A5020845795- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Survey Sampling and Estimation Techniques
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Forest Management and Policy
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Noise Effects and Management
- Avian ecology and behavior
The University of Melbourne
2015-2025
Ecosystem Sciences
2019-2023
Hudson Institute
2019
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2019
ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions
2013-2015
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
2001-2009
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
2001-2009
Deakin University
2006
Australian Research Council
2006
Australian National University
1998-2005
The use of presence/absence data in wildlife management and biological surveys is widespread. There a growing interest quantifying the sources error associated with these data. We show that false‐negative errors (failure to record species when fact it present) can have significant impact on statistical estimation habitat models using simulated Then we introduce an extension logistic modeling, zero‐inflated binomial (ZIB) model permits rate correction estimates probability occurrence for by...
Summary A primary goal of ecology is to understand the fundamental processes underlying geographic distributions species. Two major strands – habitat modelling and community approach this problem differently. Habitat modellers often use species distribution models ( SDM s) quantify relationship between species’ their environments without considering potential biotic interactions. Community ecologists, on other hand, tend focus interactions and, in observational studies, co‐occurrence...
Male frogs call to attract females for mating and defend territories from rival males. Female of some species prefer lower-pitched calls, which indicate larger, more experienced Acoustic interference occurs when background noise reduces the active distance or over an acoustic signal can be detected. Birds are known at a higher pitch frequency in urban noise, decreasing low-frequency noise. Using Bayesian linear regression, we investigated effect traffic on advertisement calls two frogs,...
Roadside habitats are important for a range of taxa including plants, insects, mammals, and birds, particularly in developed countries which large expanses native vegetation have been cleared agriculture or urban development.Although roadside may provide suitable habitat many species, resident animals can be exposed to high levels traffic noise, visual disturbance from passing vehicles, the risk collision with cars trucks.Traffic noise reduce distance over acoustic signals such as song...
Abstract Many cities around the world are expanding and this trend in urbanization is expected to sharply increase over coming decades. At same time, integration of green blue spaces widely promoted urban development, potentially offering numerous benefits for biodiversity. This particularly relevant waterbodies, a type ecosystem present most cities. However, site managers often lack knowledge base promote biodiversity these which generally created provide other services. To address this,...
1. Urban ecosystems are expanding throughout the world, and urban ecology is attracting increasing research interest. Some authors have questioned value of existing ecological theories for understanding processes consequences urbanization. 2. In order to assess applicability metacommunity theory systems, I evaluated three assumptions that underlie - effect patch area, isolation, species-environment relations using data on assemblages pond-breeding amphibians in Greater Melbourne area...
Summary Toe clipping is commonly used in population ecology to identify individual amphibians, particularly frogs and toads. may influence the return rate of marked animals, although results previous studies have appeared be contradictory. We re‐analysed available data using Bayesian statistics examine how change with number toes removed. Our re‐analysis indicated that toe reduces by 4–11% for each removed after first, assuming effect same all toes. A second analysis allowed removing...
Urbanization is currently responsible for widespread declines of amphibian populations globally through the loss, isolation, and degradation habitat. However, it not clear how urbanization affects communities at both local (pond) landscape scales. We assessed breeding distribution frogs in ponds along an urban-rural gradient Greater Melbourne, Australia, examined community relationships with habitat quality context. sampled frog larvae 65 on four separate occasions collected data pond...
Plant and animal survey detection rates are important for ecological surveys, environmental impact assessment, invasive species monitoring, modeling distributions. Species can be difficult to detect when rare but, in general, how probabilities vary with abundance is unknown. We developed a new detectability model based on the time of first individual species. Based this model, predicted rate proportional power function scaling exponent between zero one that depends clustering individuals....
Cities tend to be built in areas of high biodiversity, and the accelerating pace urbanization threatens persistence many species ecological communities globally. However, urban environments also offer unique prospects for biological conservation, with multiple benefits humans other species. We present seven principles conserve increase biodiversity cities, using metaphors bridge gap between languages built-environment conservation professionals. draw upon John Ruskin's famous essay on lamps...
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are increasingly being used to generate multi-locus data for phylogeographic and evolutionary genetics research. We detail the applicability of a restriction enzyme-mediated genome complexity reduction approach with subsequent NGS (DArTseq) in vertebrate study systems at different geographical scales. present two case studies using SNP from DArTseq molecular marker platform. First, we large agamid lizard Ctenophorus caudicinctus , including 91...
Abstract Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or scepticism. There remains a pervasive narrative in policy, practice, and the public psyche that environments, although useful engaging people nature providing ecosystem services, of little value. We argue tendency overlook value environments stems from misconceptions about ability native species persist within cities towns this, turn, hinders effective action. However, recent scientific...
Abstract Urban biodiversity conservation is critical if cities are to tackle the biodiversity‐extinction crisis and connect people with nature. However, little attention has been paid how urban environmental managers navigate complex socio‐ecological contexts conserve in cities. We interviewed from Australian identify (1) breadth of actions undertaken (2) barriers enablers action. found current practice be more diverse, innovative, proactive than previously described (318 across nine...
Wildlife surveys often seek to determine the presence or absence of species at sites. Such data may be used in population monitoring, impact assessment, and species– habitat analyses. An implicit assumption presence/absence is that if a not detected one more visits site, it absent from site. However, rarely ever possible completely sure absent, false negative observation errors arise when detection probabilities are less than 1. The detectability wildlife most important sources uncertainty...
Recent studies in the Northern Hemisphere have shown that songbirds living noisy urban environments sing at higher frequencies than their rural counterparts. However, several aspects of this phenomenon remain poorly understood. These include geographical scale over which such patterns occur (most compared local populations), and whether they involve phenotypic plasticity or microevolutionary change. We conducted a field study silvereye ( Zosterops lateralis ) vocalizations more 1 million km...
Abstract Aim Conservation practitioners use biological surveys to ascertain whether or not a site is occupied by particular species. Widely used statistical methods estimate the probability that species will be detected in survey of an site. However, these estimates detection are alone sufficient calculate present given it was detected. The aim this paper demonstrate for correctly calculating (1) occupies one more non‐detections, and (2) number sequential non‐detections necessary assert,...
Anthropogenic climate change is a key threat to global biodiversity. To inform strategic actions aimed at conserving biodiversity as changes, conservation planners need early warning of the risks faced by different species. The IUCN Red List criteria for threatened species are widely acknowledged useful risk assessment tools informing under constraints imposed limited data. However, doubts have been expressed about ability detect potentially slow-acting threats such change, particularly...
Abstract Protecting nature is a fundamental aspect of local and Indigenous cultures that has more recently become an urban sustainability goal. The benefits provided by to people other species have sparked upsurge in research exploring how best manage existing environments. Here we expand this focus drawing attention emerging pathway practice engaged with the idea bringing back into cities (BNB). We argue BNB could be vital force 21st century urban‐sustainability agenda. However, enthusiasm...
Around cities, natural wetlands are rapidly being destroyed and replaced with constructed to treat stormwater. Although the intended purpose of these is manage urban stormwater, they inhabited by wildlife that might be exposed contaminants. These effects will exacerbated if animals unable differentiate between stormwater treatment varying quality some function as "ecological traps" (i.e., habitats prefer despite fitness lower than in other habitats). To examine can ecological traps for...
In community ecology, contrasting theories suggest that the distribution and abundance of species, thus composition assemblages, are influenced by i) environmental gradients, or ii) contagious biotic processes such as predation, competition, dispersal disease. former case, sites with similar environments would tend to support while in latter, geographically proximate more assemblages than widely separated sites. I investigated relative influence variables spatial position on frog at forest...
Summary The habitat hectares approach is an explicit, quantitative method for assessing the quality of vegetation by adding scores that are assigned to 10 attributes. We believe it will be more repeatable and transparent than other methods rely on subjective judgement. However, we have four principal criticisms as currently proposed: (i) measurement some attributes may subject considerable error varies among assessors; (ii) comparison each measure with a single benchmark does not accommodate...