James Watling

James Watling

Associate Professor and Coburn Chair of Environmental Science

John Carroll University

Biography

I am the Coburn Professor of Environmental Science at John Carroll University in Cleveland, USA. I am always interested in hearing from undergraduates enrolled at JCU or students interested in coming to JCU for their masters degree. If you are a student who wants to join the lab, please send me an email describing your academic background, work experience, and research interests to jwatling [at] jcu.edu.

In our lab, we use observational, experimental, and geospatial modeling approaches to understand how drivers of global change such as landscape modification and climate change impact species and the landscapes in which they occur. My students and I do fieldwork in the United States and South America, working with a network of graduate students and undergraduate collaborators, technicians, and researchers from the federal government. Click on the links below for more information about current research projects, courses, and more, and check out this video about recent work in the lab

Download my CV.

Interests
  • Landscape Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Herpetology
Education
  • PhD in Biological Sciences, 2005

    Florida International University

  • MS in Biological Sciences, 2000

    Florida International University

  • BA in Environmental Science, 1996

    Boston University

People in the Lab

Alumni

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Andrew Veselka

Grad Student

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Antoinette Esposito

Grad Student

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Arianna Zrzavy

Undergrad

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Blake Dixon

Undergrad

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Carly Anderson

Undergrad

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Drew Benos

Undergrad

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Hope Uwase

Undergrad

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Ian Reider

Grad Student

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Jake Bellamy

Undergrad

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Júlia Laterza Barbosa

Grad Student

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Micah Ashford

Grad Student

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Molly Russell

Undergrad

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Osmary Medina Baez

Grad Student

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Rachel Snyder

Grad Student

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Ray Tobias

Undergrad

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Sam Skerlec

Undergrad

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Zack Lange

Grad Student

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Zee Molter

Undergrad

Research

A few recent publications based on my research are highlighted in the next section (Featured Publications), followed by links to all my papers.

Research in the lab generally falls into one of two broad categories:

Species ecology in thermal landscapes

Species ecology in thermal landscapes

Research based on field, lab, and modeling work

Testing theory in landscape ecology

Testing theory in landscape ecology

Research based on meta-analysis and literature synthesis

All papers

2020-present

2026 Valderrama Robles SC, Russell MG, Anthony CD & Watling JI. Effect of temperature acclimation period on upper thermal tolerance in a terrestrial salamander. PeerJ 14:e20775. 2025 Saboyá Acosta LP, Watling JI & Urbina-Cardona JN.

2010-2019

2019 Betts MG et al. Extinction filters mediate the global effects of habitat fragmentation for animals.Science 366: 1236–1239. Cameron AC, Page RB, Watling JI, Hickerson C-AH & Anthony CD. Using a comparative approach to investigate the relationship between landscape and genetic connectivity among woodland salamander populations.

2000-2009

2009 Watling JI, Gerow K & Donnelly MA. Isolation and nested species subsets of amphibians and reptiles on Neotropical forest islands. Animal Conservation 12: 467—476. 2008 Watling JI & Donnelly MA.

Courses taught

Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

Teaching statement

Environmental Earth Science

Environmental Earth Science

Teaching statement

Introduction to GIS

Introduction to GIS

Teaching statement

Principles of Biology III

Principles of Biology III

Teaching statement

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