Jonathan Ballou was the population manager and a research scientist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. His research focused on the genetic and demographic problems confronted by small populations, especially of threatened species. He is recognized as a leader in developing the theoretical basis for the genetic management of small populations and in developing population management tools (software, applied theory) that are widely and internationally used by wildlife and zoo managers.

Ballou's more recent activities have included co-authoring the text 'Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations.' He was also the species coordinator for the international golden lion tamarin captive breeding program, as well as the keeper of the golden lion tamarin international studbook.

He received the Ulysses S. Seal Award for Innovation in Conservation from the IUCN's conservation planning specialist group in 2006, the Zoological Society of London's Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Zoo Community in 2015, and the Devra Kleiman Scientific Advancement Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2016. He is currently working with the Species Conservation Tools Initiative, an organization to ensure the continued availability and development of the software tools he and his colleagues have developed in the past.

Article

• Gooley, Rebecca M., Dicks, Kara L., Ferrie, Gina M., Lacy, Robert C., Ballou, Jonathan D., Callicrate, Taylor, Senn, Helen, Koepfli, Klaus-Peter, Edwards, Cody W., and Pukazhenthi, Budhan S. 2022. "Applying genomics to metapopulation management in North American insurance populations of southern sable antelope (Hippotragus niger niger) and addra gazelle (Nanger dama ruficollis)." Global Ecology and Conservation, 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01969. 2022
• Ballou, Jonathan D., Lacy, Robert C., Traylor-Holzer, Kathy, Bauman, Karen, Ivy, Jamie A., and Asa, Cheryl. 2022. "Strategies for establishing and using genome resource banks to protect genetic diversity in conservation breeding programs." Zoo biology, https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21741. 2022
• Wood, Jordan, Ballou, Jonathan D., Callicrate, Taylor, Fant, Jeremie B., Griffith, M. P., Kramer, Andrea T., Lacy, Robert C., Meyer, Abby, Sullivan, Sara, Traylor-Holzer, Kathy, Walsh, Seana K., and Havens, Kayri. 2020. "Applying the zoo model to conservation of threatened exceptional plant species." Conservation Biology: The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13503. 2020
• Ralls, Katherine, Ballou, Jonathan D., Dudash, Michele R., Eldridge, Mark D. B., Fenster, Charles B., Lacy, Robert C., Sunnucks, Paul, and Frankham, Richard. 2018. "Call for a Paradigm Shift in the Genetic Management of Fragmented Populations." Conservation Letters, 11, (2). https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12412. 2018
• Malo, Aurelio F., Martinez-Pastor, Felipe, Garcia-Gonzalez, Francisco, Garde, Julián, Ballou, Jonathan D., and Lacy, Robert C. 2017. "A father effect explains sex-ratio bias." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284, (1861). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1159. 2017
• Miller, Mark P., Haig, Susan M., Ballou, Jonathan D., and Steel, E. A. 2017. "Estimating inbreeding rates in natural populations: addressing the problem of incomplete pedigrees." The Journal of heredity, 108, (5) 574–582. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esx032. 2017
• Frankham, Richard, Lacy, Robert C., Ballou, Jonathan D., Dudash, Michele R., Eldridge, Mark D. B., Fenster, Charles B., Mendelson, Joseph R., III, Porton, Ingrid J., Ralls, Katherine, and Ryder, Oliver A. 2014. "Species concepts for conservation - Reply to Russello and Amato." Biological Conservation, 170 334–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.12.039. 2014
• Rapaport, Lisa G., Kloc, Briana, Warneke, Mark, Mickelberg, Jennifer L., and Ballou, Jonathan D. 2013. "Do mothers prefer helpers? Birth sex-ratio adjustment in captive callitrichines." Animal Behaviour, 85, (6) 1295–1302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.018. 2013
• Frankham, Richard, Ballou, Jonathan D., Dudash, Michele R., Eldridge, Mark D. B., Fenster, Charles B., Lacy, Robert C., Mendelson, Joseph R., III, Porton, Ingrid J., Ralls, Katherine, and Ryder, Oliver A. 2012. "Implications of different species concepts for conserving biodiversity." Biological Conservation, 153 25–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.034. 2012
• Lacy, Robert C., Ballou, Jonathan D., and Pollak, John P. 2012. "PMx: software package for demographic and genetic analysis and management of pedigreed populations." Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 3, (2) 433–437. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-210X.2011.00148.x. 2012
• Wikramanayake, Eric, Dinerstein, Eric, Seidensticker, John, Lumpkin, Susan, Pandav, Bivash, Shrestha, Mahendra, Mishra, Hemanta, Ballou, Jonathan D., Johnsingh, A. J. T., Chestin, Igor, Sunarto, Sunarto, Thinley, Phuntsho, Thapa, Kanchan, Jiang, Guangshun, Elagupillay, Sivananthan, Kafley, Hemanta, Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu, Teak, Seng, Jigme, Karma, Cutter, Peter, Aziz, Md Abdul, and Than, Utin. 2011. "A landscape-based conservation strategy to double the wild tiger population." Conservation Letters, 4, (3) 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2010.00162.x. 2011
• Ballou, Jonathan D. and Traylor-Holzer, K. 2011. "Captive populations and genetic sustainability." WAZA Magazine, 19–22. Gland, Switzerland. 2011
• Frankham, Richard, Ballou, Jonathan D., Eldridge, Mark D. B., Lacy, Robert C., Ralls, Katherine, Dudash, Michele R., and Fenster, Charles B. 2011. "Predicting the Probability of Outbreeding Depression." Conservation Biology, 25, (3) 465–475. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01662.x. 2011
• Eggert, Lori S., Powell, David M., Ballou, Jonathan D., Malo, Aurelio F., Turner, Allison, Kumer, Jack, Zimmerman, Carl, Fleischer, Robert C., and Maldonado, Jesús E. 2010. "Pedigrees and the study of the wild horse population of Assateague Island National Seashore." Journal of Wildlife Management, 74, (5) 963–973. https://doi.org/10.2193/2009-231. 2010
• Raboy, Becky, Neves, Leonardo G., Zeigler, Sara, Saraiva, Nicholas A., Cardoso, Nayara, dos Santos, Gabriel Rodrigues, Ballou, Jonathan D., and Leimgruber, Peter. 2010. "Strength of Habitat and Landscape Metrics in Predicting Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin Presence or Absence in Forest Patches in Southern Bahia, Brazil." Biotropica, 42, (3) 388–397. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00595.x. 2010
• Lynch, Heather J., Zeigler, Sara, Wells, Leslie, Ballou, Jonathan D., and Fagan, William F. 2010. "Survivorship patterns in captive mammalian populations: implications for estimating population growth rates." Ecological Applications, 20, (8) 2334–2345. https://doi.org/10.1890/09-1276.1. 2010
• Leimgruber, Peter, Senior, Briony, Uga, Aung, M., Songer, Melissa A., Mueller, Thomas, Wemmer, Christen M., and Ballou, Jonathan D. 2008. "Modeling Population Viability of Captive Elephants in Myanmar (Burma): Implications for Wild Populations." Animal Conservation, 11, (3) 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00172.x. 2008
• Ballou, Jonathan D., Traylor-Holzer, Kathy, Turner, Allison, Malo, Aurelio F., Powell, David M., Maldonado, Jesús E., and Eggert, Lori. 2008. "Simulation model for contraceptive management of the Assateague Island feral horse population using individual-based data." Wildlife Research, 35, (6) 502–512. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07124. 2008
• Chuei, Jason Y., Asa, Cheryl S., Hall-Woods, Monica, Ballou, Jonathan D., and Traylor-Holzer, Kathy. 2007. "Restoration of reproductive potential after expiration or removal of melengestrol acetate contraceptive implants in tigers (Panthera tigris)." Zoo Biology, 26, (4) 275–288. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20137. 2007

Book

• Frankham, Richard, Ballou, Jonathan D., Ralls, Katherine, Eldridge, Mark, Dudash, Michele R., Fenster, Charles B., Lacy, Robert C., and Sunnucks, Paul. 2019. A Practical Guide for Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations. 1 ed. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198783411.001.0001. 2019
• Frankham, Richard, Ballou, Jonathan D., Ralls, Katherine, Eldridge, Mark D. B., Dudash, Michele R., Fenster, Charles B., Lacy, Robert C., and Sunnucks, Paul. 2017. Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198783398.001.0001. 2017

Chapter

• Ballou, Jonathan D., Lees, Caroline, Faust, Lisa J., Long, Sarah, Lynch, Colleen, Bingaman Lackey, Laurie, and Foose, Thomas J. 2010. "Demographic and genetic management of captive populations." In Wild mammals in captivity: principles and techniques for zoo management. Kirk Baer, Charlotte, editor. 219–252. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press. 2010