Prof. Michael Ansong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Management and Governance, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. He is a forest ecologist whose research explores the ecological processes and human activities that influence biological invasions, forest ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity conservation. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science (Ecology), an MSc in Natural Resources Management and a First Class BSc (Hons) in Natural Resources Management.

His research advances understanding of how invasive alien species spread, affect ecosystems and can be managed more effectively, with particular emphasis on tropical landscapes. He investigates human-mediated seed dispersal, invasion pathways, the ecological and socio-economic impacts of plant invasions, and the effectiveness of control strategies. His contributions include research on Ghana's naturalised and invasive alien flora, long-distance seed dispersal and international collaborative assessments of the impacts of invasive alien species.

Beyond invasion ecology, Prof. Ansong's research addresses biodiversity conservation, threatened tree species, ecological restoration and sustainable forest management. He has investigated forest management effectiveness, compliance with forest management prescriptions, conservation preferences and willingness to pay for forest protection. His work also encompasses forest carbon assessment, native tree propagation and the ecological implications of mistletoe infestation in cocoa agroforestry systems. Together, these research areas connect ecological processes with the governance, economic incentives and management decisions that shape the sustainability of tropical forest landscapes.

Prof. Ansong has expertise in experimental design, statistical modelling and quantitative ecological research. His work has been published in several international peer-reviewed journals. He contributes to collaborative research addressing biological invasions and other environmental challenges, bringing together ecological evidence, quantitative methods and applied natural resource management.

His broader research ambition is to generate robust scientific evidence that supports biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management in Ghana and across tropical regions. His research provides a foundation for interdisciplinary collaboration in invasion science, forest ecology, biodiversity monitoring, restoration, forest carbon dynamics and environmental governance, particularly where ecological research can inform policy, management practice and sustainable development.