Benjamin Zuckerberg

Benjamin Zuckerberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, affiliated with the Nelson Institute’s Center for Climatic Research. His research focuses on climate change ecology, particularly how wildlife populations adapt to environmental shifts. He collaborates with agencies like the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center to inform conservation strategies. Zuckerberg employs citizen science initiatives such as Snapshot Wisconsin and eBird to study bird behavior, habitat use, and climate impacts. His work explores topics like the subnivium (snowpack microhabitat), climate dipoles, and grassland vulnerability. Notable projects include analyzing bird responses to extreme weather and integrating remote sensing with ecological data. Students and postdocs in his lab investigate topics ranging from avian migration to ecological forecasting. Funding sources include NASA and the NSF.

Research Interests: Climate change impacts on wildlife, behavioral ecology, avian migration, subnivium dynamics, and citizen science applications. Recent work emphasizes ecological responses to warming winters and climate dipoles across North America.

Advising & Grants: Advises a team of graduate students and postdocs. Projects are funded by federal agencies and collaborations with NGOs. Grants support studies on biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, and ecological monitoring.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Zuckerberg Lab, collaborating with interdisciplinary networks to advance climate change ecology and conservation science.