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Bruce Warburton

Senior Researcher
Wildlife Ecology & Management
Bruce Warburton
Location
Lincoln
Contact Bruce

Research interests

Role at Landcare Research

Scientist, Priority Research Area Leader, Capability Leader, Wildlife and Management Team, Landcare Research

Research interests

  • Welfare impacts of pest control tools (possums, stoats, ferrets, rodents), and ethics of vertebrate pest control
  • Development of strategies for achieving high kills at low cost 
  • Integrating novel technologies into pest management programmes
  • Development of decision support systems for improved pest control

Professional affiliations/recognition

2012 Committee member of the National Pest Control Agencies
2010 Advisory member of MAF’s Future of Pest Management – “Toolbox”
2009 External Associate of the Animal Welfare Sciences and Bioethics Centre, Massey University
2004 Royal Society of New Zealand Bronze Medal for a significant contribution to animal welfare research
1995–2004 Member of MAF’s National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee
Member: Standard’s NZ representative on ISO TC191 (Humane trap standards)
   New Zealand Ecological Society 
   Australian Wildlife Management Society 
   National Possum Control Agencies monitoring technical committee

Qualifications

Canterbury
MSc (Dist) Zoology
1977

Otago
DipSc Zoology
1974

Otago
BSc Zoology
1973

Publications

Warburton B, Tompkins DM, Choquenot D, Cowan P 2012. Minimising the number of individuals killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and the economic incentives to do so. Animal welfare 21(s1): 141-149. https://doi.org/10.7120/096272812X13345905674123

Nugent G, Twigg LE, Warburton B, McGlinchy A, Fisher P, Gormley AM, Parkes JP 2012. Why 0.02%? A review of the basis for current practice in aerial 1080 baiting for rabbits in New Zealand. Wildlife research 39(2): 89-103. WOS:000302323100001 https://doi.org/10.1071/wr11121

Jones C, Barron M, Warburton B, Coleman M, Lyver POB, Nugent G 2012. Serving two masters: reconciling economic and biodiversity outcomes of brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) fur harvest in an indigenous New Zealand forest. Biological conservation 153: 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.016

Jones C, Barron MC, Warburton B, Coleman M, Lyver P, Nugent G 2012. Can possum fur harvesters both make a living and help protect forest biodiversity? Kararehe Kino - Vertebrate Pest Research 20: 5–6.

Beausoleil NJ, Fisher P, Mellor DJ, Warburton B 2011. Ranking the negative impacts of wildlife control methods may help to advance the Three Rs Proceedings: 8th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 21-25 August 2011. Pp. 481-486. http://www.altex.ch/resources/WC8proceedings_full_issue.pdf

Nugent G, Warburton B, Thomson C, Sweetapple P, Ruscoe WA 2011. Effect of prefeeding, sowing rate and sowing pattern on efficacy of aerial 1080 poisoning of small-mammal pests in New Zealand. Wildlife Research 38(3): 249-259. WOS:000292686300009 https://doi.org/10.1071/wr10198

Warburton B, Clayton R, Nugent G, Graham G, Forrester G 2009. Effect of prefeeding on foraging patterns of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) about prefeed transects. Wildlife research 36(8): 659-665. ISI:000272742400002 https://doi.org/10.1071/wr09047

Nugent G, Turner T, Warburton B 2009. Sustained recall of bait acceptability in captive brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). New Zealand journal of zoology 36: 473-478.

Warburton B, Yockney I 2009. Comparison of two luring methods for trapping brushtail possums in non-forest habitats of New Zealand. New Zealand journal of zoology 39(4): 401-405.

Warburton B, Norton BG 2009. Towards a Knowledge-Based Ethic for Lethal Control of Nuisance Wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Management 73(1): 158-164. CCC:000262299800021

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Memberships

  • External Associate, Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre Massey University
  • Member, NPCA possum monitoring review committee
  • Advisor, New Zealand Fur Council
  • Toolkit Subject Matter Expert, MPI
  • Member, NPCA management committee , National Pest Control Agencies (NPCA)