Fields of Research

Forestry management and environment
Terrestrial ecology
Conservation and biodiversity
Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Forest health and pathology
Photogrammetry and remote sensing
Behavioural ecology
Natural resource management
Invertebrate biology
Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Environmental management
Genetics
Ecological physiology
Genomics
Animal behaviour
Biogeography and phylogeography
Freshwater ecology
Evolutionary biology
Forest biodiversity
Forestry fire management
Physical geography and environmental geoscience
Landscape ecology
Environment policy
Health services and systems
Forest ecosystems

Research Objectives

Native forests
Terrestrial biodiversity
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems
Harvesting and transport of forest products
Hardwood plantations
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Other environmental management
Evaluation, allocation, and impacts of land use
Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems
Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Rehabilitation or conservation of terrestrial environments
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems
Marine biodiversity
Government and politics
Public health (excl. specific population health)
Soils

Career Best Publications

A cross-continental comparison of plant and beetle responses to retention of forest patches during timber harvest; Ecological Applications
A major shift to the retention approach for forestry can help resolve some global forest sustainability issues; Conservation Letters
Can retention forestry help conserve biodiversity? A meta-analysis; Journal of Applied Ecology
Does clearfell, burn and sow silviculture mimic the effect of wildfire? A field study and review using litter beetles; Forest Ecology and Management
Estimating edge effects on ground dwelling beetles at clearfelled non-riparian stand edges in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest; Forest Ecology and Management
Global conservation outcomes depend on marine protected areas with five key features; Nature
Integrating abundance and functional traits reveals new global hotspots of fish diversity; Nature
Retention forestry to maintain multifunctional forests: a world perspective; Bioscience
Short-term responses of ground-active beetles to alternative silvicultural systems in the Warra Silvicultural Systems Trial, Tasmania, Australia; Forest Ecology and Management
The harvested side of edges: Effect of retained forests on the re-establishment of biodiversity in adjacent harvested areas; Forest Ecology and Management
Variable retention silviculture in Tasmania's wet forests: ecological rationale, adaptive management and synthesis of biodiversity benefits; Australian Forestry

Research Publications

A comparison of litter beetle assemblages (Coleoptera) in mature and recently clearfelled Eucalyptus obliqua forest; Australian Journal of Entomology
A cross-continental comparison of plant and beetle responses to retention of forest patches during timber harvest; Ecological Applications
A footprint of tree-genetics on the biota of the forest floor; Oikos
A major shift to the retention approach for forestry can help resolve some global forest sustainability issues; Conservation Letters
A New Silviculture for Tasmania’s Public Forests: a review of the variable retention program
A practical guide to DNA metabarcoding for entomological ecologists; Ecological Entomology
Are streamside buffers edge-affected habitat for ground-dwelling forest beetle assemblages? ; Biodiversity and Conservation
Assessing national biodiversity trends for rocky and coral reefs through the integration of citizen science and scientific monitoring programs; Bioscience
Association of common brown froglets, Crinia signifera, with clearcut forest edges in Tasmania, Australia; Wildlife Research
Biodiversity consequences of genetic variation in bark characteristics within a foundation tree species; Conservation Biology
Bird assemblages in Tasmanian clearcuts are influenced by the age of eucalypt regeneration but not by distance from mature forest; Global Ecology and Conservation
Burning outcomes following aggregated retention harvesting in old-growth wet eucalypt forests; Forest Ecology and Management
Calculating food consumption in the laboratory: a formula to adjust for natural weight loss; Australian Journal of Entomology
Can retention forestry help conserve biodiversity? A meta-analysis; Journal of Applied Ecology
Comparison of feeding efficiency, development time and survival of Tasmanian eucalyptus leaf beetle larvae Chrysophtharta bimaculata (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on two hosts; Australian Journal of Entomology
Data obtained from acoustic recording units and from field observer point counts of Tasmanian forest birds are similar but not the same; Australian Field Ornithology
Distance, environmental and substrate factors impacting recovery of bryophyte communities after harvesting; Applied Vegetation Science
Diversity and abundance of soil microbial communities decline, and community compositions change with severity of post-logging fire; Molecular Ecology
DNA metabarcoding captures subtle differences in forest beetle communities following disturbance; Restoration Ecology
Does clearfell, burn and sow silviculture mimic the effect of wildfire? A field study and review using litter beetles; Forest Ecology and Management
Ecology and conservation of ground-dwelling beetles in managed wet eucalypt forest: edge and riparian effects
Estimating edge effects on ground dwelling beetles at clearfelled non-riparian stand edges in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest; Forest Ecology and Management
Evaluating spatial autocorrelation and depletion in pitfall-trap studies of environmental gradients; Journal of Insect Conservation
Evolution of variable retention: Western Canada, the USA and Tasmania
Factors influencing initial vascular plant seedling composition following either aggregated retention harvesting and regeneration burning or burning of unharvested forest; Forest Ecology and Management
Foods of the South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormickii at Ardery Island, Windmill Islands, Antarctica; Polar Biology
Fulmarine Petrels and South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormickii populations on Ardery Island, Windmill Islands, Antarctica; Emu: Austral Ornithology
Global conservation outcomes depend on marine protected areas with five key features; Nature
Identifying regrowth forests with advanced mature forest values; Forest Ecology and Management
Impact of Competition from Weeds on Early Growth Eucalypts and Pines at Five Sites in Tasmania and Victoria; 18th Biennial Conference of the Institute of Foresters of Australia
Impact of distance to mature forest on the recolonisation of bryophytes in a regenerating Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest; Australian Journal of Botany
Influence of mature overstory trees on adjacent 12-year regeneration and the woody understory: aggregated retention versus intact forest; Forests
Integrating abundance and functional traits reveals new global hotspots of fish diversity; Nature
Inundative release of coccinellid beetles into eucalypt plantations for biological control of chrysomelid leaf beetles; Agricultural and Forest Entomology
Landscape structure and mature forest biodiversity in wet eucalypt forests: a spatial analysis of timber production areas in South-Eastern Australia; Forests
Living near the edge: being close to mature forest increases the rate of succession in beetle communities; Ecological Applications
Management of Tasmanian Eucalypt Forests as Complex Adaptive Systems; Managing Forests as Complex Adaptive Systems
Metabarcoding reveals landscape drivers of beetle community composition approximately 50 years after timber harvesting; Forest Ecology and Management
Microclimate through space and time: microclimatic variation at the edge of regeneration forests over daily, yearly and decadal time scales; Forest Ecology and Management
Microclimatic edge effects in a recently harvested forest: do remnant forest patches create the same impact as large forest areas?; Forest Ecology and Management
Monitoring the implementation of variable retention silviculture in wet eucalypt forest: A key element of successful adaptive management; Forest Ecology and Management
Moving beyond the guild concept: developing a practical functional trait framework for terrestrial beetles; Ecological Entomology
Producing wood at least cost to biodiversity: integrating Triad and sharing-sparing approaches to inform forest landscape management; Biological Reviews
Quantifying floristic and structural forest maturity: an attribute-based method for wet eucalypt forests; Journal of Applied Ecology
Reef Life Survey: establishing the ecological basis for conservation of shallow marine life; Biological Conservation
Relationships between coarse woody debris habitat quality and forest maturity attributes; Conservation Science and Practice
Response of ground-dwelling beetles across logging coupe edges into streamside reserves; Australian Journal of Entomology
Retention forestry influences understory diversity and functional identity; Ecological Applications
Retention forestry to maintain multifunctional forests: a world perspective; Bioscience
Retention of large, old trees in alternatives to clearcutting with a comparison of ground- and helicopter-based assessments; Forest Ecology and Management
Seeking a balance between forestry and biodiversity - the role of variable retention silviculture. Insights from western USA and Canada
Short- and long-term benefits for forest biodiversity of retaining unlogged patches in harvested areas; Forest Ecology and Management
Short-term responses of ground-active beetles to alternative silvicultural systems in the Warra Silvicultural Systems Trial, Tasmania, Australia; Forest Ecology and Management
Short-term responses of native rodents to aggregated retention in old growth wet Eucalyptus forests; Forest Ecology and Management
Silvicultural alternatives to conventional even-aged forest management - what limits global adoption?; Forest Ecosystems
Site effects outweigh riparian influences on ground-dwelling beetles adjacent to first order streams in wet eucalypt forest; Biodiversity and Conservation
Tall, wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania, Australia; Ecological Forest Management Handbook
Temporal persistence of edge effects on bryophytes within harvested forests; Forest Ecology and Management
The effectiveness of streamside versus upslope reserves in conserving log-associated bryophytes of native production forests; Forest Ecology and Management
The effects of mechanical disturbance and burn intensity on the floristic composition of two-year old aggregated retention coupes in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests; Forest Ecology and Management
The harvested side of edges: Effect of retained forests on the re-establishment of biodiversity in adjacent harvested areas; Forest Ecology and Management
The potential of trait-based approaches to contribute to marine conservation; Marine Policy
Timing and frequency are the critical factors affecting the impact of defoliation on long term growth of plantation eucalypts; Forest Ecology and Management
Tree crown segmentation and species classification in a wet eucalypt forest from airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR data; International Journal of Remote Sensing
Trophic position determines functional and phylogenetic recovery after disturbance within a community; Functional Ecology
Unveiling the complex structure of Tasmanian temperate forests with model-based Tandem-X tomography; 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2018)
Using aerial photographs to remotely assess tree hollow availability; Biodiversity and Conservation
Using aggregated retention to maintain and restore mature forest values in managed forest landscapes in Tasmania; Ecological Management and Restoration
Using topographic attributes to predict the density of vegetation layers in a wet eucalypt forest; Australian Forestry
Variable retention in Tasmania, Australia: trends over 16 years of monitoring and adaptive management; Ecological Processes
Variable Retention Manual
Variable retention silviculture and landscape-scale management field day; Forest Practices News
Variable retention silviculture in Tasmania's wet forests: ecological rationale, adaptive management and synthesis of biodiversity benefits; Australian Forestry
Why conservation reserves should not always be concentrated in riparian areas: A study of ground-dwelling beetles in wet eucalypt forest; Biological Conservation

Research Projects

A functional trait approach to understanding the impacts of current forest management practices on beetle diversity; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (HWRE)
Biodiversity Of Temperate forest Taxa Orienting Management Sustainability by Unifying Perspectives ; European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST)
Conserving biodiversity in timber production forests; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Developing an index for classifying forest maturity; Ecological Society of Australia Limited (ESAI)
Managing Variable Retention Harvesting to Maintain Forest Biodiversity - Effects of Forest Influence and Successional Stage on Recolonisation; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Optimising biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes; Australian Research Council (ARC)
The effect of logging and regeneration burn severity on the composition and succession of soil microbial communities; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (HWRE)
The Effects of Forest Influence and Successional Stage on beetle Diversity; Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA)
Using DNA metabarcoding approach to identify beetles for ecologically sustainable forest management; Forest Practices Authority (FPA)
Using pre and post LIDAR to assess the severity of the 2019 Tasmanian Bushfires; Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC (BNHCRC)
Machine learning algorithms to classify bird calls from acoustic data
Sustainable management of forest landscapes
VicForests Science Committee

Research Candidate Supervision

Managing variable retention harvesting to maintain forest biodiversity - effects of forest influence and successional stage on the recolonisation of beetles
The effects of different forestry practices on two native rodent species, the swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) and the long-tailed mouse (Pseudomys higginsi)
The Effects of Forest Influence on Vascular and Non-Vascular Plants