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Sharon Baruch-Mordo

Spatial Scientist, Global Lands

Fort Collins, Colorado

Headshot, Sharon Baruch-Mordo

Sharon Baruch-Mordo Spatial Scientist, Global Lands at The Nature Conservancy. © Sharon Baruch-Mordo

Areas of Expertise

renewable energy siting, climate change mitigation, spatial ecology, human-wildlife interactions

Publications

Contact

Sharon Baruch-Mordo
ph. +1 970-484-9598
Email:

Biography

Sharon Baruch-Mordo is a spatial scientist with The Nature Conservancy’s Global Lands Science team. Her research focuses on siting renewable energy in a responsible way to meet the goals of both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. In her latest work, Sharon asks whether we can meet Paris Climate Agreement goals by developing lower-impact wind and solar renewables on already converted lands, and what are the consequences to biodiversity and carbon assets if development proceeds in an unrestricted manner. Sharon is also part of on-going research by the Global Lands Science team to quantify the extent of human land-use modification and future development risk across the globe.

Sharon previously worked on a wide range of research topics relating to conservation in human-dominated landscapes. She co-led a SNAPP project to study effects of hydraulic fracturing on water quality and quantity, and her previous work at TNC involved developing range-wide models to better understand effects of conservation threats on greater sage-grouse. Before joining TNC, Sharon’s research focused on urban black bear ecology and human-bear interactions and conflicts. She completed her PhD in Ecology (2012) and MS in Wildlife Biology (2007) at the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, where she currently holds an affiliate faculty position.

Sharon enjoys applying quantitative methods in ecology to conservation issues in order to find solutions to pressing environmental challenges. Her interests are varied and include renewable energy, climate change, spatial ecology, carnivore ecology, animal behavior, and human dimensions of conservation. She enjoys traveling the world exploring new ecosystems and cultures. She is addicted to R.

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Publications

Visit Sharon's Google Scholar profile for a full list of publications.

Kiesecker, J.*, S. Baruch-Mordo*, C.M. Kennedy, J.R. Oakleaf, A. Baccini, B.W. Griscom. In Review. Hitting the target but missing the mark: Unintended consequences of the Paris climate agreement. Conservation Letters.

Oakleaf, J.R*, C.M. Kennedy*, S. Baruch-Mordo, J.S. Gerber, P.C. West, J.A. Johnson, J. Kiesecker. In Revision. Mapping global development potential for renewable energy, fossil fuels, mining and agriculture sectors. Scientific Data.

2018

Baruch-Mordo, S.*, Kiesecker, J.*, C.M. Kennedy, J.R. Oakleaf, J.J. Opperman.  Accepted. From Paris to practice: Sustainable implementation of renewable energy goals. Environmental Research Letters.

Kennedy, C.M.*, J.R. Oakleaf*, J. Kiesecker, S. Baruch-Mordo, D. Theobald. Accepted. Managing the Middle: A Shift in Conservation Priorities based on the Global Human Modification Gradient. Global Change Biology.

Entrekin, S.A., A.M. Trainor, J. Saiers, L.A. Patterson, K.O. Maloney, J.E. Fargione, J. Kiesecker, S. Baruch-Mordo, J.P. Nicot, K. Konschnik, H. Wiseman, J.N. Ryan. 2018. Water stress from high volume hydraulic fracturing threatens aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in Arkansas, U.S.A. Environmental Science and Technology 52:2349-2358.

Dietsch, A.M., K.M. Slagle, S. Baruch-Mordo, S.W. Breck, L.M. Ciarniello. 2018. Education is not a panacea for reducing human-black bear conflicts. Ecological Modeling 367:10-12.

Schafer, T., S. Baruch-Mordo, D.L. Lewis, K.R. Wilson, J.S. Mao, S.W. Breck. 2018. American black bear den-site selection and characteristics in an urban environment. Ursus 29:25-31.

2017

Patterson L.A., K. Konschnik, H. Wiseman, J. Fargione, K.O. Maloney, J. Kiesecker, J.P. Nicot, S. Baruch-Mordo, S. Entrekin, A. Trainor,  J.E. Saiers. 2017. Unconventional oil and gas spills: risks, mitigation priorities and state reporting requirements. Environmental Science and Technology 51:2563-2573.

Maloney, K.O., S. Baruch-Mordo, L.A. Patterson, J.P. Nicot, S. Entrekin, J. Fargione, J. Kiesecker, K. Konschnik, J.N. Ryan, A. Trainor, J.E. Saiers, and H. Wiseman. 2017. Unconventional oil and gas spills: materials, volumes and risks to surface waters in four states of the U.S. Science of the Total Environment 581-582: 369 – 377.

Garshelis, D.L., S. Baruch-Mordo, A. Bryant, K.A. Gunther, K. Jerina. 2017. Is diversionary feeding an effective tool for reducing human–bear conflicts? Case studies from North America and Europe. Ursus 28:31-55.

2016

Smith, J.T., J.S. Evans, B.H. Martin, S. Baruch-Mordo, J.M. Kiesecker, and D.E. Naugle. 2016. Reducing cultivation risk for at-risk species: predicting outcomes of conservation easements for sage-grouse. Biological Conservation 201:10-19.

2015

Oakleaf, J.R., C.M. Kennedy, S. Baruch-Mordo, P.C. West, J.S. Gerber, L. Jarvis, and J. Kiesecker. 2015. A world at risk: Aggregating development trends to forecast global habitat conversion. PLoS One 10(10):e0138334

Johnson, H.E., S.W. Breck, S. Baruch-Mordo, D.L. Lewis, C.W. Lackey, K.R. Wilson, J. Broderick, J.S. Mag and J.P. Beckmann. 2015. Shifting Perceptions of Risk and Reward: Dynamic Selection for Human Development by Black Bears in the Western United States. Biological Conservation 187:164-172

Lewis, D.L., S. Baruch-Mordo, K.R. Wilson, S.W. Breck, J.S. Mao, and J. Broderick. 2015. Foraging ecology of black bears in urban environments: guidance for human-bear conflict mitigation. Ecosphere 6(8):141.

2014

Baruch-Mordo, S., K.R. Wilson, D. Lewis, J.S. Mao, J. Broderick, and S.W. Breck. 2014. Stochasticity in natural forage production affects use of urban areas by black bears: implications to management of human-bear conflicts. PLoS One 9(1): e85122

2013

Baruch-Mordo, S., J.S. Evans, J.P. Severson, D.E. Naugle, J.D. Maestas, J.M. Kiesecker, M.J. Falkowski, C.A. Hagen, and K.P. Reese. 2013. Saving sage-grouse from the trees: A proactive solution to reducing a key threat to a candidate species. Biological Conservation, 167: 233-241.

Baruch-Mordo, S., C.T. Webb, S.W. Breck, and K.R. Wilson. 2013. Use of patch selection models as a decision support tool to evaluate mitigation strategies of human-wildlife conflict. Biological Conservation 160:263-271.

2011

Baruch-Mordo, S., S.W. Breck, K.R. Wilson, and J. Broderick. 2011. The carrot or the stick? Evaluation of education and enforcement as management tools for human-wildlife conflicts.  PLoS One 6(1): e15681

Walter, D.W., J. Fischer, S. Baruch-Mordo, and K. VerCauteren. 2011.  What is the proper method to delineate home range of an animal using today’s advanced GPS telemetry systems: the initial step. Pp. 249 – 268 in Modern Telemetry. InTech, Rijeka, Croatia

Crabtree, R., J.W. Sheldon, K. Wilson, C. Potter, B. Winkelman, D. Weiss, S. Baruch-Mordo, and G. Reese. 2011.  Decision support for climate change adaptation in the GPLCC: creating geospatial data products for ecosystem assessment and predictive species modeling. Yellowstone Ecosystem Research Center report, Bozeman, MT.

2009

Baruch-Mordo, S., S.W. Breck, K.R. Wilson, and J. Broderick. 2009. A tool box half full: how social science can help solve human-wildlife conflict. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 14:219-223.

2008

Baruch-Mordo, S., S.W. Breck, K.R. Wilson, and D.M. Theobald. 2008. Spatiotemporal distribution of black bear-human conflicts in Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 72:1853-1862.

Crooks, K., C. Haas, S. Baruch-Mordo, K. Middledorf, S. Magle, T. Shenk, K. Wilson, and D. Theobald. 2008.  Roads and connectivity in Colorado: animal-vehicle collisions, wildlife mitigation structures, and lynx-roadway interactions. Report No. CDOT-2008-4, Colorado Department of Transportation Research Branch, Denver, CO.