Myles Menz

I have a broad range of interests, starting out studying marine biology at the University of Western Australia before moving on to more terrestrial pursuits, completing a Masters of Science at the University of Bern, Switzerland, looking at habitat selection in birds, followed by a PhD at UWA and Kings Park and Botanic Garden on the conservation and landscape ecology of a rare orchid and its pollinator. I started at JCU following a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship at the Max Planck Insititute of Animal Behavior in Germany, and a postdoctoral position at the University of Bern, Switzerland, where I further developed my interests in the mechanisms and consequences of insect migration.

My research focuses on the movement ecology, particularly migration, of insects and the influence of migratory species on ecosystems. I also maintain a parallel research program on the factors limiting the distribution of rare plants, particularly orchids. My research spans a range of fields such as community ecology, plant ecology, animal behaviour, global change ecology, and conservation biology. I approach my research using a broad range of methods combining field and laboratory techniques, using traditional ecological survey methods and behavioural experiments, coupled with modern techniques and quantitative approaches, such as radio-telemetry and remote sensing using radar. My research has significant implications for understanding the responses of plant and animal populations to landscape and environmental change, and the influence of migratory species (both invasive and beneficial) on the structure and function of ecological communities.