Applied research brings the scientific method and hypothesis-testing to bear on questions that relate to human ecology, the development of sustainable societies, and effective conservation and natural resources management. With more focus and more time than assessments and analyses, applied research is fundamental to the development of new strategies and paradigms. Understanding forest dynamics, for example, is essential for conserving forest biodiversity and managing forests sustainably.
My work on a Colorado moth that is dependent on a fire-dependent plant, Blanketflower, is an example of this kind of applied research. My applied research on the spiritual values associated with certain forests in the Zambezi Valley of northern Zimbabwe is another example of how research can provide new ideas for conservationists and natural resource managers.
• Colorado Fires and Firemoths, in ESA Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2017
• Colorado Firemoth from Peluso Book
• Firemoth Exhibit at CU Boulder Museum Poster
• Colorado Firemoth (Schinia masoni) Life History Paper, 1989
• Mhondoro – Spirit Lions and Sacred Forests, 2004
• Zimbabwe Sacred Forests Paper in Human Ecology, 200117[BB1]