Stephen DeStefano

Stephen DeStefano serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is the Unit Leader for the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, a program dedicated to research, education, and service in fish and wildlife ecology, habitat relationships, and conservation management in partnership with multiple agencies including state and federal wildlife organizations.

His research spans critical areas of wildlife science with emphasis on:

• Population ecology dynamics and survival analysis
• Wildlife-habitat relationships and vegetation structure responses
• Anthropogenic impacts from urban-suburban development
• Conservation biology and endangered species recovery
• Management strategies for overabundant wildlife populations
• Human-wildlife conflict resolution in developed landscapes

Dr. DeStefano's work directly addresses conservation challenges arising from human encroachment on natural habitats, providing scientific foundations for wildlife management policies and ecological restoration efforts across multiple jurisdictions.

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

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As Unit Leader, Dr. DeStefano directs the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which operates as an interdisciplinary hub connecting university researchers with agency scientists to tackle complex conservation issues through collaborative field studies and data-driven management solutions.