
• Lions in the matrix: room to roam. 
• Mammal responses to infrastructure expansion in tropical forested landscapes
• Climate and disturbance dependencies of tropical forest canopies
• Human:wildlife interactions: mitigation & management. 

Teaching

I am course leader for (and contributing teaching to):

• BIO3039 Biodiversity Science and Policy. BSc course. 20 credits.
• BIO8071 Dynamics of Coupled Human and Natural Systems. MSc core course across several degree programmes. 20 credits.
• BIO3047 The Africa Field course. BSc course. 10 credits.

I contribute to: leading the passive remote sensing component

• BIO8069 - ArcGIS and Remote Sensing. MSc module. 20 credits.

You can join our TROPS lab as UG for your final dissertation or as MSc student. Contact me to enquire about opportunities for PhDs and postdocs. I will be happy to provide support for developing independent applications.

Publications

• Marshall AR, Platts PJ, Seki H, Chazdon RL, Campbell MJ, Phillips OL, Marchant R, Liang J, Herbohn J, Malhi Y, Pfeifer M. Conceptualising the global forest response to liana proliferation. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 2020. In Press.
• Watling JI, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Pfeifer M, Baeten L, Banks-Leite C, Cisneros LM, Fang R, Hamel-Leigue AC, Lachat T, Leal IR, Lens L, Possingham HP, Raheem DC, Ribeiro DB, Slade EM, Urbina-Cardona JN, Wood EM, Fahrig L. Support for the habitat amount hypothesis from a global synthesis of species density studies. Ecology Letters 2020, 23(4), 674-681.
• Cuni-Sanchez A, Omeny P, Pfeifer M, Olaka L, Boru M, Marchant R, Burgess N. Climate change and pastoralists: perceptions and adaptation in montane Kenya. Climate and Development 2019, 11(6), 513-524.
• Betts MG, Wolf C, Pfeifer M, Banks-Leite C, Arroyo-Rodriguez V, Bandini Ribeiro D, Barlow J, Eigenbrod F, Faria D, Fletcher Jr. RJ, Hadley AS, Hawes JE, Holt RD, Klingbeil B, Kormann U, Lens L, Levi T, Medina-Rangel GF, Melles SL, Mezger D, Morante-Filho JC, Orme CDL, Peres CA, Phalan BT, Pidgeon A, Possingham H, Ripple WJ, Slade EM, Somarriba E, Tobias JA, Tylianakis JM, Urbina-Cardona JN, Valente JJ, Watling JI, Wells K, Wearn OR, Wood E, Young R, Ewers RM. Extinction filters mediate the global effects of fragmentation on animals. Science 2019, 366(6470), 1236-1239.
• Pfeifer A, Boyle MJW, Dunning S, Olivier PI. Forest floor temperature and greenness link significantly to canopy attributes in South Africa’s fragmented coastal forests. PeerJ 2019, 7, e6190.
• Sevara C, Wieser M, Doneus M, Pfeifer N. Relative Radiometric Calibration of Airborne LiDAR Data for Archaeological Applications. Remote Sensing 2019, 11(8), 1-23.
• Jucker T, Asner GP, Dalponte M, Brodrick PG, Philipson CD, Vaughn NR, Arn Teh Y, Brelsford C, Burslem DFRP, Deere NJ, Ewers RM, Kvasnica J, Lewis SL, Malhi Y, Milne S, Nilus R, Pfeifer M, Phillips OL, Qie L, Renneboog N, Reynolds G, Riutta T, Struebig MJ, Svatek M, Turner EC, Coomes DA. Estimating aboveground carbon density and its uncertainty in Borneo's structurally complex tropical forests using airborne laser scanning. Biogeosciences 2018, 15(12), 3811-3830.
• Rolo V, Olivier PI, Pfeifer M, van Aarde RJ. Functional diversity mediates contrasting direct and indirect effects of fragmentation on below- and above-ground carbon stocks of coastal dune forests. Forest Ecology and Management 2018, 407, 174-183.
• Cuni-Sanchez A, Pfeifer M, Marchant R, Pompeu PV, Burgess ND. Harvesting fodder trees in montane forests in Kenya: species, techniques used and impacts. New Forests 2018, 49(4), 511-528.
• Deere NJ, Guillera-Arroita G, Baking EL, Bernard H, Pfeifer M, Reynolds G, Wearn OR, Davies ZG, Struebig MJ. High carbon stock forests provide co-benefits for tropical biodiversity. Journal of Applied Ecology 2018, 55(2), 997-1008.
• Wearn O, Carbone C, Rowcliffe J, Pfeifer M, Bernard H, Ewers R. Land-use change alters the mechanisms assembling rainforest mammal communities in Borneo. Journal of Animal Ecology 2018, 88(1), 125-137.
• Pfeifer M, Gonsamo A, Woodgate W, Cayuela L, Marshall AR, Ledo A, Paine TCE, Marchant R, Burt A, Calders K, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Cuni-Sanchez A, Deere NJ, Denu D, de Tanago JG, Hayward R, Lau A, Macia MJ, Olivier PI, Pellikka P, Seki H, Shirima D, Trevithick R, Wedeux B, Wheeler C, Munishi PKT, Martin T, Mustari A, Platts PJ. Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements. Forest Ecosystems 2018, 5, 7.
• Pfeifer M, Lefebvre V, Peres CA, Banks-Leite C, Wearn OR, Marsh CJ, Butchart SHM, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Barlow J, Cerezo A, Cisneros L, D’Cruze N, Faria D, Hadley A, Harris S, Klingbeil BT, Kormann U, Lens L, Medina-Rangel GF, Morante-Filho JC, Olivier P, Peters SL, Pidgeon A, Ribeiro DB, Scherber C, Schneider-Maunory L, Struebig M, Urbina-Cardona N, Watling JI, Wood MR, Ewers RM. Creation of forest edges has a global impact on forest vertebrates. Nature 2017, 551, 187-191.
• Hadi H, Pfeifer M, Korhonen L, Wheeler C, Rautiainen M. Forest canopy structure and reflectance in humid tropical Borneo: a physically-based interpretation using spectral invariants. Remote Sensing of Environment 2017, 201, 314-330.
• Wearn OR, Rowcliffe JM, Carbone C, Pfeifer M, Bernard H, Ewers RM. Mammalian species abundance across a gradient of tropical land-use intensity: A hierarchical multi-species modelling approach. Biological Conservation 2017, 212(Part A), 162-171.
• Cuni-Sanchez A, Pfeifer M, Marchant R, Calders K, Sorensen CL, Pompeu PV, Lewis SL, Burgess ND. New insights on above ground biomass and forest attributes in tropical montane forests. Forest Ecology and Management 2017, 399, 235-246.
• Luke SH, Barclay H, Bidin K, Khen CV, Ewers RM, Foster WA, Nainar A, Pfeifer M, Reynolds G, Turner EC, Walsh RPD, Aldridge DC. The effects of catchment and riparian forest quality on stream environmental conditions across a tropical rainforest and oil palm landscape in Malaysian Borneo. Ecohydrology 2017, 10(4), e1827.
• Schneider-Maunoury L, Lefebvre V, Ewers RM, Medina-Rangel GF, Peres CA, Somarriba E, Urbina-Cardona N, Pfeifer M. Abundance signals of amphibians and reptiles indicate strong edge effects in Neotropical fragmented forest landscapes. Biological Conservation 2016, 200, 207-215.
• Cuni-Sanchez A, Pfeifer M, Marchant R, Burgess ND. Ethnic and locational differences in ecosystem service values: Insights from the communities in forest islands in the desert. Ecosystem Services 2016, 19, 42-50.
• Pfeifer M, Kor L, Nilus R, Turner E, Cusack J, Lysenko I, Khoo M, Chey VK, Chung AC, Ewers RM. Mapping the structure of Borneo's tropical forests across a degradation gradient. Remote Sensing of Environment 2016, 176, 84-97.
• Pfeifer M, Lefebvre V, Turner E, Cusack J, Khoo M, Chey VK, Peni M, Ewers RM. Deadwood biomass: an underestimated carbon stock in degraded tropical forests?. Environmental Research Letters 2015, 10(4), 044019.
• Reyer CPO, Brouwers N, Grant RF, Brook BW, Rammig A, Epila J, Holmgren M, Langerwisch F, Leuzinger S, Lucht W, Medlyn B, Pfeifer M, Steinkamp J, Vanderwel MC, Verbeeck H, Villela DM. Forest resilience and tipping points at different spatio-temporal scales: approaches and challenges. Journal of Ecology 2015, 103(1), 5-15.
• Hailu BT, Maeda EE, Pellikka P, Pfeifer M. Identifying potential areas of understory coffee in Ethiopia’s highlands using predictive modelling. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2015, 36(11), 2898-2919.
• Martin P, Newton A, Pfeifer M, Khoo M, Bullock JM. Impacts of tropical selective logging on carbon storage and tree species richness: A meta-analysis. Forest Ecology and Management 2015, 356, 224-233.
• Shirima D, Pfeifer M, Platts PJ, Totland O, Moe S. Interactions between canopy structure and herbaceous biomass along environmental gradients in moist forest and dry miombo woodland of Tanzania. PLoS One 2015, 10, e0142784.
• Hurskainen P, Hemp A, Pellikka PKE, Pfeifer M. Land cover change impacts on biodiversity in Mt Kilimanjaro Savanna Zone. In: 36th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment. 2015, Berlin, Germany: ISRSE Proceedings.
• Ewers RM, Boyle MJW, Gleave RA, Plowman NS, Benedick S, Bernard H, Bishop TR, Bakhtiar EY, Khen Chey V, Chung AYC, Davies RG, Edwards DP, Eggleton P, Fayle TM, Hardwick SR, Homathevi R, Kitching RL, Sheng Khoo M, Luke SH, March JJ, Nilus R, Pfeifer M, Rao SV, Sharp AC, Snaddon JL, Stork NE, Struebig MJ, Wearn OR, Yusah KM, Turner EC. Logging cuts the functional importance of invertebrates in tropical rainforest. Nature Communications 2015, 6, 6836.
• Hardwick S, Toumi R, Pfeifer M, Turner EC, Nilus R, Ewers RM. The relationship between leaf area index and forest microclimate in tropical forest and oil palm plantation: Forest disturbance drives changes in mircoclimate. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 2015, 201, 187-195.
• Pfeifer M, Lefebvre V, Gardner TA, Arroyo-Rodriguez V, Baeten L, Banks-Leite C, Barlow J, Betts MG, Brunet J, Cerezo A, Cisneros LM, Collard S, D'Cruze N, Silva-Motta Cd, Duguay S, Eggermont H, Eigenbrod F, Hadley AS, Hanson TR, Hawes JE, Heartsill-Scalley T, Klingbeil BT, Kolb A, Kormann U, Kumar S, Lachat T, Lakeman-Fraser P, Lantschner V, Laurance WF, Leal IR, Lens L, Marsh CJ, Medina-Rangel GF, Melles S, Mezger D, Oldekop JA, Overal WL, Owen C, Peres CA, Phalan B, Pidgeon AM, Pilia O, Possingham HP, Possingham ML, Raheem DC, Ribeiro DB, Ribeiro-Neto JD, Robinson WD, Robinson R, Rytwinski T, Scherber C, Slade EM, Somarriba E, Stouffer PC, Struebig MJ, Tylianakis JM, Tscharntke T, Tyre AJ, Urbina-Cardona JN, Vasconcelos HL, Wearn O, Wells K, Willig MR, Wood E, Young RP, Bradley AV, Ewers RM. BIOFRAG – a new database for analyzing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation. Ecology and Evolution 2014, 4(9), 1524-1537.
• Pfeifer M, Packer C, Burton AC, Garnett ST, Loveridge AJ, MacNulty D, Platts PJ. In defense of fences. Science 2014, 345(6195), 389-389.
• Pfeifer M, Lefebvre V, Gonsamo A, Pellikka P, Marchant R, Denu D, Platts PJ. Validating and linking the GIMMS leaf area index (LAI3g) with environmental controls in Tropical Africa. Remote Sensing 2014, 6(3), 1973-1990.
• Packer C, Pfeifer M. Conserving Large Carnivores: Dollars and Fence. Ecol Letters 2013, 16, 635-641.
• Pfeifer M, Platts PJ, Burgess N, Swetnam R, Willock S, Marchant R. Land use change and carbon fluxes in East Africa quantified using earth observation data and field measurements. Environ Conserv 2013, 40, 241-252.
• Burgess ND, Mwakalila S, Munishi P, Pfeifer M. REDD herrings or REDD menace: Response to Beymer-Farris and Bassett. Global Environ Change 2013, 23, 1349-1354.
• Packer C, Swanson A, Canney S, Loveridge A, Garnett S, Pfeifer M, Burton AC, Bauer H, MacNulty D. The case for fencing remains intact. Ecology Letters 2013, 16(11), 1414-e4.
• Burgess N, Munishi P, Mwakalila S, Pfeifer M, Willcock S, Shirima D, Hamidu S, Bulenga GG, Marchant R. Enhancing Tanzanian Capacity to Deliver Short and Long Term Data on Forest Carbon Stocks across the Country. The Arc Journal 2012, 27, 22-26.
• Pfeifer M, Gonsamo A, Disney M, Pellikka P, Marchant R. Leaf area index for biomes of the Eastern Arc Mountains: Landsat and SPOT observations along precipitation and altitude gradients. Remote Sens Environ 2012, 118, 103-115.
• Pfeifer M, Burgess ND, Swetnam RD, Platts PJ, Willcock S, Marchant R. Protected Areas: Mixed Success in Conserving East Africa’s Evergreen Forests. PLOS ONE 7 2012, e39337. In Preparation.
• Pfeifer M, Disney M, Quaife T, Marchant R. Terrestrial Ecosystems from space: a review of earth observation products for macroecology applications. Global Ecol Biogeogr 2011, 21, 603-624.
• Pfeifer M, Passalacqua NG, Bartram S, Schatz B, Carey P, Jeltsch F. Conservation priorities differ at opposing species borders of an European orchid. Biol Conserv 2010, 143, 2207-2220.
• Disney M, Kalogirou V, Lewis P, Prieto-Blanco A, Hancock S, Pfeifer M. Simulating the impact of discret-return lidar system and survey characteristics over young conifer and broadleaf forests. Remote Sens Environ 2010, 114, 1546-1560.
• Pfeifer M, Schatz B, Pico X, Passalacqua NG, Fay MF, Carey PD, Jeltsch F. Phylogeography and genetic structure of the orchid Himantoglossum hircinum (L.) Spreng. across its European central-marginal gradient. J Biogeogr 2009, 36, 2353-2365.
• Pfeifer M, Disney M, Lewis P. Simulating Canopy Gap Fraction of Complex Forest scenes of Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce). Intl. Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 2007, XXXVI, P63, pp. 6.
• Pfeifer M, Heinrich W, Jetschke G. Climate, size and flowering history determine flowering pattern of an orchid. Bot J of Linn Soc 2006, 151, 511-526. In Preparation.
• Pfeifer M, Jetschke G. Influence of geographical isolation on genetic diversity of Himantoglossum hircinum (Orchidaceae). Folia Geobot 2006, 41, 3-20.
• Pfeifer M, Wiegand K, Heinrich W, Jetschke G. Long-term demographic fluctuations in an orchid species driven by weather: implications for conservation planning. J Appl Ecol 2006, 43, 313-324.