ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5274-5536
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Terrestrial Ecology | Environmental Science and Management | Ecological Applications | Invasive Species Ecology | Conservation and Biodiversity | Environmental Monitoring | Pattern Recognition and Data Mining | Computer-Human Interaction
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species at Regional or Larger Scales | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Urban and Industrial Environments | Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Regional or Larger Scales | Information Processing Services (incl. Data Entry and Capture) | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales |
Related Links
Publications
Termite mounds differ in their importance for herbivores across savanna types, seasons and spatial scales
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-10-2015
DOI: 10.1111/OIK.02742
Variable effects of termite mounds on A frican savanna grass communities across a rainfall gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-05-2014
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.12200
Ant assemblages have darker and larger members in cold environments
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-09-2016
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.12516
The ecological effectiveness of protected areas: A case study for South African birds
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-02-2011
Understanding of avian assemblage change within anthropogenic environments using citizen science data
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Seasonal variation in the relative dominance of herbivore guilds in an African savanna
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1890/15-1905.1
Abstract: African savannas are highly seasonal with a erse array of both mammalian and invertebrate herbivores, yet herbivory studies have focused almost exclusively on mammals. We conducted a 2-yr exclosure experiment in South Africa's Kruger National Park to measure the relative impact of these two groups of herbivores on grass removal at both highly productive patches (termite mounds) and in the less productive savanna matrix. Invertebrate and mammalian herbivory was greater on termite mounds, but the relative importance of each group changed over time. Mammalian offtake was higher than invertebrates in the dry season, but can be eclipsed by invertebrates during the wet season when this group is more active. Our results demonstrate that invertebrates play a substantial role in savanna herbivory and should not be disregarded in attempts to understand the impacts of herbivory on ecosystems.
Ensemble models predict Important Bird Areas in southern Africa will become less effective for conserving endemic birds under climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-10-2009
Spatial sorting drives morphological variation in the invasive bird, acridotheris tristis
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-05-2012
Spatial variation and biogeography of sand forest avian assemblages in South Africa
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2000
Landscape‐specific thresholds in the relationship between species richness and natural land cover
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-01-2019
Long-distance dispersal maximizes evolutionary potential during rapid geographic range expansion
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-11-2013
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.12538
Abstract: Conventional wisdom predicts that sequential founder events will cause genetic ersity to erode in species with expanding geographic ranges, limiting evolutionary potential at the range margin. Here, we show that invasive European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in South Africa preserve genetic ersity during range expansion, possibly as a result of frequent long-distance dispersal events. We further show that unfavourable environmental conditions trigger enhanced dispersal, as indicated by signatures of selection detected across the expanding range. This brings genetic variation to the expansion front, counterbalancing the cumulative effects of sequential founding events and optimizing standing genetic ersity and thus evolutionary potential at range margins during spread. Therefore, dispersal strategies should be highlighted as key determinants of the ecological and evolutionary performances of species in novel environments and in response to global environmental change.
Conservation of heterogeneity among dung beetles in the Maputaland Centre of Endemism, South Africa
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-1999
Invasion of grasslands by silver wattle, Acacia dealbata (Mimosaceae), alters beetle (Coleoptera) assemblage structure
Publisher: Academy of Science of South Africa
Date: 09-2007
Improving risk prediction model quality in the critically ill: data linkage study
Publisher: National Institute for Health and Care Research
Date: 12-2022
DOI: 10.3310/EQAB4594
Abstract: A previous National Institute for Health and Care Research study [Harrison DA, Ferrando-Vivas P, Shahin J, Rowan KM. Ensuring comparisons of health-care providers are fair: development and validation of risk prediction models for critically ill patients. Health Serv Deliv Res 2015 3 (41)] identified the need for more research to understand risk factors and consequences of critical care and subsequent outcomes. First, to improve risk models for adult general critical care by developing models for mortality at fixed time points and time-to-event outcomes, end-stage renal disease, type 2 diabetes, health-care utilisation and costs. Second, to improve risk models for cardiothoracic critical care by enhancing risk factor data and developing models for longer-term mortality. Third, to improve risk models for in-hospital cardiac arrest by enhancing risk factor data and developing models for longer-term mortality and critical care utilisation. Risk modelling study linking existing data. NHS adult critical care units and acute hospitals in England. Patients admitted to an adult critical care unit or experiencing an in-hospital cardiac arrest. None. Mortality at hospital discharge, 30 days, 90 days and 1 year following critical care unit admission mortality at 1 year following discharge from acute hospital new diagnosis of end-stage renal disease or type 2 diabetes hospital resource use and costs return of spontaneous circulation sustained for 20 minutes survival to hospital discharge and 1 year and length of stay in critical care following in-hospital cardiac arrest. Case Mix Programme, National Cardiac Arrest Audit, UK Renal Registry, National Diabetes Audit, National Adult Cardiac Surgery Audit, Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics. Data were linked for 965,576 critical care admissions between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2016, and 83,939 in-hospital cardiac arrests between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2016. For admissions to adult critical care units, models for 30-day mortality had similar predictors and performance to those for hospital mortality and did not reduce heterogeneity. Models for longer-term outcomes reflected increasing importance of chronic over acute predictors. New models for end-stage renal disease and diabetes will allow benchmarking of critical care units against these important outcomes and identification of patients requiring enhanced follow-up. The strongest predictors of health-care costs were prior hospitalisation, prior dependency and chronic conditions. Adding pre- and intra-operative risk factors to models for cardiothoracic critical care gave little improvement in performance. Adding comorbidities to models for in-hospital cardiac arrest provided modest improvements but were of greater importance for longer-term outcomes. Delays in obtaining linked data resulted in the data used being 5 years old at the point of publication: models will already require recalibration. Data linkage provided enhancements to the risk models underpinning national clinical audits in the form of additional predictors and novel outcomes measures. The new models developed in this report may assist in providing objective estimates of potential outcomes to patients and their families. (1) Develop and test care pathways for recovery following critical illness targeted at those with the greatest need (2) explore other relevant data sources for longer-term outcomes (3) widen data linkage for resource use and costs to primary care, outpatient and emergency department data. This study is registered as NCT02454257. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research Vol. 10, No. 39. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Environmental factors, regional body size distributions and spatial variation in body size of local avian assemblages
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2008
Spatial congruence between ecotones and range‐restricted species: implications for conservation biogeography at the sub‐continental scale
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-04-2009
Elephant- and human-induced changes to dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) assemblages in the Maputaland Centre of Endemism
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2006
Alien vs. Predator: Impacts of Invasive Species and Native Predators on Urban Nest Box Use by Native Birds
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 30-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/ANI13111807
Abstract: Many bird species in Australia require tree hollows for breeding. However, assessing the benefits of urban nest boxes to native birds requires frequent monitoring that allows to assess nesting success. To better understand the benefits of nest boxes for native birds, we examined the impact of local habitat characteristics, invasive species (common myna, Acridotheres tristis), and native mammalian predators on urban nest box use and nesting success of native birds. We installed 216 nest boxes across nine locations in southeastern Australia (S.E. Queensland and northern New South Wales) in both long-invaded sites (invaded before 1970) and more recently invaded sites (after 1990). We monitored all boxes weekly over two breeding seasons. We recorded seven bird species and three mammal species using the nest boxes. Weekly box occupancy by all species averaged 8% of all boxes, with the species most frequently recorded in the nest boxes being the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a native cavity user and nest predator. We recorded 137 nesting attempts in the boxes across all bird species. The most frequent nesting species were the invasive alien common mynas (72 nesting attempts). We recorded an average nesting failure rate of 53.3% for all bird species. We did not record any common mynas evicting other nesting birds, and found that several native species used the same box after the common myna completed its nesting. We recorded native possums in 92% of the boxes, and possum occupancy of boxes per site was negatively correlated with bird nesting success (p = 0.021). These results suggest that when boxes are accessible to invasive species and native predators, they are unlikely to significantly improve nesting opportunities for native birds. To ensure efficient use of limited conservation resources, nest boxes should be designed to target species of high conservation importance and limit other species of both predators and competitors.
Development and characterization of 13 new, and cross amplification of 3, polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci in the common myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-02-2012
Non-random patterns of vegetation clearing and potential biases in studies of habitat area effects
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-01-2017
Are environmental transitions more prone to biological invasions?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-02-2013
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12026
Ecotones: Marginal or central areas of transition?
Publisher: Brill
Date: 12-04-2006
DOI: 10.1560/IJEE.52.1.29
Abstract: Areas of environmental transition, where ecological communities coincide, are sometimes termed ecotones. These regions often correspond with sharp environmental gradients. Ecotones occur at multiple spatial scales, ranging from transitions between biomes to local small-scale transitions. In recent years ecotones have received increasing scientific attention after being neglected for years, as studies historically often focused on distinct communities. However, it is still debatable whether these transitional regions are speciation and bio ersity hotspots that deserve special conservation interest or are actually areas that hold marginal populations that depend on other parts of the range for the maintenance of their bio ersity and therefore should not deserve primary investment. This paper discusses some of the recent advancements in our understanding of the role of ecotones in ecology, evolution, and conservation.
The verification and application of bioindicators: a case study of dung beetles in a savanna ecosystem
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2002
Distributional overlap and potential competition between a threatened habitat specialist and generalist frog species in coastal wallum habitats of South East Queensland, Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-09-2022
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.13236
Abstract: Coastal wallum wetlands inhabited by the vulnerable wallum sedgefrog ( Litoria olongburensis ) are highly susceptible to habitat degradation owing to their unusual hydrology and water chemistry. Anthropogenic impacts on wallum wetland environs pose a significant threat to the wallum sedgefrog by allowing the eastern sedgefrog ( Litoria fallax ), a habitat generalist and closely related competitor species, to colonise and displace the wallum sedgefrog from disturbed wallum habitat. To identify ‘at risk’ areas, overlapping species distribution models were utilised to highlight areas of sympatry between these species in south east Queensland, where competition with the eastern sedgefrog poses a particular threat to the wallum sedgefrog. Significant areas of distributional overlap (including 47% of the wallum sedgefrog's modelled distribution) were identified, primarily in mainland areas where anthropogenic disturbance is highest. When overlayed with the boundaries of protected areas, 84% of the area exclusively inhabited by the wallum sedgefrog occurs within the bounds of protected lands. In contrast, 74% of overlapping distribution of the two species occurred outside of these parks, highlighting the importance of protected areas in the conservation of the wallum sedgefrog. This study highlights areas where competition with the eastern sedgefrog presents a particular threat to the wallum sedgefrog, helping inform effective conservation initiatives for this species.
Spatial variability and abiotic determinants of termite mounds throughout a savanna catchment
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-03-2014
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.00532
Related Organisations
No related organisations have been discovered for Berndt van Rensburg.
Related Funding Activities
Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP140100524
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 12-2018
Amount: $355,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100033
Start Date: 05-2017
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $900,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity