ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7593-0267
Current Organisation
University of Tasmania
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Terrestrial Ecology | Forestry Sciences | Forestry Management and Environment | Conservation and Biodiversity
Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Forest and Woodlands Environments | Native Forests | Forest and Woodlands Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Land and water management | Native forests | Living resources (flora and fauna) |
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-10-2017
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12343
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-03-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE12529
Abstract: Species richness has dominated our view of global bio ersity patterns for centuries. The dominance of this paradigm is reflected in the focus by ecologists and conservation managers on richness and associated occurrence-based measures for understanding drivers of broad-scale ersity patterns and as a biological basis for management. However, this is changing rapidly, as it is now recognized that not only the number of species but the species present, their phenotypes and the number of in iduals of each species are critical in determining the nature and strength of the relationships between species ersity and a range of ecological functions (such as biomass production and nutrient cycling). Integrating these measures should provide a more relevant representation of global bio ersity patterns in terms of ecological functions than that provided by simple species counts. Here we provide comparisons of a traditional global bio ersity distribution measure based on richness with metrics that incorporate species abundances and functional traits. We use data from standardized quantitative surveys of 2,473 marine reef fish species at 1,844 sites, spanning 133 degrees of latitude from all ocean basins, to identify new ersity hotspots in some temperate regions and the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. These relate to high ersity of functional traits amongst in iduals in the community (calculated using Rao's Q), and differ from previously reported patterns in functional ersity and richness for terrestrial animals, which emphasize species-rich tropical regions only. There is a global trend for greater evenness in the number of in iduals of each species, across the reef fish species observed at sites ('community evenness'), at higher latitudes. This contributes to the distribution of functional ersity hotspots and contrasts with well-known latitudinal gradients in richness. Our findings suggest that the contribution of species ersity to a range of ecosystem functions varies over large scales, and imply that in tropical regions, which have higher numbers of species, each species contributes proportionally less to community-level ecological processes on average than species in temperate regions. Metrics of ecological function usefully complement metrics of species ersity in conservation management, including when identifying planning priorities and when tracking changes to bio ersity values.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-05-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/EEN.12831
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/CSP2.55
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EEN.12158
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2016
DOI: 10.1002/EAP.1406
Abstract: Timber harvest can adversely affect forest biota. Recent research and application suggest that retention of mature forest elements (retention forestry), including unharvested patches (or aggregates) within larger harvested units, can benefit bio ersity compared to clearcutting. However, it is unclear whether these benefits can be generalized among the erse taxa and biomes in which retention forestry is practiced. Lack of comparability in methods for s ling and analyzing responses to timber harvest and edge creation presents a challenge to synthesis. We used a consistent methodology (similarly spaced plots or traps along transects) to investigate responses of vascular plants and ground-active beetles to aggregated retention at replicate sites in each of four temperate and boreal forest types on three continents: Douglas-fir forests in Washington, USA aspen forests in Minnesota, USA spruce forests in Sweden and wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania, Australia. We assessed (1) differences in local (plot-scale) species richness and composition between mature (intact) and regenerating (previously harvested) forest (2) the lifeboating function of aggregates (capacity to retain species of unharvested forest) and whether intact forests and aggregates (3) are susceptible to edge effects and (4) influence the adjacent regenerating forest. Intact and harvested forests differed in composition but not richness of plants and beetles. The magnitude of this difference was generally similar among regions, but there was considerable heterogeneity of composition within and among replicate sites. Aggregates within harvest units were effective at lifeboating for both plant and beetle communities. Edge effects were uncommon even within the aggregates. In contrast, effects of forest influence on adjacent harvested areas were common and as strong for aggregates as for larger blocks of intact forest. Our results provide strong support for the widespread application of aggregated retention in boreal and temperate forests. The consistency of pattern in four very different regions of the world suggests that, for forest plants and beetles, responses to aggregated retention are likely to apply more widely. Our results suggest that through strategic placement of aggregates, it is possible to maintain the natural heterogeneity and bio ersity of mature forests managed for multiple objectives.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-10-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2004
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 11-02-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-04-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-06-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-09-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1523-1739.2009.01247.X
Abstract: The developing field of community genetics has the potential to broaden the contribution of genetics to conservation biology by demonstrating that genetic variation within foundation plant species can act to structure associated communities of microorganisms, invertebrates, and vertebrates. We assessed the bio ersity consequences of natural patterns of intraspecific genetic variation within the widely distributed Australian forest tree, Eucalyptus globulus. We assessed genetic variation among geographic races of E. globulus (i.e., provenances, seed zones) in the characteristics of tree-trunk bark in a 17-year-old common garden and the associated response of a dependent macroarthropod community. In total, 180 macroarthropod taxa were identified following a collection from 100 trees of five races. We found substantial genetically based variation within E. globulus in the quantity and type of decorticating bark. In the community of organisms associated with this bark, significant variation existed among trees of different races in composition, and there was a two-fold difference in species richness (7-14 species) and abundance (22-55 in iduals) among races. This community variation was tightly linked with genetically based variation in bark, with 60% of variation in community composition driven by bark characteristics. No detectable correlation was found, however, with neutral molecular markers. These community-level effects of tree genetics are expected to extend to higher trophic levels because of the extensive use of tree trunks as foraging zones by birds and marsupials. Our results demonstrate the potential bio ersity benefits that may be gained through conservation of intraspecific genetic variation within broadly distributed foundation species. The opportunities for enhancing bio ersity values of forestry and restoration plantings are also highlighted because such planted forests are increasingly becoming the dominant forest type in many areas of the world.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-02-2014
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE13022
Abstract: In line with global targets agreed under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the number of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increasing rapidly, yet socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs remain difficult to predict and under debate. MPAs often fail to reach their full potential as a consequence of factors such as illegal harvesting, regulations that legally allow detrimental harvesting, or emigration of animals outside boundaries because of continuous habitat or inadequate size of reserve. Here we show that the conservation benefits of 87 MPAs investigated worldwide increase exponentially with the accumulation of five key features: no take, well enforced, old (>10 years), large (>100 km(2)), and isolated by deep water or sand. Using effective MPAs with four or five key features as an unfished standard, comparisons of underwater survey data from effective MPAs with predictions based on survey data from fished coasts indicate that total fish biomass has declined about two-thirds from historical baselines as a result of fishing. Effective MPAs also had twice as many large (>250 mm total length) fish species per transect, five times more large fish biomass, and fourteen times more shark biomass than fished areas. Most (59%) of the MPAs studied had only one or two key features and were not ecologically distinguishable from fished sites. Our results show that global conservation targets based on area alone will not optimize protection of marine bio ersity. More emphasis is needed on better MPA design, durable management and compliance to ensure that MPAs achieve their desired conservation value.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-04-2015
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-01-2017
DOI: 10.3390/F8020031
Publisher: BirdLife Australia, Ltd.
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.20938/AFO35030039
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/BT13250
Abstract: Forest influence is a type of edge effect that occurs when mature forests affect the recolonisation of adjacent disturbed areas. This can be driven by changes in microclimate conditions near the edge or by an increase in establishment ability with proximity to a propagule source. Bryophyte recolonisation is sensitive to both microclimate and dispersal distance, therefore they are an ideal group to examine how strong forest influence is and over what distance it operates. Responses to forest influence are known to be highly species dependent therefore, we tested whether distance affects the recolonisation ability of a range of bryophytes. As well as examining a range of species, we tested whether forest influence operated differently on two types of substrate used by bryophytes (logs and ground). For most of the species examined, establishment rates in disturbed forest diminished further away from the mature edge. The influence of unlogged mature forest on bryophyte establishment in harvested forest occurred up to 50 m. Species varied in their response to distance, and the relationships with distance were stronger on the ground compared with log substrates. These results support the concept of forest influence, with areas closer to mature forest experiencing more substantial re-establishment. These findings are relevant to conservation of bryophytes in managed native forests.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2013
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 13-06-2023
Abstract: Estimating species biomass or abundance from the number of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) reads is an aspirational goal for DNA metabarcoding, yet studies have found varied correlations. Performance varies depending on the gene marker and taxonomic group and, in part, may be related to primer-template mismatches, which are likely to exhibit phylogenetic signals. In this study, we compared commonly used fragments of two gene markers for beetles, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S), which have similar lengths, but different propensity for primer-template mismatches. We tested whether primer-template mismatches influence the relationship between species biomass and HTS read abundance and whether the effect of mismatches was explained by phylogeny. A significant correlation between species biomass and HTS read abundance existed for 16S, but not for COI, which had more primer-template mismatches. Models incorporating the effects of mismatch type or number improved the estimation of species biomass from HTS read abundance for COI and strong phylogenetic signals were identified. Researchers seeking to quantify biomass from metabarcoding studies should consider the effect of primer-template mismatches for the taxonomic group of interest and, for beetles, 16S appears a good candidate. Phylogenetic correction can also improve biomass estimation when using gene markers with higher primer mismatching.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-03-2020
DOI: 10.1002/EAP.2097
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-03-2017
DOI: 10.3390/F8030089
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1890/14-0334.1
Abstract: In increasingly fragmented landscapes, it is important to understand how mature forest affects adjacent secondary forest (forest influence). Forest influence on ecological succession of beetle communities is largely unknown. We investigated succession and forest influence using 235 m long transects across boundaries between mature and secondary forest at 15 sites, s ling a chronosequence of three forest age classes (5-10, 23- 29, and 42-46 years since clear-cutting) in tall eucalypt forest in Tasmania, Australia. Our results showed that ground-dwelling beetle communities showed strong successional changes, and in the oldest secondary forests, species considered indicators of mature forest had recolonized to abundance levels similar to those observed within adjacent mature forest stands. However, species composition also showed forest influence gradients in all age classes. Forest influence was estimated to extend 13 m and 20 m in the youngest and intermediate-aged secondary forests, respectively. However, the estimated effect extended to at least 176 m in the oldest secondary forest. Our environmental modeling suggests that leaf litter, microclimate, and soil variables were all important in explaining the spatial variation in beetle assemblages, and the relative importance of factors varied between secondary forest age classes. Mature-forest beetle communities can recolonize successfully from the edge, and our results provide a basis for land managers to build mature habitat connectivity into forest mosaics typical of production forests. Our results also indicate the importance of forest influence in determining potential conservation value of older secondary forest for beetles.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-02-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-10-2020
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13236
Abstract: DNA metabarcoding is an emerging approach for monitoring bio ersity, but uncertainties remain about its capacity to detect subtle differences in invertebrate community composition comparable to those achievable based on conventional morphological identification. In this study, DNA metabarcoding and morphology‐based approaches were compared as tools for investigating whether logging history impacted beetle communities in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests. We compared 12 unlogged mature forest sites with 12 neighboring regeneration sites that had been logged approximately 55 years previously. The number of species identified based on morphology (173) was close to the number of zero‐radius operational taxonomic units (ZOTUs) identified by DNA metabarcoding of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI, 176) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S, 156) markers. Subtle but significant differences in beetle species composition between regeneration and unlogged mature forests were captured by both morphology‐based and COI DNA metabarcoding approaches, but not by 16S DNA metabarcoding. Our results support the suitability of mitochondrial COI for studying invertebrate bio ersity. A slight loss of signal compared to the morphology‐based approach may be resolved by developing more comprehensive DNA reference databases. While confirming forest recovery of 48–58 years did not fully restore mature forest beetle communities, we suggest that DNA metabarcoding can be used for monitoring bio ersity and probing subtle differences in community composition.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/WR04120
Abstract: We examined the response of the common brown froglet, Crinia signifera, to recently clearcut forest edges in Tasmanian wet Eucalyptus obliqua forest. We established transects of pitfall traps crossing coupe edges, within coupes, and within mature forest interiors (riparian and non-riparian) at three study sites. Pitfall captures of C. signifera were greatest at the immediate logged forest edge (which corresponded with a firebreak constructed as part of standard clearfell, burn and sow silvicultural practices in Tasmania). Capture rates were lower in both the coupe interior and the immediate unlogged forest edge and declined to negligible numbers in the unlogged forest interior. Edge penetration was estimated to be generally 50–100 m. We suggest that Tasmania’s current management of wet forest may provide additional habitat for C. signifera by changing the age structure of the forest and providing additional forest edge/firebreak habitat. However, C. signifera is common and disturbance tolerant, and thus these findings should not be extrapolated to other Australian frog species that may be disadvantaged by current logging practices.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-06-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-11-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2007
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-03-2018
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 07-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2006
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2012
Start Date: 06-2010
End Date: 12-2013
Amount: $355,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 08-2020
End Date: 03-2028
Amount: $775,870.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 10-2022
End Date: 10-2025
Amount: $489,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity