{"id":9,"date":"2019-02-06T21:00:15","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T21:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dcmiller.nres.illinois.edu\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2026-06-11T16:35:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T20:35:21","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/danielcmiller\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our research examines the links between environmental conservation and human development with a focus on the key role that political factors play in shaping the implementation and impacts of policies designed to achieve these two broad goals. We focus on a variety of social-ecological contexts across the globe, with a special emphasis on forest landscapes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A list of publications by Dr. Miller and other research group members is presented below, organized by broad thematic area. Student, post-doc, and visiting scholar authors on publications are underlined. Publications by Dr. Miller are also available via Google Scholar<\/a> and Research Gate<\/a>. Please note that many of the papers listed here have been published in journals. We try to make our work available through open access publication when possible, but in many cases a subscription to the particular journal may be necessary to view the article. If you cannot access a particular paper and would like a copy, or if you find a link is broken, please email here<\/a>.  Thank you for your interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Conservation Finance: Flows and Impacts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the importance of financial support to biodiversity conservation efforts globally, knowledge of the allocation and effectiveness of such funding remains limited. We address this knowledge gap by investigating financial flows and impacts from a range of sources, including bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, private foundations, international NGOs, and national budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

61.\u00a0Bosma, C.b<\/sup>,\u00a0L. Hein,\u00a0D.C. Miller.<\/strong>\u00a02025. International Climate and Biodiversity Funding: Does Allocation Follow Need in Global South Countries?\u00a0World Development<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gruby, R.L., M. Betsill, X. Basurto, J.E. Blackwatters, A. Enrici, D. Garrick, A. Kalfagianni,\u00a0D.C. Miller<\/strong>, and A. Monier. Forthcoming (2026). \u201cPhilanthropic Foundations and Environmental Governance.\u201d\u00a0Annual Review of Environment and Resources.<\/em> [link not yet available]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bosma, C., L. Hein, and D.C. Miller.<\/strong> 2025. “International Climate and Biodiversity Funding: Does Allocation Follow Need in Global South Countries?<\/a>” World Development<\/em>. 196: 107160.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eklund, J., M. Vuola, S. M\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4nen, K.S. Nakamura, J.S. Brooks, D.C. Miller.<\/strong> 2025. \u201cInfluence of Funding Fads and Donor Interests on International Aid for Conservation in Madagascar<\/a>.\u201d Conservation Biology. <\/em>e70122.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castle, S.E., D.C. Miller<\/strong>, and C. Wardropper. 2025. “Mapping the Social-Ecological Suitability of Agroforestry in the US Midwest<\/a>.” Environmental Research Letters. <\/em>20:024041.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooks, J.S., S.W. Wang, U. Namgyel, J. Zavaleta Cheek, K.S. Nakamura, J. Eklund, O. Katel, and D.C. Miller.<\/strong> 2024. “Towards understanding capacity development as a system: Perceptions from multiple conservation stakeholder groups in Bhutan<\/a>.” Environmental Conservation<\/em>. 1-10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Djenontin, I.N.S., A.M. Larson, and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2024. \u201cTrends in Forest Livelihoods Research \u2013 Taking stock in 2024<\/a>.\u201d Forest Policy and Economics.<\/em> 169: 103337.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amadu, F.O. and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2024. \u201cFood Security Effects of Forest Sector Participation in Rural Liberia<\/a>.\u201d Food Security. <\/em>16: 1099\u20131124.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amadu, F.O. and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2024. \u201cThe impact of Forest Product Collection and Processing on Household Income in Rural Liberia<\/a>.\u201d Forest Policy and Economics. <\/em>158: 103098.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diesner, J., Miller, D.C., et al. 2020\u20132023. “Conservation Legacies Project<\/a>” (multi-year research initiative). University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; MacArthur Foundation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gruby, R., Miller, D.C.<\/strong>, Enrici, A., Garrick, D. 2023. \u201cConservation Philanthropy: Growing the Field of Research and Practice<\/a>.\u201d Conservation Science and Practice.<\/em> e12977: 1-5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devkota, D., D.C. Miller<\/strong>, S.W. Wang, J.S. Brooks. 2023. \u201cBiodiversity conservation funding in Bhutan: Thematic, temporal, and spatial trends over four decades.<\/a>\u201d Conservation Science and Practice<\/em>. 5:e12757: 1-14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eklund, J., Zavaleta Cheek, J. Andriamaro, L., Bakoliarimisa, T.M., Galitsky, C., Rabearivololona, O., Rakotobe, D.J., Ralison, H.O., Randriamiharisoa, L.O., Rasamoelinarivo, J., Rasolofoson, D., Ratsirarson, J., Razafimpahanana, A., Temba, E.M., Pyh\u00e4l\u00e4, A., Miller, D.C.<\/strong> 2022. \u201cInsights from practitioners in Madagascar to inform more effective international conservation funding<\/a>.\u201d Madagascar Conservation & Development <\/em>17(1): 29-35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guerrero-Pineda, C., Iacona, G.D., Mair, L., Hawkins, F., Siikam\u00e4ki, J. Miller, D.C.,<\/strong> Gerber, L.R. \u201cAn investment strategy to address biodiversity loss from agricultural expansion<\/a>.\u201d Nature Sustainability <\/em>5, 610-618.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waldron, A., D.C. Miller<\/strong>, D. Redding, A. Mooers, N. Nibbelink, J.T. Roberts, J.A. Tobias, and J.L. Gittleman. 2017. \u201cReductions in Global Biodiversity loss Predicted from Conservation Spending<\/a>.\u201d  Nature.  <\/em>(video here<\/a>; Nature <\/em>News & Views<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bare, M., C. Kauffman, and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2015. \u201cAssessing the Impact of International Conservation Aid on Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa<\/a>.\u201d Environmental Research Letters<\/em> 10(12): 125010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, D.C<\/strong>. 2014. \u201cExplaining Global Patterns of International Aid for Linked Biodiversity Conservation and Development<\/a>.\u201d World Development<\/em> 59: 341-359. (blog post here<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waldron, A., A.O. Mooers, D.C. Miller<\/strong>, N. Nibbelink, D. Redding, T.S. Kuhn, J.T. Roberts, and J.L. Gittleman. 2013. \u201cTargeting Global Conservation Funding to Limit Immediate Biodiversity Declines<\/a>.\u201d Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/em> 110(29): 12144-12148. (news coverage at Mongabay.com<\/a>, the Smithsonian<\/a>, and the University of Michigan<\/a>, among other sources; blog post here<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waldron, A., C.H. Sekercioglu, D.C. Miller<\/strong>, A.O. Mooers, J.T. Roberts, J.L. Gittleman. 2013. \u201cTurkey\u2019s Biodiversity Funding on the Rise<\/a>.\u201d Science<\/em> 341: 1173<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, D.C.<\/strong>, A. Agrawal, and J.T. Roberts. 2013. \u201cBiodiversity, Governance, and the Allocation of International Aid for Conservation.<\/a>\u201d Conservation Letters<\/em> 6: 12-20. (news coverage in Nature<\/a> and The New Scientist<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hein L, D.C. Miller<\/strong>, and R. De Groot. 2013. \u201cPayments for Ecosystem Services and the Financing of Global Biodiversity Conservation<\/a>.\u201d Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability<\/em> 5: 87-93.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zavaleta, E., D.C. Miller<\/strong>, N. Salafsky, E. Fleishman, M. Webster, B. Gold, D. Hulse, M. Rowen, G. Tabor, and J. Vanderryn. 2008. \u201cEnhancing the Engagement of U.S. Private Foundations with Conservation Science<\/a>.\u201d Conservation Biology<\/em> 22: 1477-1484.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working Papers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nakamura, K.<\/span> , D.C. Miller,<\/strong> A. Waldron . 2019. \u201cMapping country-scale conservation funding flows: A Framework with evidence from Peru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding support:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AidData<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arthur L. & Elaine V. Johnson Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-Term Impacts of Forest Conservation and Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Governments, donors, and their constituents are increasingly demanding better evidence on the effectiveness of development policies and programs across different sectors. The forest sector is no exception.  However, efforts to strengthen the evidence base confront the challenge that the results of forest conservation and management may take years, even decades to materialize while forest-related interventions usually last no more than five years. This research addresses these challenges through analysis of forest conservation and management projects, especially those financed by international donors, and development of predictive proxy indicators and other approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castle, S.E.b<\/sup>, P. Newton, J.A. Oldekop, K. Baylis, and D.C. Miller. 2025. \u201cGlobal forest dataset incongruence creates high uncertainties for conservation, climate, and development policy.\u201d One Earth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

**\u201cResearch Highlight\u201d featured in Nature Ecology and Evolution (<\/em>Harold, S. Forest data disagreements. Nat Ecol Evol<\/em> (2026). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41559-026-02991-w<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kabutey-Ongor, M.,\u00a0K.\u00a0Devenish, M. Hern\u00e1ndez-Montilla, L. Alencar, S. Barragan-Contreras, V. Che Th\u00f6ner, R. Hajjar, Y. Hidayat, D. Kaimowitz, B.K. Karna, D.T. Khuu, A.C. Krogh, A.M. Larson, E. Liehr,\u00a0 D. Mutta, P. Newton, S. Nofyanza, B. Ogden, M. Pulgar-Vidal, A. Pradeep, L. Vang Rasmussen, S. Shrestha\u00a0Sangat, N. York,\u00a0\u00a0D.C. Miller<\/strong>, J.A. Oldekop. 2026. \u201cA Horizon Scan of Global Issues on Forests and Livelihoods for 2026.\u201d\u00a0Forest Policy and Economics.\u00a0<\/em>185: 103738.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooks, J.S., Wang, S.W., Namgyel, U. Zavaleta Cheek, J. Nakamura, K., Eklund, J. Katel, O. and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2024. Towards understanding capacity development as a system: Perceptions from multiple conservation stakeholder groups in Bhutan<\/a>. Environmental Conservation<\/em>. 1-10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zavaleta Cheek, J., Eklund, J., Merten, N.; Brooks, J. Miller, D.C.<\/strong> 2023. \u201cA guide to qualitative attribution methods for evaluation in conservation<\/a>.\u201d Conservation Biology<\/em>. 37:e14071: 1-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sterling, E., Sigouin, A., Betley, E., Zavaleta Cheek, J., Solomon, J., Landrigan, K., \u2026Miller, D.C.,<\/strong> et al. 2022. \u201cThe state of capacity development evaluation in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management<\/a>.\u201d Oryx,<\/em> 56(5), 728\u2013739.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rana, P.<\/span> and D. C. Miller<\/strong> (2021). “Predicting the long-term social and ecological impacts of tree-planting programs: Evidence from northern India.<\/a>” World Development 140: 105367. (News coverage at PNAS<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rana, P.<\/span> and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2019. \u201cExplaining Long-term Outcome Trajectories in Social\u2013ecological Systems.<\/a>\u201d PLOS ONE<\/em> 14(4): e0215230. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rana, P.<\/span>  and D.C. Miller<\/strong>. 2019. \u201cMachine Learning to Analyze the Social-Ecological Impacts of Natural Resource Policy: Insights from Community Forest Management in the Indian Himalaya<\/a>.\u201d Environmental Research Letters <\/em>14: 2. (News coverage at Mongabay<\/a>, EurekAlert!<\/a>, Phys.org<\/a>, and Environmental News Network<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, D.C.<\/strong> and Katia S. Nakamura<\/span>. 2018. \u201cProtected Areas and the Sustainable Governance of Forest Resources.<\/a>\u201d Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability<\/em> 32: 96-103.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, D.C.<\/strong>, P. Rana<\/span>, and C.B. Wahlen. 2017. \u201cA Crystal Ball for Forests? Analyzing the Social-Ecological Impacts of Forest Conservation and Management over the Long Term.<\/a>\u201d Environment and Society<\/em>. 8: 40-62.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working Papers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, D.C.<\/strong> and C.B. Wahl\u00e9n. 2015. \u201cUnderstanding Long-Term Impacts in the Forest Sector: Predictive Proxy Indicators<\/a>.\u201d Washington, DC: Program on Forests. (Blog coverage from Profor<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding support:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Program on Forests (PROFOR)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Socioeconomic Contributions of Forests and Trees on Farms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Forests and trees on farms contribute to human well-being in a variety of ways.  They provide goods ranging from fruit to timber, fodder to firewood, and services such as pollination, hydrological regulation, and carbon sequestration that support the livelihoods of millions of people around the world.  Despite these contributions, however, forests and trees often remain peripheral in wider development policy discussions.  This research collates and analyzes evidence on the contribution of forests and on-farm trees to poverty reduction and greater prosperity in different contexts around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castle, S.E.b<\/sup>, A.R. Ramirez, and\u00a0D.C. Miller<\/strong>, and C.B. Wardropper. 2025.\u00a0\u201cAgroforestry for the Midwest: Developing a Social-Ecological\u00a0Suitability Decision Support Tool.\u201d\u00a0The Journal of\u00a0Extension<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hern\u00e1ndez-Montilla, M., Devenish, K., Alencar, L. Benzeev, R., Choksi, P., Djenontin, I., Fagan, M., Fischer, H., Isaacs Cubides, P., Linhares Juvenal, T., Kabutey-Ongor, M., Kamoto, J., Kinzer, A., Kroeker-Maus, D., Mansourian, S., Melo, F., Miller, D.C.<\/strong>, Nofyanza, S., Pradeep, A., Reiner, F., Rattanarat, W., Sakuntaladewi, N., Song, C., Rasmussen, L.V., Oldekop, J. 2026. \u201cForwarding Forest Restoration: Seven key socio-ecological issues for advancing forest restoration in a world in flux.<\/a>\u201d People and Nature<\/em>. 8: 569-581.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castle, S.E., A.R. Ramirez, and D.C. Miller<\/strong>, and C.B. Wardropper. 2025. \u201cAgroforestry for the Midwest: Developing a Social-Ecological Suitability Decision Support Tool.\u201d The Journal of Extension<\/em>. Draft available upon request<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n