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James Philip Lassoie

Professor

Primary Research Areas

  • agroforestry
  • community development
  • development sociology
  • ecology
  • environmental sciences
  • food science
  • forest management
  • international agriculture
  • international development
  • natural resources
  • resource policy and management
  • sustainable development
  • water resource management

Graduate Fields

Research Focus

Lassoie`s past research activities were focused on the ecology, management, and physiology of temperate forest tree species. However, his work has shifted over the past two decades to the role of local communities and indigenous peoples in the establishment and management of parks and protected areas, sustainable natural resource management including agroforestry and ecoagriculture, and the application of interdisciplinary science to conservation. He has extensive international experience and was appointed a Cornell International Professor of Conservation in 2002. Lassoie has served as the major advisor for 37 Masters and 24 Ph.D. students, and presently advises 12 graduate students (5 Masters and 7 Ph.D.) with projects in Bhutan, China, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Panama, Thailand, and United States. Lassoie also has assisted with research and development projects in many other countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Sumatra, the Swazi Nation, and Zimbabwe. Lassoie and his wife, Dr. Ruth E. Sherman, worked with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) between 2003 and 2004 to develop and monitor conservation strategies for parks and protected areas in Yunnan Province in south-central China. They were particularly focused on the ecological impacts of grazing and harvesting of non-timber forest products, including medicinal plants, on alpine ecosystems in northwestern Yunnan. Lassoie also helped to develop comprehensive ecological measures of success for different conservation interventions at both the project and ecoregional levels. In particular, he developed a ground-based, photo-monitoring methodology for assessing ecological changes across large ecoregions. They recently reinitiated work in China with collaborators at Beijing Normal University and the Center for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, as well as TNC-China.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D, University of Washington (Seattle), 1975
  • B.S., University of Washington (Seattle), 1968

Research Grants

  • AGRICULTURE BRIDGE: CONNECTING STUDENTS AND PRACTITIONERS TO ENHANCE MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING

Selected Publications

PubMed Listings
  • Brown, H.C.P, S. Wolf, and J.P. Lassoie. 2006. Analyzing the Potential for Effective Community-based Natural Resource management: A case study of Non-Wood Forest Products in Community Forests in Cameroon. Progress in Develop. Studies (in press)

     

  • Brown, H.C.P, L.E. Buck, and J.P. Lassoie. Governance and Social Learning in the Management of Non-wood Forest Products in Community Forests in Cameroon. Intern. J. of Agric. Res. (in press)

     

  • Buntaine, M.T., R.B. Mullen, and J.P. Lassoie. Human use and conservation in Alpine Systems of Yunnan, China: Getting it right from the start. Ecol. and Soc. (in review).

     

  • Lassoie, J.P., R.K. Moseley, and K.E. Goldman. Ground-based photomonitoring of ecoregional ecological changes in northwestern Yunnan, China. In: Aguirre-Bravo, Celedonio, et al. Eds. A Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere; 2004 September 20-24; Denver, CO. Proceedings (in press).

     

  • Wang, S.W., J.P. Lassoie, and P.D. Curtis. Attitudes towards conservation in Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park, Bhutan. Envir. Conser. (in press).

     

  • Stem, C.J., J.P. Lassoie, D.R. Lee, and D.D. Deshler. 2003. Community participation in ecotourism benefits: The link to conservation practices and perspectives. Soc. and Nat. Res. 16:387-413.

     

  • Stem, C.J., J.P. Lassoie, D.R. Lee, and D.D. Deshler. 2003. How 'eco' is ecotourism: A comparative case study of ecotourism in Costa Rica. J. of Sust. 11(2):322-347.

     

  • Mercado, L. and J. Lassoie. 2002. Assessing tourists' preferences for recreational and environmental management programs central to the sustainable development of a tourism area in the Dominican Republic. Envir., Develop., & Sust. 4:253-278.

     

  • Michaelidou, M.D., D. J. Decker, and J.P. Lassoie. 2002. The interdependence of ecosystem and community viability: A theoretical framework to guide research and application. Soc. and Nat. Res. 15:599-616.

     

  • Langholz, J. and J.P. Lassoie. 2001. Combining conservation and development on private lands: Lessons from Costa Rica. Envir., Develop. & Sust. 3:309-322.

     

  • Schelhas and J.P. Lassoie. 2001. Learning conservation and sustainable development: An interdisciplinary approach. J. Life Sci. & Nat. Res. Ed. 30: 1-9.