Zoology & Ecology

Saul Chemonges

Saul Chemonges

Daniel Montesinos Torres

Daniel Montesinos Torres

Claire Gely

Claire Gely

Ben Hirsch

Ben Hirsch

Stephen Williams

Stephen Williams

Myles Menz

Myles Menz

Martijn van de Pol

Martijn van de Pol

Slade Allen-Ankins

Slade Allen-Ankins

Noel Preece

Noel Preece

Conrad Hoskin

Conrad Hoskin

Missing and endangered frog surveys and recovery (Old ID 26825)
Conrad Hoskin
01 May 2020 - 31 Dec 2021
This project will survey remote areas, particularly in the Eungella region, to try rediscover an extinct species and also find additional populations of endangered species. Where populations are discovered, detailed population estimates will be made and recovery actions will be formulated.
Ecology and behaviour of feral cats in the Wet Tropics (Old ID 22929)
Ben Hirsch
01 Sep 2016 - 31 Dec 2017
This project will investigate the behaviour and ecology of feral cats in the Australian wet tropics region using motion sensitive cameras and GPS collars. The goal is to understand the ecological and conservation impacts of these introduced predators across the wet tropics. In addition to generating high profile scientific publications, this project will generate important recommendations for the conservation and management of the wet tropics.
Can species interactions drive diversification? (Old ID 20158)
Megan Higgie
01 Feb 2013 - 31 Dec 2016
How new species arise from an existing species remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Particularly intriguing is the widely-observed pattern that related species, in some cases highly speciose groups, often differ primarily in mating traits. Understanding the processes that generate mating trait divergence among populations therefore lies at the core of speciation research. I will examine how male signals and female mating preferences for male signals evolve due to species interactions among a closely related species group, the Drosophila serrata species complex, which co-occur in the rainforests of northeast Queensland. Using laboratory experiments, I will test whether species interactions can drive diversification.
Asian House Gecko Research (Old ID 22520)
Conrad Hoskin
04 Mar 2016 - 31 Jan 2017
Research o the calling behaviour and movements of Asian House Geckos. This project will use experiments and field data to assess the determinants of calling behaviour in the Asian House Geckos. The results will be used to refine methods for detecting this invasive species. The research will also include a mark-recapture field study to understand the scalel of movements of Asian House Geckos in urban and bushland areas.
Acoustics for Large Scale Biodiversity Assessment. (Old ID 26340)
Lin Schwarzkopf
07 Jul 2020 - 31 Dec 2023
Aims: This project will investigate using automated acoustic recording to efficiently census biodiversity assessment at a continental scale. Significance: To generate new techniques for analysing environmental acoustic data and assessing Australian biodiversity, verified empirical estimates of biodiversity, an understanding of causes of variation in biodiversity. Expected outcomes: methods for large-scale and accurate assessment of biodiversity, enhanced capacity to detect causes of variation in biodiversity, open-source software tools for analysing environmental audio data, biodiversity datasets. Benefits: measuring and understanding biodiversity change, allowing enhanced management, conservation, and use of Australian natural resources.
Continental-Scale Threatened Species Monitoring using an Acoustic Observatory (Old ID 29014)
Lin Schwarzkopf
19 Apr 2023 - 30 Dec 2025
Monitoring threatened species and biodiversity is the cornerstone of conservation. However, it is difficult to monitor land at the scale necessary to implement conservation actions for many species. Acoustic monitoring offers a potential solution, though large scale continuous monitoring of vocal threatened species, and of biodiversity more generally. Monitoring is needed to track the trajectories of species populations, determining whether they are endangered, and to plan and execute subsequent management actions. Monitoring is also needed to evaluate the success, or otherwise, of conservation activities. Our project leverages a large infrastructure project called the Australian Acoustic Observatory (Roe et al. 2021. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12:1802-8). The Observatory comprises 344 acoustic recorders, located at various types of nature reserves, and some grazing properties, all over Australia. The acoustic devices record environmental sound 24/7, and have done so since mid-2020, and will continue to monitor until 2025 or longer. This provides an amazing resource, but the data needs to be mined to provide information on threatened species presence and activity, to inform conservation. Acoustic monitoring is a relatively new approach to conservation, and projects are required to develop methods and tools to make sense of the huge data being collected. Thus far, we have established the A2O, and are presently conducting a project to do manual surveys (bird watching, camera trapping, live trapping, and active searching) at 6 sites over 2 years, confirming the high quality monitoring capacity of the Observatory by comparing species lists obtained using each method. We have manually detected 5 near threatened, vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species at only these 6 sites, but there is the potential to detect many more, by searching the acoustic data across all our sites, not just 6. However, this requires automated tools to analyse mass data to provide reports for land managers on threatened species to drive conservation actions. It is these activities that are the essence of our project.
Ozone impacts on tropical vegetation; implications for forest productivity (Trop-Oz) (Old ID 24894)
Alex Cheesman
01 Jan 2018 - 30 Jun 2021
Tropospheric ozone is the third most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas and has been shown to reduce global plant productivity though oxidative stress. Although tropical forests have been highlighted as being potentially being vulnerable to this ozone damage, few studies have looked at role of ozone in these regions. This project will provide comprehensive measurements of the effects of ozone on plant physiology in tropical forests and use this new knowledge to parameterise global land-surface models.
Is the pygmy Coremiocnemis sp. “social”?
Tasmin Rymer
01 Apr 2024 - 30 Nov 2024
The primary objective is to study social behaviours of the pygmy Coremiocnemis sp. The project has two main aims. (1) I aim to describe and quantify the extent to which the pygmy Coremiocnemis sp. demonstrates subsociality in captivity. (2) I aim to determine whether subsociality is simply a consequence of captivity, or whether subsociality is present in wild populations. If they demonstrate subsociality, this study will represent the first demonstration of these behaviours in a tropical tarantula species from Australia. This project aligns with the Foundation objective of “Pure research aimed at understanding rainforest flora and fauna, ecosystems, processes and biological interactions”.
Rat chat: vocalisations of the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes)
Tasmin Rymer
01 Apr 2024 - 01 Apr 2025
The primary objective is to study the vocal repertoire of the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat, the first study of its kind on an Australian rodent species. The project has two main aims. (1) to describe and quantify the main call types of mosaic-tailed rats produced in the audible range in four different ecological contexts. (2) to describe and quantify the main call types produced in the ultrasonic range of mosaic-tailed rats in these same ecological contexts. If they call ultrasonically, this study will represent the first demonstration of ultrasonic vocalisations in this genus. This project aligns with the Foundation objective of “Pure research aimed at understanding rainforest flora and fauna, ecosystems, processes and biological interactions”.
NESP 4.5: Restoration by design: improving biodiversity outcomes from Australia’s restoration investments
Susan Laurance
01 Jul 2024 - 30 Jun 2027
Biodiversity monitoring of restoration projects. It will achieve this by undertaking 3 linked activities. · Activity 1: stakeholder workshop · Activity 2: examining methods used for restoration monitoring and evaluation · Activity 3: evaluating biodiversity outcomes of key restoration projects. This research is foundational for enhancing biodiversity recovery, strengthening restoration program delivery, encouraging informed restoration investments, and meeting national environmental standards. It directly addresses knowledge gaps around restoration identified in the Australia State of the Environment 2021 report and current national priorities for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Note that this project is Phase 2 of the ‘Restoration by design’ project. Phase 1 is a small project currently underway (4.5 Phase 1: September 2023 – June 2024) which includes running a co-design workshop (planned for the first quarter of 2024) with a subset of stakeholders identified in this proposal. Project 4.5 Phase 1 is key to Project 4.5 Phase 2 of this project, as it is the formal start of the complex and time-consuming process of identification and consultation with stakeholders. Project 4.5 Phase 2 also aims to begin development of the program logic required for key parts of the project more broadly – specifically, the inclusion/exclusion criteria of restoration monitoring methods (there are many) and the inclusion/exclusion criteria for case studies to include in our detailed analysis here (again, there are many).
Title: Research Technical Assistant, CSIC
Reseracher: Daniel Montesinos Torres (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1999
End Date: 01 Jan 2001
Title: Associate Editor for Journal of Animal Ecology
Reseracher: Martijn van de Pol (Associate Professor, Mathematical Modelling)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2012
End Date: 01 Jan 2020
Title: Senior Lecturer, James Cook University
Reseracher: Lori Lach (Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
End Date: 01 Jan 2018
Title: Board Member Centre for Avian Population Studies
Reseracher: Martijn van de Pol (Associate Professor, Mathematical Modelling)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2013
End Date: 01 Jan 2021
Title: Sociedade Botânica Broteriana
Reseracher: Daniel Montesinos Torres (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2017
Title: Portuguese Ecological Society - SPECO. Former Board member (2017-18).
Reseracher: Daniel Montesinos Torres (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2014
Title: President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC)
Reseracher: Susan Laurance (Professor, Personal Chair)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2013
End Date: 01 Jan 2015
Title: Australasian Evolution Society
Reseracher: Megan Higgie (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2009
End Date: 01 Jan 2011
Title: College of Science and Engineering Learning and Teaching Committee: Strategic Assessment Working Group
Reseracher: Tasmin Rymer (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2025
End Date: 01 Jan 2025
Title: Spanish Terrestrial Ecology Society - AEET
Reseracher: Daniel Montesinos Torres (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2003