Research Supervisor Connect
Ecological interactions with mammalian herbivores: the ways in which plant, herbivores and predators respond to one another on an individual basis, and the implications for populations and communities. We explore the foraging and behavioural ecology of mammalian herbivores: how they deal with plants and predators, the choices they make when foraging and the implications of those choices on themselves and those (plant and animals) with whom they interact. These questions are fundamentally interesting and can be applied to management and conservation. For example, do competitors or predators (or both) limit rock-wallaby populations? How do invasive deer interact with native wallabies and do they alter plant communities through selective foraging?
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Masters/PHD
Plant defend and predators attack, provoking the never-ending daily dilemma faced by herbivores of how to eat enough without being eaten. This is the basis to my research and those of my students. You have the opportunity to explore components of these interactions with marsupial herbivores as the focus, and the natural woodland/forest environment as the backdrop. In particular, my projects explore how plant chemistry modifies foraging behaviour and food patch use by herbivores, how the abiotic and biotic environment alters this interaction and finally how the presence or fear of predators provides yet another constraint on the foraging choices that herbivores make. All this serves to understand how individuals respond to the world around them, which is ultimately manifest in differences in reproductive success, population- and community-level patterns and, presumably, evolution.
HDR Inherent Requirements
In addition to the academic requirements set out in the Science Postgraduate Handbook, you may be required to satisfy a number of inherent requirements to complete this degree. Example of inherent requirement may include:
- Confidential disclosure and registration of a disability that may hinder your performance in your degree;
- Confidential disclosure of a pre-existing or current medical condition that may hinder your performance in your degree (e.g. heart disease, pace-maker, significant immune suppression, diabetes, vertigo, etc.);
- Ability to perform independently and/or with minimal supervision;
- Ability to undertake certain physical tasks (e.g. heavy lifting);
- Ability to undertake observatory, sensory and communication tasks;
- Ability to spend time at remote sites (e.g. One Tree Island, Narrabri and Camden);
- Ability to work in confined spaces or at heights;
- Ability to operate heavy machinery (e.g. farming equipment);
- Hold or acquire an Australian driver’s licence;
- Hold a current scuba diving license;
- Hold a current Working with Children Check;
- Meet initial and ongoing immunisation requirements (e.g. Q-Fever, Vaccinia virus, Hepatitis, etc.)
You must consult with your nominated supervisor regarding any identified inherent requirements before completing your application.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 1329