The SCB journal Conservation Biology welcomed six Regional Editors to the editorial team earlier this year in a move to broaden the expertise of the editorial team and improve efficiency. As their title implies, Regional Editors provide regional representation across the globe as well as a broad range of important skills and experience. They join Professor Mick McCarthy and Dr. Tim McClanahan, who have stayed on as consulting editors to provide the experience needed to ensure continuity and consistency in decision-making.
Professor Resit Akçakaya from the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University is the Regional Editor for North America. His areas of expertise include extinction risk assessment, population viability analysis, IUCN Red List criteria, metapopulation models, and the effect of climate change on species extinction risks.
Dr. Krithi Karanth from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Centre for Wildlife Studies is the Regional Editor for Asia. Her areas of expertise include species extinction and distribution, risk assessment of human-wildlife conflicts, nature-based tourism, people-park relationships, land-use change, and resettlement of people.
Professor Emma Johnston from the University of New South Wales’ Evolution and Ecology Research Centre is the Regional Editor for Oceania. Her areas of expertise include marine conservation, invasion biology, ecotoxicology, environmental stress, and biomonitoring.
Dr. Carolina Murcia from the Organization for Tropical Studies and the University of Florida’s Department of Biology is the Regional Editor for South America. Her areas of expertise include forest ecology, conservation in tropical America, restoration ecology, conservation in multiple-use landscapes, climate change, and transfer of scientific knowledge to decision making.
Dr. Carlo Rondinini from Sapienza University of Rome’s Department of Biology and Biotechnologies is the Regional Editor for Europe. His areas of expertise include distribution, habitat, and conservation of vertebrates; extinction risk; conservation priority setting; quantitative methods for assessing mammals; use of the IUCN Red List to assess extinction risk; and indicators of biodiversity trends.
And finally, Dr. Brian van Wilgen from Stellenbosch University’s Botany and Zoology departments is the Regional Editor for Africa. His areas of expertise include fire ecology and management, invasive species, ecosystem management, and public policy.
Regional Editors officially began on March 1 this year. Their work requires multiple skills, forthright judgment, careful deliberation, and a high level of efficiency. The Regional Editors are doing a wonderful job, and we are seeing improvements in the editorial process. In particular manuscript processing time has been reduced and authors are being provided thoughtful, authoritative opinions on submissions. The journal’s decision making is enhanced by the Regional Editors, and the professional network of these six outstanding people provide a greater depth of expertise on which we can call for reviews and recommendations.
Please join us in welcoming the Regional Editors and in thanking all our editors for their Herculean efforts on behalf of the journal.