A5034034436- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and animal studies
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Forest Management and Policy
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Water resources management and optimization
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Genetically Modified Organisms Research
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Food Supply Chain Traceability
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Radioactive Decay and Measurement Techniques
The University of Queensland
2008-2021
Queensland University of Technology
2015-2021
ACT Government
2015-2018
Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre
2015-2018
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
2018
ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions
2014
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
2014
Cargotec (Poland)
2014
The University of Melbourne
2006-2011
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
2006-2007
QUOKKA is a 40 m pinhole small-angle neutron scattering instrument in routine user operation at the OPAL research reactor Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. Operating with velocity selector enabling variable wavelength, has an adjustable collimation system providing source–sample distances of up to 20 m. Following large-area sample position, two-dimensional 1 2 position-sensitive detector measures neutrons scattered from over secondary flight path Also offering incident...
Abstract The notion of being sure that you have completely eradicated an invasive species is fanciful because imperfect detection and persistent seed banks. Eradication commonly declared either on ad hoc basis, notions bank longevity, or setting arbitrary thresholds 1% 5% confidence the not present. Rather than declaring eradication at some level confidence, we take economic approach in which stop looking when expected costs outweigh benefits. We develop theory determines number years absent...
Abstract: The 2010 biodiversity target agreed by signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity directed attention of conservation professionals toward development indicators with which measure changes in biological diversity at global scale. We considered why are needed, what characteristics successful have, and how existing perform. Because monitoring could absorb a large proportion funds available for conservation, we believe should be linked explicitly objectives decisions about...
Long-term systematic population monitoring data sets are rare but essential in identifying changes species abundance. In contrast, community groups and natural history organizations have collected many lists. These represent a large, untapped source of information on abundance generally considered little value. The major problem with using lists to detect is that the amount effort used obtain list often uncontrolled usually unknown. It has been suggested number list, "list length," can be...
Food-web theory can be a powerful guide to the management of complex ecosystems. However, we show that indices species importance common in food-web and network poor ecosystem management, resulting significantly more extinctions than necessary. We use Bayesian Networks Constrained Combinatorial Optimization find optimal strategies for wide range real hypothetical food webs. This Artificial Intelligence approach provides ability test performance any index prioritizing network. While no single...
Abstract: Traditional sensitivity and elasticity analyses of matrix population models have been used to inform management decisions, but they ignore the economic costs manipulating vital rates. For example, growth rate a is often most sensitive changes in adult survival rate, this does not mean that increasing best option for managing because it may be much more expensive than other options. To explore how managers should optimize their manipulation rates, we incorporated cost changing those...
Summary In conservation decision‐making, we operate within the confines of limited funding. Furthermore, often assume particular relationships between management impact and our investment in management. The structure these relationships, however, is rarely known with certainty – there model uncertainty. We investigate how two fundamentally limiting factors management, money knowledge, optimal decision‐making. use information‐gap decision theory to find strategies for maximizing number extant...
Approximately 90% of the original woodlands Mount Lofty Ranges South Australia has been cleared, modified or fragmented, most severely in last 60 years, and affecting avifauna dependent on native vegetation. This study identifies which woodland-dependent species are still declining two different habitats, Pink Gum—Blue Gum woodland Stringybark woodland. We analyse Woodland Bird Long-Term Monitoring Dataset for 1999–2007, to look changes abundance 59 species. use logistic regression...
Abstract Aim To quantify the consequences of major threats to biodiversity, such as climate and land‐use change, it is important use explicit measures species persistence, extinction risk. The risk metapopulations can be approximated through simple models, providing a regional snapshot probability species. We evaluated three under different change scenarios in regions Mexican cloud forest, highly fragmented habitat that particularly vulnerable change. Location Cloud forests Mexico. Methods...
There is a concern that high densities of elephants in southern Africa could lead to the overall reduction other forms biodiversity. We present grid‐based model elephant–savanna dynamics, which differs from previous elephant–vegetation models by accounting for woody plant demographics, tree–grass interactions, stochastic environmental variables (fire and rainfall), spatial contagion fire tree recruitment. The projects changes height structure pattern trees over periods centuries. vegetation...
Abstract: Introduced predators can have pronounced effects on naïve prey species; thus, predator control is often essential for conservation of threatened native species. Complete eradication the predator, although desirable, may be elusive in budget‐limited situations, whereas suppression more feasible and still achieve goals. We used a stochastic predator–prey model based Lotka‐Volterra system to investigate cost‐effectiveness conservation. compared five strategies: immediate eradication,...
Summary 1. Strategic searching for invasive pests presents a formidable challenge conservation managers. Limited funding can necessitate choosing between surveying many sites cursorily, or focussing intensively on fewer sites. While existing knowledge may help to target more likely sites, e.g. with species distribution models (maps), this is not flawless and improving it also requires management investment. 2. In rare example of trading‐off action against gain, we combine search coverage...
Aim Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 3% of the earth’s surface, yet support nearly 10% all known animal species, majorly represented by freshwater fishes (69%) and amphibians (24%), both which are highly threatened groups. Geographically isolated such as those inhabiting islands, at high risk. Australia, with ~9300 is home to diverse island fauna. However, lack published literature on their occurrence, threats, management impedes effective conservation across islands. We aim describe...
Abstract Despite the increasing importance of new survey tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAV s), implications how their spatial deployment may interact with species detection errors have not yet been assessed. Acknowledging and incorporating these are crucial for accurate population estimation improved management. To address this important gap in our knowledge, to discover flight plans should be selected reduce overall error, we simulated contrasting surveys over a range densities...
Threatened species often exist in a small number of isolated subpopulations. Given limitations on conservation spending, managers must choose from strategies that range managing just one subpopulation and risking all other subpopulations to equally poorly, thereby the loss We took an economic approach this problem effort discover simple rule thumb for optimally allocating among This was derived by maximizing expected extant remaining given n are actually managed. also spatiotemporally...
Summary Management of invasive populations is typically investigated case‐by‐case. Comparative approaches have been applied to single aspects management, such as demography, with cost or efficacy rarely incorporated. We present an analysis the ranks management actions for 14 species in five countries that extends beyond use demography alone include multiple metrics ranking actions, which integrate cost, and (cost‐effectiveness) managers’ expert opinion ranks. content manager surveys assess...
Successful pest-mammal eradications from remote islands have resulted in important biodiversity benefits. Near-shore can also serve as refuges for native biota but require ongoing effort to maintain low-pest or pest-free status. Three management options are available the presence of reinvasion risk: (1) control-to-zero density, which immigration may occur reinvaders removed; (2) sustained population suppression (to relatively low numbers); (3) no action. Biodiversity benefits result one and...
Money is often a limiting factor in conservation, and attempting to conserve endangered species can be costly. Consequently, framework for optimizing fiscally constrained conservation decisions single needed. In this paper we find the optimal budget allocation among isolated subpopulations of threatened minimize local extinction probability. We solve problem using stochastic dynamic programming, derive useful simple alternative guideline allocating funds, test its performance forward...