All Staff Members | Angus I. Carpenter

Biography

Angus has worked on conservation projects globally including restoration and species reintroduction projects ranging across taxa groups (reptilian, amphibian, avian & mammalian). He has represented the IUCN at CITES CoP, worked with government’s ministries in drafting successful CITES proposals and been a reviewer of CITES and IUCN Redlist proposals. Countries in which he has worked include Madagascar, Mauritius and Round Island, Greece, France, Spain, Sweden, UK and, as a research associate at Cambridge University, on a pan European river:floodplain restoration project. Angus’ research interests focus on the efficacy of applied conservation and ecological interactions for best conservation outcomes. Specifically, the interactions between biological, governance, economic factors and how these interact on conservation actions. Angus has a long history of researching the wildlife trade and investigating bio-economic models to seek best outcomes for conservation and poverty alleviation.

Angus gained his master and PhD from the University of East Anglia and has had several posts before arriving at Cumbria as a lecturer in Conservation and Ecology, where he was also appointed theme lead for ‘Conservation and Ecology’ within the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA). Angus is also a commission member of several IUCN specialist groups, while having much experience of managing externally funded projects, across a variety of funders, disciplines and countries.

Qualifications and memberships

FHEA (2011) Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE).

Ph.D. (2004) Ecology & exploitation of chameleons on Madagascar. University of East Anglia & Institute of Zoology, UK.

M.Sc. (1998) Applied ecology & conservation. University of East Anglia, UK.

B.Sc.(Hons) (1997) Environmental biology. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.

Commission Member - IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN Commission on Ecosystems Management (CEM) 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - CEC UK Members 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEC Nature Education for Sustainability Network 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEC Youth Engagement and Intergenerational Partnerships Network 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEC NatureForAll Network 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEC Europe 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEC West Europe 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Island Ecosystems Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Mountain Ecosystems Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Nature Based Solutions Thematic Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Rewilding Thematic Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Sustainable Use and Management of Ecosystems Thematic Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Wetland Ecosystems Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN CEM Western Europe 2021-2025

Academic and research interests

My research interests focus broadly across applied conservation and ecology, spanning conservation practice, ecological, population & behavioural factors, ecosystem services & sustainable resource use, policy/legislation efficacy and their interactions with trade economics & structures.

Publications

Carpenter, A.I., Rabemananjara, F., Raselimanana, A.P., Ratsoavina, F.M., Wollenberg-Valero, K.C., D’Cruze, N., Vences, M. (2022). Amphibians: Valorisation of amphibians and reptiles for sustainable trade and ecotourism. IN: Goodman, S. M. (ed.) The new natural history of Madagascar. Princeton, Princeton University Press.

Carpenter, A.I., Smith, M., Corton, C., Oliver, K., Skelton, J., Betteridge, E., Doulcan, J., Quail, M.A., McCarthy, S.A., Da Silva, M., Howe, K., Torrance, J., Wood, J., Pelan, S., Sims, Y., Tricomi, F.F., Challis, R., Threlfall, J., Mead, D., Blaxter, M. (2021) The genome sequence of the European water vole, Arvicola amphibius Linnaeus 1758. Wellcome Open Research, 6:162. https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16753.1

Betts, E., Diana, A., Hoque, S., Matechou, E., Bailey, J., Torbe, L., Ryan, H., Toller, K., Breakell, V., Carpenter, A.I., Gentekaki, E., Tsaousis, A.D. (2021). Parasites, drugs and captivity: Blastocystis-microbiome associations in captive water voles. Biology,10: 457-477. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10060457

Andreone, F., Carpenter, A.I., Crottini, A., D’Cruze, N., Dubos, N., Edmonds, D., Garcia, G., Luedtke, J., Megson, S., Rabemananjara, F.C.E., Randrianantoandro, J.C., Randrianavelona, R., Robinson, J., Vallan, D., Rosa, G.M. (2021). Amphibian conservation in Madagascar: Old and novel threats for a peculiar fauna. IN: (Ed’s. H. Heatwole & M.O. Rodel) Status and threats of Afrotropical Amphibians. Chimaira, Amphibian Biology, Volume 11, Part 7, pg. 147-186.

Sampson, L., Riley, J., Carpenter, A. I. (2020) Applying IUCN Reintroduction guidelines: An effective medium for raising public support prior to conducting a reintroduction project. Journal for Nature Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125914.

Harper, L., Di Muri, C., Ghazali, M., Law, A., McDevitt, A., Haenfling, B., Logan, T., Read, D., Breithaupt, T., Carpenter, A. I., Lawson Handley, L., MacGregor, C. (2019). Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of pond water as a tool to survey conservation and management priority mammals. Biological Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108225.

Betts, E. L., Gentekaki, E., Thomasz, A., Breakell, V., Carpenter, A. I., Tsaousis, A. (2018). Genetic diversity of Blastocystis in non-primate animals. Parasitology, 145: 1228-1234 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182017002347.

Carpenter, A.I., Andreone, F., Moore, R.D., Griffiths, R.A. (2014). A review of the global trade in amphibians: The types of trade, levels and dynamics in CITES listed species. Oryx, 48: 565– 574

Andreone, F., Carpenter, A.I., Cox, N., du Preez, L., Freeman, K., Furrer, S., Garcia, G., Glaw, F., Glos, J., Knox, D., Kohler, J., Mendelson III, J.R., Mercurio, V., Mittermeier, R. A., Moore, R.D., Rabibisoa, N. H. C., Randriamahazo, H., Randrianasolo, H., Raminosoa, N.R., Ramilijaono, O.R., Raxworthy, C.J., Vallan, D., Vences, M., Vieites, D.R., Weldon, C. (2008) The challenge of conserving amphibian megadiversity in Madagascar. PLoS Biology, 6: 1-4

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. (2008) Madagascan amphibians as a wildlife resource and their potential as a conservation tool: species and numbers exported, revenue generation and bio-economic models to explore conservation benefits. IN: (Ed. F. Andreone) Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar proceedings. Monografie del Museo Regionale di Scienze Natural di Torino, p.357-376

Carpenter, A., Dublin, H., Lau, M. W. N., Syed, G., McKay, J., Moore, R. D. (2007) Over-harvesting. IN: (Ed’s C. Gascon, J. P. Collins, R. D. Moore, D. R. Church, J. McKay, J. R. Mendelson III) Global Amphibian conservation action plan. Chapter 5, IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK

Carpenter, A. I. (2006) Conservation Convention adoption provides limited conservation benefits: the Mediterranean Green turtle as a case study. Journal of Nature Conservation, 14: 91-96

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. (2005) A review of the endemic chameleon genus Brookesia from Madagascar, and the rationale for its listing on CITES Appendix II. Oryx, 39: 375-380

Adams, W., Perrow, M., Carpenter, A. (2005) Perceptions of river managers of institutional constraints on floodplain restoration in the UK. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 48: 877-889

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. Rowcliffe, M. & Watkinson, A. R. (2005) The impacts of international and national governance on a traded resource: a case study of Madagascar and its chameleon trade. Biological Conservation, 123: 279-287

Adams, W. M., Perrow, M. & Carpenter, A. I. (2004) Conservatives and champions: river managers and the river restoration discourse in the UK. Environment and Planning A, 36: 1929-1942

Carpenter, A. I., Rowcliffe, M. & Watkinson, A. R. (2004) The dynamics of the global trade in chameleons. Biological Conservation, 120: 295-305

Selected conference contributions

Carpenter, A.I. (2020) Environmental sustainability of tourism; Malaysia’s challenge. Invited plenary speaker on Environmental Pillar of Sustainability. Langkawi Tourism and Hospitality International Conference, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia.