A5086857083- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Forest Management and Policy
- Mollusks and Parasites Studies
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
La Trobe University
2015-2024
Imperial Metals (Canada)
2022-2024
Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom)
2015
Stanford University
2013
The University of Texas at Arlington
1996-1999
The University of Melbourne
1988-1994
McGill University
1990-1994
University of Bristol
1973
Abstract Extreme fire seasons characterised by very large ‘mega-fires’ have demonstrably increased area burnt across forested regions globally. However, the effect of extreme on severity, a measure impacts ecosystems, remains unclear. Very wildfires an unprecedented temperate forest, woodland and shrubland south-eastern Australia in 2019/2020, providing opportunity to examine impact fires severity patterns. We developed atlas wildfire between 1988 2020 test (a) whether 2019/2020 season was...
Abstract Aim The aims were: (1) to identify the environmental drivers of interannual variation in wildfire extent and severity; (2) examine temporal trends climatic potential for large severe wildfires; (3) assess whether conditions experienced during 2019–2020 mega‐fire season were anomalous. Location South‐eastern Australia. Time period 1953–2020. Major taxa studied Temperate forests. Methods We used satellite‐derived fire severity mapping from 1988 2020 model effects drought, weather...
Ecological fire management in Australia is often built on an assumption that meeting the needs of plant species will automatically meet animal species. However, scarcity ecological data fauna relation to undermines confidence managers should place current popular frameworks for planning burning. Such are almost entirely around goal maintaining community diversity. They provide little guidance regarding characteristics desirable ‘mosaics’ (e.g. patch size, connectivity or composition...
Summary 1. Managing fire to achieve hazard reduction while providing for biodiversity conservation is complex in fire‐prone regions. This challenge exacerbated by limited understanding of post‐fire changes habitat and fuel attributes over time‐scales commensurate with their development, a paucity empirical research integrating the effects on these attributes. 2. We used 110‐year chronosequence investigate temporal development resources fauna, fuels semi‐arid Mallee vegetation, south‐eastern...
Summary Rapid environmental change is placing increasing pressure on the survival of many species globally. Ecological refuges can mitigate impacts by facilitating or persistence organisms in face disturbance events that would otherwise lead to their mortality, displacement extinction. Refuges may have a critical influence successional trajectory and resilience ecosystems, yet function remains poorly understood. We review describe role faunal conservation context fire, globally important...
Abstract Aim A common strategy for conserving biodiversity in fire‐prone environments is to maintain a diversity of post‐fire age classes at the landscape scale, under assumption that ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’. Another extensive areas particular seral state regarded as vital persistence threatened species, this will also cater habitat needs other species. We investigated likely effects these strategies on bird assemblages tree mallee vegetation, characterized by multi‐stemmed...
Fire is used as a management tool for biodiversity conservation worldwide. A common objective to avoid population extinctions due inappropriate fire regimes. However, in many ecosystems, it unclear what mix of histories will achieve this goal. We determined the optimal history given area biological with method that links tools from 3 fields research: species distribution modeling, composite indices biodiversity, and decision science. based our case study on extensive field surveys birds,...
Fire is both a widespread natural disturbance that affects the distribution of species and tool can be used to manage habitats for species. Knowledge temporal changes in occurrence after fire essential conservation management fire-prone environments. Two key issues are: whether postfire responses are idiosyncratic or if multiple show limited number similar responses; such time since predict across broad spatial scales. We examined response bird semiarid shrubland southeastern Australia using...
Summary 1. Fire is a major driver of ecosystem structure and function worldwide. It also widely used as management tool to achieve conservation goals. A common objective the maintenance ‘fire mosaics’ comprising spatially heterogeneous patches differing fire history. However, it unclear what properties mosaics most enhance efforts. Here we focus on spatial temporal fire‐prone landscapes that influence distribution small mammals. 2. We surveyed mammals in 28 (each 12·6 km²) representing range...
Abstract Aim Reports of profound changes in species assemblages brought about by the influence strongly interacting are increasingly common. Where these strong interactors sensitive to anthropogenic habitat changes, relatively small alterations environment can result large and pervasive shifts assemblages. We review evidence for widespread assemblage‐level phase across eastern Australia, triggered partly alteration mediated a native, despotic bird: noisy miner M anorina melanocephala ....
ABSTRACT Biodiversity faces many threats and these can interact to produce outcomes that may not be predicted by considering their effects in isolation. Habitat loss fragmentation (hereafter ‘fragmentation’) altered fire regimes are important biodiversity, but interactions have been systematically evaluated across the globe. In this comprehensive synthesis, including 162 papers which provided 274 cases, we offer a framework for understanding how interacts with fragmentation. Fire three main...
The abundance of an aggressive Australian honeyeater, the Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala, was reduced at four small (<8 ha) Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa woodland remnants by experimental removal. diversity and insectivorous nectarivorous birds increased three sites (relative to matching control sites) over twelve months following removal Miners. one exception occurred a pair where eucalypts began flowering site finished other during period. These results, taken together with those...
It has been postulated that aggressive honeyeaters like the noisy miner, Manorina melanocephala, may contribute to rural tree decline by excluding small insectivorous birds from remnant patches of woodland, thereby reducing level predation upon defoliating insects. Previous studies provide correlational evidence avian diversity and abundance is lower in woodland occupied miners than those without miners. Noisy were removed three north-eastern Victoria. The removal majority a site, or even...
Summary A common approach to nature conservation is identify and protect natural ‘assets’ such as ecosystems threatened species. While actions are essential, protection of assets will not be effective unless the ecological processes that sustain them maintained. Here, we consider role complementary perspective for arising from an emphasis on process. Many kinds biodiversity: including climatic processes, primary productivity, hydrological formation biophysical habitats, interactions between...
Abstract Aim Fire affects the structure and dynamics of ecosystems world‐wide, over long time periods (decades centuries) at large spatial scales (landscapes regions). A pressing challenge for ecologists is to develop models that explain predict faunal responses fire broad temporal scales. We used a 105‐year post‐fire chronosequence investigate small mammal across an extensive area ‘tree mallee’ (i.e. vegetation characterized by multi‐stemmed eucalypts). Location The Murray Mallee region...
Fire influences the distribution of fauna in terrestrial biomes throughout world. Use fire to achieve a mosaic vegetation different stages succession after burning (i.e., patch-mosaic burning) is dominant conservation practice many regions. Despite this, knowledge how spatial attributes mosaics created by affect extremely scarce, and it unclear what kind land managers should aim achieve. We selected 28 landscapes (each 12.6 km(2) ) that varied extent diversity 104,000 area semiarid region...
Abstract Aim A common assumption in fire ecology and management is that landscapes with a greater diversity of fire‐ages will support animal species (i.e. ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’). This based on the idea more diverse history provide array post‐fire habitats, leading to number within landscape. We assessed hypothesis pyrodiversity biodiversity by enhancing community differentiation (β diversity), resulting increased landscape‐scale richness (γ‐diversity). used reptiles as...
In fire‐prone regions, wildfire influences spatial and temporal patterns of landscape heterogeneity. The likely impacts climate change on the frequency intensity highlights importance understanding how fire‐induced heterogeneity may affect different components biota. Here, we examine influence wildfire, as an agent heterogeneity, distribution arboreal mammals in forests south‐eastern Australia. First, used a stratified design to role topography, relative fire severity history, occurrence 2–3...
Abstract The cooperatively breeding bell miner, Manorina melanophrys , differs from most other cooperative species in the complexity of its social system, where discrete organization occurs on at least three levels. Microsatellite markers were used to investigate degree genetic structure underlying M. by comparing colonies, coteries and nest contingents. data confirmed behavioural observations living male kin‐based groups between which females disperse short distances breed. Estimates F ST...
AbstractAd hoc studies of the compositions bird communities at dispersed sites and bird-banding data have failed to reveal timing, destinations movement patterns most Australian migratory species. The analysis national atlas count data, on other hand, has potential provide information species undertaking movements, timing these their sources destinations. This study examines 407 for evidence movements by in eastern Australia.Atlas bird-count were brought together form extensive collection...