Petra Kaczensky

Petra Kaczensky is a Professor at the University of Inland Norway, specifically within the Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology at the Institute of Forest and Rangeland Sciences. She is based at the Evenstad campus and conducts research focused on large mammal conservation with particular emphasis on Europe and Central Asia. Her work centers on understanding ecological roles and requirements of focal species and their interactions with other species, including humans, at landscape scales.

Dr. Kaczensky's research interests span large mammal conservation, wildlife ecology, animal movement and migration, human-wildlife coexistence, conservation genetics, and desert ecosystem dynamics. She employs a diverse toolkit including GPS telemetry, genetics, isotope analysis, drone surveys, remote sensing, and questionnaires to investigate these topics. Her current projects include conservation genetics of wild equids, research and monitoring in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia, studying the impact of infrastructure on Asiatic wild ass, developing global action plans for equid conservation, and supporting World Heritage nomination efforts for the Mongolian Gobi.

Her publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding equid ecology, particularly the Gobi khulan (Asiatic wild ass), with numerous recent articles examining climate-land dynamics, gut microbiomes, socio-economic challenges for herders, and movement ecology. Her research bridges natural and social sciences to address complex conservation challenges in human-dominated landscapes.

Dr. Kaczensky is actively involved in capacity building and knowledge dissemination to both scientific communities and the public. She leads the WILDCOM research group focused on ecological communities in change and maintains active collaborations across international borders, particularly with researchers and institutions in Mongolia and Central Asia.