Irene Margareth Romaria Pinondang

About

Irene Margareth Romaria Pinondang (or Areth for short) is a conservation practitioner interested in the ecology and behaviour of wild cats, human-carnivore interactions, and the implications these have on conservation management. Her PhD research in Indonesia will investigate the distribution of mammals in human-modified landscapes in Sumatra and Java to address conservation strategies in this biodiverse region.

Illegal logging and habitat conversion in peatland forests have led to a decline in unique biodiversity and natural carbon stocks. The restoration and conservation of peatland forests has become a major priority to support and protect biodiversity, as well as meet national targets to reduce carbon emissions. Through her research in Sumatra, Areth will identify the effectiveness of these landscape management strategies for mammal conservation. In Java, where wildlife populations have plummeted following pervasive deforestation, she will estimate mammal populations in the remaining forest landscapes and predict mammal conservation status into the future. Her research aims to provide recommendations to support effective mammal conservation strategies.

Areth completed her a BSc in Biology at University of Padjadjaran, Indonesia, and pursued her Postgraduate diploma at the University of Oxford in International Wildlife and Conservation Practice with the Wildlife Conservation and Research Unit (WildCRU). Areth has previously worked with Fauna & Flora International – Indonesia Programme as a biodiversity officer, and Restorasi Ekosistem Riau as a conservation supervisor. In 2018 she also established and co-founded the NGO, Yayasan Sintas Indonesia.

You can see more about Areth’s research and publications here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irene_Pinondang

Supervision

Areth's PhD contributes to the Leverhulme-funded Tropical Defaunation Hub in SAC, and is supervised by Dr Matt Struebig.