Gwen Iacona
Program Lead for Conservation Investment, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation
School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
PO Box 874501
Tempe, AZ 85287-4501
Titles
- Program Lead for Conservation Investment, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation
- Assistant Research Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Biography
Gwen Iacona is an applied conservation scientist who uses quantitative and empirical approaches to understand how biodiversity outcomes can be improved by better decision making. Her current work aims to improve endangered species recovery by better understanding the risks and costs associated with recovery planning. Gwen specializes in using theoretical tools to study how the costs of conservation interventions influence the choice of actions and the resulting outcomes for conservation agencies. Past projects include predicting invasive plant cover, modelling protected area effectiveness and prioritizing conservation action.
Prior to rejoining Arizona State University as an assistant research professor, Gwen was a postdoctoral research associate working with Professor Leah Gerber. Gwen has a PhD from the University of Tennessee, where she studied with Professor Paul Armsworth, and an MS from the University of Florida. In her current role, Gwen serves as Conservation Investment Program Lead for the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes.
External Links
Journal Articles
In Press
Harding, E., K. Kroetz, H. L. Breetz, K. Lee, A. L. Thompson, H. B. Jackson, P. R. Armsworth and G. D. Iacona. Partnerships between organizations that manage protected land in California are associated with groups with environmentally oriented missions. Conservation Science and Practice
2021
McKenzie, P. F., G. D. Iacona, E. R. Larson and P. R. Armsworth. 2021. Partitioning tree diversity patterns to prioritize conservation investments. Environmental Conservation 1-9. DOI: 10.1017/S0376892921000060. (link )
2020
Wysong, M. L., B. A. Hradsky, G. D. Iacona, L. E. Valentine, K. Morris and E. G. Ritchie. 2020. Space use and habitat selection of an invasive mesopredator and sympatric, native apex predator. Movement Ecology 8:Art. 16. DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00203-z. (link )
Wysong, M. L., G. D. Iacona, L. E. Valentine, K. Morris and E. G. Ritchie. 2020. On the right track: Placement of camera traps on roads improves detection of predators and shows non-target impacts of feral cat baiting. Wildlife Research 47(7-8):557-569. DOI: 10.1071/WR19175. (link )
2019
Adams, V. M., G. D. Iacona and H. P. Possingham. 2019. Weighing the benefits of expanding protected areas versus managing existing ones. Nature Sustainability 2:404-441. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0275-5. (link )
Iacona, G., A. Ramachandra, J. McGowan, A. Davies, L. N. Joppa, L. Koh, E. Fegraus, E. Game, G. Guillera-Arroita, R. Harcourt, K. Indraswari, J. J. Lahoz-Monfort, J. L. Oliver, H. P. Possingham, A. Ward, D. W. Watson, J. E. Watson, B. A. Wintle and I. Chades. 2019. Identifying technology solutions to bring conservation into the innovation era. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 17(10):591-598. DOI: 10.1002/fee.2111. (link )
2018
Armsworth, P. R., H. B. Jackson, S. Cho, M. Clark, J. E. Fargione, G. D. Iacona, T. Kim, E. R. Larson, T. Minney and N. A. Sutton. 2018. Is conservation right to go big? Protected area size and conservation return-on-investment. Biological Conservation 225(Sep):229-236. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.07.005. (link )
Gerber, L. R., M. C. Runge, R. F. Maloney, G. D. Iacona, C. A. Drew, S. Avery-Gomm, J. Brazill-Boast, D. Crouse, R. S. Epanchin-Niell, S. B. Hall, L. A. Maguire, T. Male, D. Morgan, J. Newman, H. P. Possingham, L. Rumpff, K. C. Weiss, R. S. Wilson and M. A. Zablan. 2018. Endangered species recovery: A resource allocation problem. Science 362(6412):284-286. DOI: 10.1126/science.aat8434. (link )
Iacona, G. D., W. J. Sutherland, B. Mappin, V. Adams, P. R. Armsworth, T. Coleshaw, C. Cook, I. Craigie, L. Dicks, J. A. Fitzsimons, J. McGowan, A. Plumptre, T. Polak, A. Pullin, J. Ringma, I. Rushworth, A. Santangeli, A. Stewart, A. Tulloch, J. Walsh and H. P. Possingham. 2018. Standardized reporting of the costs of management interventions for biodiversity conservation. Conservation Biology 32(5):979-988. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13195. (link )
Wenger, A. S., V. M. Adams, G. D. Iacona, C. Lohr, R. L. Pressey, K. Morris and I. Craigie. 2018. Estimating realistic costs for strategic management planning of invasive species eradications on islands. Biological Invasions 20(5):1287-1305. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1627-6. (link )
2017
Armsworth, P. R., H. B. Jackson, S. Cho, M. Clark, J. E. Fargione, G. D. Iacona, T. Kim, E. R. Larson, T. Minney and N. A. Sutton. 2017. Factoring economic costs into conservation planning may not improve agreement over priorities for protection. Nature Communications 18:Art 2253. DOI: : 10.1038/s41467-017-02399-y. (link )
Iacona, G. D., H. P. Possingham and M. Bode. 2017. Waiting can be an optimal conservation strategy, even in a crisis discipline. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 114(39):10497-10502. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702111114. (link )
2016
Iacona, G. D., M. Bode and P. R. Armsworth. 2016. Limitations of outsourcing on‐the‐ground biodiversity conservation. Conservation Biology 30(6):1245-1254. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12739. (link )