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More than one million species at risk of extinction in the coming decades due to climate- and human-driven impacts on habitats. While thousands of research projects have studied the impacts of these risks and offer mitigation strategies, scientists with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) found that in more than a century of U.S. mammal research, many smaller and less charismatic species underrepresented. Their findings emphasize that a more equitable approach to research and research funding is needed to guide future conservation efforts and help safeguard the nation's biodiversity.

UNH Study Highlights Overlooked Species in Mammal Research

In a recently published paper in Mammal Review, the team of scientists, including Rem Moll, an assistant professor in the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, and doctoral students Taylor Readyhough and Andrew Butler, reviewed more than 70,000 scientific publications. They found that larger species, such as hoofed mammals and carnivores, dominate this literature, while smaller, less visible species, such as shrews and rodents, are studied significantly less often. According to the researchers, larger species with greater geographic range receive more research attention despite the critical roles that smaller species play in ecosystems.

“The focus on larger, charismatic species is understandable given society’s value for those animals but that focus can cause us to overlook some species,” said Moll, an assistant professor in COLSA’s department of natural resources and the environment. “For example, we found that weasels are quite understudied. Weasels are fascinating creatures that play important ecological roles as predators and are thought to be declining across the U.S., but the research on them is lacking.”

With wildlife conservation groups, government agencies and recreationalists increasingly calling for research-based management decisions reliant on our current body of research.

“Science-based environmental policy is gaining traction nationwide as it can produce the best outcomes for wild animals and wild places while integrating the (often conflicting) interests of different stakeholders,” said Readyhough.

However, it is critical to highlight past and existing scientific gaps, Readyhough added.

One of the more surprising findings from the study was that, at least at a national level, conservation status was not a significant predictor of research about a species.

“You might expect that there is more research interest in threatened and endangered species, but we found that was not the case,” said Butler. “In fact, species with small ranges and lower abundance were studied less. Increasing research on these species may require an increased tolerance during the publication processes for accepting studies with more modest sample sizes.”

In some cases, the neglect of these species in scientific studies could lead to negative consequences, with species at risk of decline or extinction not receiving appropriate monitoring and protection because less is known about them.

“The need to increase research effort on these smaller species is two-fold,” added Butler. “On one hand, we need to better understand their ecosystem role, which is often significant, and on the other hand, we need to better understand these species to recognize potential threats and develop effective conservation actions.”

Innovative Tools Aid in Research of Smaller, Understudied Mammals

The research team stressed the need for a more balanced approach to wildlife research to mitigate extinction risk or declines in less studied species. New tools, such as camera traps, bioacoustic systems, Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), genetic monitoring and environmental DNA (eDNA) are making it easier to study species, particularly smaller mammals, that are traditionally harder to observe. These innovations offer the potential to fill gaps in research and provide a more comprehensive understanding of species' roles in ecosystems. And by broadening research efforts to focus on species that have historically been overlooked, scientists can develop more holistic and effective ecosystem conservation strategies.

“Modern conservation depends on our scientific knowledge of ecosystems and the species within them,” said Readyhough. “And increasing wildlife research on understudied mammals would not only lead to deeper knowledge about these species but broaden our understanding of U.S. ecosystems in the face of rapid, global environmental change.”

This work is co-authored by Taylor S. Readyhough, Andrew R. Butler, Ryan B. Stephens, Lily M. Hall, David R. Heit, Mairi K.P. Poisson and Remington J. Moll.

This material is based on work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station through joint funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (under McIntire-Stennis award number 7003422) and the state of New Hampshire. Additional support came from the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation.