Conservation & Science Staff Bios

Joanne Earnhardt, Ph.D.

  Conservation Biologist
Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology

Education

  • Ph.D. – Demography, Genetics and Management of Small Populations, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • B.A. – Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin

Areas of Expertise

  • Population biology research
  • Development of scientific tools to enhance the genetic and demographic management of small populations
  • Conservation of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, Puerto Rican parrots

About Joanne Earnhardt:

Joanne graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution and a thesis on “Zoos as guardians of wildlife populations: using genetic and demographic management to promote viability.” Her dissertation and other publications investigate the interaction of management with population size and structure as well as genetic diversity.

One of her chapters focused on theoretical genetic strategies for reintroductions (i.e., releases of animals into their native wild habitats), which sparked an interest in the emerging science of reintroduction. As a result, she chaired the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Reintroduction Scientific Advisory Group for five years, serves on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Reintroduction Specialist Group, developed the web-based Avian Reintroduction and Translocation Database and in 2008 hosted the First International Wildlife Reintroduction Conference at Lincoln Park Zoo.

The final chapter of her dissertation became a roadmap for the development of a Population Viability Analysis for zoo populations. With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and several colleagues, she produced the innovative software, ZooRisk: a risk-assessment tool.

Joanne currently works on recovery projects to conserve the endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake and serves as coordinator of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Species Survival Plan®. She collaborates with colleagues in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources on population management for the Puerto Rican parrot in the two island aviaries.

While she enjoys birding (primarily because you can walk in amazing habitats), her favorite species remains the computer. And her favorite quote is from R. Buckminster Fuller: “To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

Publications

Earnhardt, J.M., K. Schowe, and J. McGill. 2011. The size and composition of release cohorts in avian reintroduction programs: implications for population recovery. In preparation.
Sutherland, WJ, D Armstrong, SM Butchart, JM Earnhardt, J Ewen, I Jamieson, CG Jones, R Lee, P Newbery, JD Nichols, KA Parker, F Sarrazin, P Seddon, N Shah, & V Tatayah. 2010. Standards for documenting and monitoring bird reintroduction projects. Conservation Letters: 1-7.
Earnhardt, J.M. 2010. The role of captive populations in reintroduction programs. Kleiman, DG, Thompson, KV, Baer, CK (editors). Wild Mammals In Captivity. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. p 268-280.
Earnhardt J, Faust, L.J., and Thompson, S.D. 2009. Extinction risk assessment for the Species Survival Plan (SSP) population of the Bali mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi). American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Suppl 44): 123-124.
Earnhardt, JM, Bergstrom, YM, Lin, A, Faust, LJ, Schloss, CA, and Thompson, SD. 2008. ZooRisk: A Risk Assessment Tool. Version 3.8. Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago, IL.
Faust, LJ, Earnhardt, JM, Schloss, CA, and Bergstrom, YM. 2008. ZooRisk: A Risk Assessment Tool. Version 3.8 User's Manual. Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago, IL.
Faust L.J., Earnhardt, J.E. and Thompson, S.D. 2006. Is reversing the decline of Asian elephants in captivity possible? An individual-based modeling approach. Zoo Biology, 25(3): 201-218.
Faust, L.J., Jackson, R., Ford, A., Earnhardt, J. M. and Thompson, S.D. 2004. Models for management of wildlife populations: Lessons from spectacled bears in zoos and grizzly bears in Yellowstone. System Dynamics Review, 20(2): 163-178.
Earnhardt, J.M., Thompson, S.D. and Schad, K. 2004. Strategic planning for captive population: projecting changes in genetic diversity. Animal Conservation, 7: 9-16.
Faust, L.J. and Earnhardt, J.M. 2004. Zoo Risk: A Risk Assessment Tool. User’s Manual.. User’s Manual. Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois..
Faust, L.J., Thompson, S.D., Earnhardt, J.M., Brown, E., Ryan, S., Sherman, M. and Yurenka, M. 2003. Using stage-based system dynamics modeling for demographic management of captive populations. Zoo Biology, 22: 45-64.
Earnhardt, J.M., Thompson, S.D. and Marhevsky, E. 2001. Interactions of Target Population Size, Population Parameters, and Program Management of Viability of Captive Populations. Zoo Biology, 20: 169-183.
Schmidt, K.A., Earnhardt, J.M., Brown, J.S. and Holt, R.D. 2000. Habitat selection under temporal heterogeneity: exorcising the ghost of competition past. Ecology, 81: 2622-2630.
Earnhardt, J.M. 1999. Reintroduction programmes: genetic tradeoffs for populations. Animal Conservation, 2: 279-286.
Earnhardt, J.M., Thompsom, S.D. and Turner-Erfort, G. 1998. Standards for data entry and maintenance of North American zoo and aquarium animal records databases. Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois.
Thompson, S.D., Earnhardt, J.M. and Turner-Erfort, G. 1997. Guidelines for Data Entry and Maintenance of North American Regional Studbooks. Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois.
Earnhardt, J.M., Thompson, S.D. and Willis, K. 1995. Reply to Flesness et al. Zoo Biology, 14: 519-522.
Earnhardt, J., Thompson, S.D. and Willis, K. 1995. The ISIS database: An evaluation of records essential for captive management. Zoo Biology, 14: 493-508.