Fire Ecology and Biodiversity

Two PhD opportunities now available

22/8/2017

Following discussions with ecologists and land managers in Adelaide last week, we are now offering two exciting PhD projects. Successful applicants will study the effects of fire and fragmentation on biodiversity in eucalypt woodlands:

Project 1
The stringybark woodlands of western Victoria and eastern South Australia are typical of much of southeast Australia in that they are highly flammable and have been extensively cleared. This project involves collecting data on mammals or invertebrates to determine the influence of fire and fragmentation on species diversity and movement.

Project 2
The Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia is recognised as one of Australia’s Biodiversity Hotspots and is home to threatened species like the Southern Brown Bandicoot and Mount Lofty Ranges Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. The aim of this project is to understand the influence of fire and fragmentation on key fauna species.

The projects will run from 2018 to 2021 and are based at the Creswick campus near Ballarat, Victoria. Both projects require collection of field data in the regions of Casterton (Project 1) or Adelaide (Project 2).

Further details, and information on how to apply, can be found here:

The inclement weather didn't dampen the project planning.

Mount Lofty Ranges Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. © Danny McCreadie.

Belair NP (on a sunnier, smokier day).

PhDs 2018

Please contact Holly holly.sitters@unimelb.edu.au with any enquiries.

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Yet more exciting opportunities! Volunteers needed Mon 28 Aug - Fri 1 Sep

12/8/2017

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We're looking for volunteers to assist with drift fence installation for pitfall and funnel traps in southwest Victoria from Monday 28 August - Friday 1 September. This is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge of reptile trapping methods, learn more about the Fire & Fragmentation Project, and see some beautiful wildlife!

The week will be spent out in the field walking to sites, carrying heavy-ish equipment and installing drift fences, so a good level of physical fitness and enthusiasm is required. Basic food and accommodation at our field house in Casterton will be provided.

If you're not available, there will be further opportunities to volunteer later in September and October (dates TBC).

Please send all enquiries to Sarah.

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Exciting Masters or Honours fire ecology projects available!

26/7/2017

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Fire & Fragmentation Project: several projects available

Start dates are flexible, so please contact Julian any time if you are interested.

A key knowledge gap is how the characteristics of fragmented landscapes (e.g. patch size and isolation) interact with the characteristics of fire regimes (e.g. fire size, patchiness and spatial distribution) to influence animal conservation. The broad objective of this project is to determine how both fragmentation and aspects of the fire regime influence the occurrence and movement potential of reptiles, mammals, birds and invertebrates.

We have project opportunities focused on each animal group. Data will be collected from sites previously established in western Victoria and eastern South Australia as part of the larger project.

Fire, Landscape Pattern & Biodiversity: "Fire and the ecology of flying insects"

Please contact Alan for further information.

Flying insects (e.g. butterflies, moths, beetles, flies) are an important part of forest ecosystems. They contribute to ecosystem function through services such as pollination, provide a large food resource for vertebrate fauna, and are extremely interesting in their own right. This project will examine how fire affects the abundance and community composition of flying insects. Fieldwork will be conducted in the beautiful Otway Ranges and complements Sandra's project examining the impacts of fire on micro-bats.

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New PhD opportunity with our research group

12/7/2017

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We're offering an exciting PhD opportunity within the Fire & Fragmentation Project. The aim of project will be to determine the arrangement of fires that maximises habitat suitability, movement capacity and gene flow for mammals or invertebrates in a fragmented landscape.

Please find further information here.

The project will run between 2018 and 2021 and is based at the University of Melbourne's Creswick campus. We are committed to supporting PhD students by providing:

an experienced supervisory team
a collaborative research environment
fieldwork support
project operating expenses
computing resources
a top-up scholarship of $24,500 ($7,000/year for 3.5 years)

Applicants should send a written expression of interest, including CV and statement of results, to Holly by 25 September 2017. Holly can also be contacted with any enquiries.

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Congratulations to Kirsten Langmaid on completing her Masters research project!

29/6/2017

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Kirsten worked with Kate in the Central Highlands to investigate the responses of Mountain Bobucks (Trichosurus cunninghami) to fire. She measured the home range sizes of animals fitted with GPS collars, and examined the response of home range size to fire severity and vegetation diversity.

She found that home ranges were smaller in areas burnt by high-severity fire in 2009 than in long-unburnt areas. Smaller home ranges reflect high quality habitat, and it's likely that regenerating acacia in burnt areas provides bobucks with an abundant food supply. Within areas burnt by high-severity fire, there was a positive relationship between home range size and vegetation-type diversity, indicating that riparian vegetation is particularly resource-rich.

These results will help researchers and land mangers better understand the implications of changing fire regimes for bobuck populations.

Well done Kirsten, and thanks to Julio, Kate and Kirsten for the photos!

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Congratulations to Alan York and team on winning a Parks Victoria award!

12/6/2017

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Gordon Friend (DELWP Program Leader), Alan York, Mark Norman (Chief Conservation Scientist, Parks Victoria), Matthew Jackson (CEO, Parks Victoria), Matt Swan, Bronwyn Hradsky, Holly Sitters

We're excited to have been awarded the Nancy Millis Science in Parks Award for our Fire, Landscape Pattern and Biodiversity Project undertaken in the Otway Ranges over the past seven years. The award recognises outstanding contributions to fostering excellence in applied science for the benefit of park management.

This research a great example of university researchers working with industry partners (Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)) to achieve positive conservation outcomes. Parks Victoria supported the project through their Research Partners Program and DELWP through the IFER agreement (Integrated Forest Ecosystem Research). The project involved 17 students, who explored the responses of mammals, birds, invertebrates and plants to fire and landscape pattern.

Well done to everyone who has contributed to the project!

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Is the Fire & Fragmentation Project honeymoon period over?

31/5/2017

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Evidence for

Evidence against

Having carefully balanced the evidence, we conclude that the honeymoon period lives on.

Last week the Fire & Fragmentation Project team ventured out to the heathy woodland between Dartmoor and Edenhope to set up their second round of camera traps. This work is part of Zahlia and Lauren's studies into the effects of fire and fragmentation on mammals. They are currently going through the photos from their first round of camera trapping, and will compile their favourites soon. Please stay tuned.

Thanks to Sarah, Lauren and Zahlia for providing all the evidence.

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We have a new Facebook page!

19/5/2017

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We will be posting regularly with information on what’s happening with our group at the Creswick campus, photos taken during fieldwork, volunteering opportunities and more!

If you’re interested in keeping up with some of the daily activities our group gets up to please like and follow our new page.

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Conservation of the threatened brush-tailed phascogale in a degraded landscape

14/5/2017

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Habitat loss and degradation have contributed significantly to the decline of many species worldwide. To address this loss, we first require a comprehensive understanding of habitat requirements and resource-use patterns of the species under threat.

In our new paper, we aimed to quantify variation in the habitat of a the threatened brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa tapoatafa), by measuring several physical characteristics of trees and ground cover. We surveyed phascogales in Central Victoria over a 13-year period from 2000 to 2012, and measured habitat variables characterising tree communities, ground cover and coarse woody debris.

The highest overall animal abundance was at sites characterised by red stringybark, red box, grey box and broad-leaved and narrow-leaved peppermints. At these sites, red stringybark and grey box trees were of small diameter and tended to have small hollows.

Our study has provided new information concerning spatial patterns of phascogale abundance and resource use within a forested area that has been subjected to multiple disturbances. Currently, the composition and age structure of tree communities and ground habitats are a response to severe disturbance due to past mining and harvesting activities.

Successful conservation of this threatened species could be enhanced through active management of this forest to maintain the ongoing supply of nesting hollows and foraging resources.

Mansfield, C., Arnold, A., Bell, T.L. & York, A. (in press). Habitat characteristics and resource use of a threatened arboreal marsupial in a degraded landscape: the brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa tapoatafa) in central Victoria, Australia. Wildlife Research. DOI

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Congratulations to Sarah McColl-Gausden on completing an epic fieldwork campaign!

5/5/2017

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Sarah has recently finished the fieldwork component of her Masters project in the Otway Ranges.

She has been measuring the three-dimensional structure of vegetation at the long-term monitoring sites and collecting fuel hazard information. The next step is to explore how the flammability of different forest types changes over time using these data.

Thanks to all of the amazing volunteers (around 25 of them!) who have helped out in the field over the last eight months.

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Welcome to

Fire Ecology and

Biodiversity

Two PhD opportunities now available

Yet more exciting opportunities! Volunteers needed Mon 28 Aug - Fri 1 Sep

Exciting Masters or Honours fire ecology projects available!

New PhD opportunity with our research group

Congratulations to Kirsten Langmaid on completing her Masters research project!

Congratulations to Alan York and team on winning a Parks Victoria award!

Is the Fire & Fragmentation Project honeymoon period over?

Evidence for

Evidence against

We have a new Facebook page!

Conservation of the threatened brush-tailed phascogale in a degraded landscape

Congratulations to Sarah McColl-Gausden on completing an epic fieldwork campaign!

Author

Archives

Categories

Links

Where to find us

University of Melbourne
4 Water Street
Creswick
Victoria 3363

Phone +61 (0)3 5321 4300 or email us

Welcome to Fire Ecology andBiodiversity

Evidence for

Evidence against

Author

Archives

Categories

Links

Where to find usUniversity of Melbourne4 Water StreetCreswickVictoria 3363Phone +61 (0)3 5321 4300 or email us

Welcome to

Fire Ecology and

Biodiversity

Where to find us

University of Melbourne
4 Water Street
Creswick
Victoria 3363

Phone +61 (0)3 5321 4300 or email us