Our Research.

Our research investigates the processes influencing wild populations including survival, reproduction, dispersal, genetics, disease, harvesting, natural environmental variation and climate change. We use a mixture of field studies (e.g., capture-mark-recapture monitoring, animal tracking through GPS and PIT technology, eDNA-based diet analysis) and models to address applied questions in conservation biology and wildlife management.

Woodland birds of the Mount Lofty Ranges

The Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) are a hotspot of temperate biodiversity with national significance. Although 90% of MLR woodlands have been cleared and 12 bird species have already become extinct, remnant vegetation in the MLR still provides an important refuge for woodland birds. Our past research shows that that the abundance of many large-bodied, aggressive and/or generalist birds is increasing in the MLR while many woodland-specialist species are declining. Woodland bird recovery in the MLR requires significant revegetation to increase the area and connectivity of suitable habitat. Our current research is focused on understanding which revegetation strategies work best to support declining bird species and the link between vegetation condition and bird community composition, and on developing new acoustic monitoring methods.

Waterbird and shorebird conservation in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Region

The diverse and abundant waterbird community of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Region (CLLMM) played a central role in the region’s listing as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The CLLMM is an important site for migratory shorebirds of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. It provides foraging and breeding habitat for non-migratory waterbirds and acts as a habitat refuge for many species during drought conditions. The threatening processes impacting waterbirds that use the CLLMM operate at a range of scales from local (e.g. extreme salinity and eutrophication of the Coorong South Lagoon, feral predators, vehicle access) to regional (e.g. upstream water extraction and drought, terrestrialisation of wetlands in the broader network) and global (e.g. loss of staging habitat along the migratory flyway).

Our current research project, funded through the Goyder Institute for Water Research, addresses four waterbird research priorities developed in collaboration with diverse stakeholders including First Nations and community groups, eNGOs, government agencies, and university-based scientists. Our specific objectives are:

(1)    to study waterbird movement ecology at multiple scales to understand (a) how waterbirds select habitats for roosting, foraging and breeding as conditions change; (b) population connectivity across the broader wetland network; (c) triggers for long-distance movements; and (d) the impact of e-Water delivery on waterbird distributions.

(2)    to quantify the impact of disturbance processes on the behaviour and reproductive success of beach-nesting shorebirds

(3)    to develop species-specific conservation models for threatened and migratory species, and waterbirds with particular community significance

(4)    to collaborate with community scientists to monitor waterbird body condition over space and time.

Bat conservation and movement

Bats occupy most continents and habitats and provide essential ecosystem services including insect control, pollination and seed dispersal. Globally, approximately one quarter of all bat species are threatened. Our research to date has focused on the population ecology, movement and diet of two threatened bats in South Australia. First, our long-term monitoring of the critically endangered Southern Bent-wing Bat has used PIT tagging (“microchipping”) of more than 4,000 individuals to understand the survival rates and behaviour of different cohorts since 2016. Similarly, by using miniaturised “store-on-board” GPS trackers and eDNA-based dietary investigation, we are showing how and why bent-wing bats select habitats for foraging. Second, the grey-headed flying fox population is declining but also expanding to use new foraging habitat provided by humans. Grey-headed flying foxes that have recently established new colonies in the Adelaide region, and our research shows these bats are foraging broadly on native and introduced plants and have transported pathogens to our local area.

Ecology and conservation in the arid lands and rangelands

South Australia’s arid lands and rangelands are some of the earth’s habitats most untouched by modern human development. Our research in these landscapes has focused on the population and movement ecology of large vertebrates including dingoes and kangaroos. Through collaboration with Bush Heritage Australia, we are exploring the influence of human infrastructure (e.g., water points and fencing) on the movement and behaviour of red kangaroos in the arid zone.

Sustainable population management and control of invasive or overabundant species

Our research has a strong focus on ensuring that populations of native wildlife are managed sustainably, and on improving and evaluating the impact of programs for controlling invasive or overabundant species. This work straddles the diverse fields of harvesting theory, demography, movement and dispersal, genetics, disease, and climate change. We are also conducting world-leading research into genetic biocontrols (gene drives) for controlling invasive vertebrate populations.

Recent Publications.