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Wildlife ecology and management
Wildlife population ecology is the study of the patterns in wildlife abundance. Studies investigate the size and direction of changes in abundance and the demographic (births and deaths) rates generating the changes. The effects of extrinsic factors, such as food, predation and disease, on the demographic rates are also studied. The data from such studies are used in wildlife management, locally (in the ACT), nationally (around Australia) and internationally (eg in New Zealand).
Studies of wildlife ecology have included, in Australia, such species as feral pigs, eastern grey kangaroos, wild horses, feral goats, red fox, koalas, magpie geese, common mynas, feral donkeys and rabbits, and in New Zealand, studies have been of ferrets and feral goats. Other studies have included population ecology of barn owls, red deer and wild sheep in Scotland, and lynx and snowshoe hares in Canada.
Wildlife management includes management of species and communities for conservation, harvest and pest control. The data from studies of wildlife population ecology have been applied in wildlife management of many species, such as wild horses because of conservation managers' concerns about adverse impacts on vegetation, and ferrets as hosts of bovine tuberculosis. In temperate and subalpine areas of Australia, feral pigs have adverse environmental effects on vegetation. A 20 year study in Namadgi National Park, in the ACT, has shown impacts can be reduced as feral pig abundance is reduced by intensive pig control.
Studies in wildlife ecology and management have been conducted with assistance from and in conjunction with many organisations, such as national park agencies, government departments and community groups.
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Interested in joining our group?
If you are an undergraduate, a prospective postgraduate student, or a prospective postdoc with strong interests in ecology and
management in the field or laboratory, we may be the home for you. We are always interested in new additions to our team, particularly
if you have a strong academic record, enjoy a demanding but productive and collegial working environment, and have a strong interest in applied ecology.
Scholarships are available for both
domestic (including NZ) and
international students, with a closing
date of October 31 each year. You would need to discuss options with us well in advance of this date. Refer to the
side-bar for likely future opportunities. These scholarships are highly competitive, and
high academic performance with a publication record greatly improves your chances of success.
Support for Postdoctoral Fellowships is harder to come by. They are available through the
Australian Research Council,
the University of Canberra Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (advertised irregularly),
the Cooperative Research Centres, and through negotiation with relevant industry.
We would be happy to work with you to develop a competitive proposal on a topic of mutual interest.
Prospective visitors might like to take advantage of our
Visiting Scholars Scheme
To learn more about the kinds of research conducted by our team, check out our list of
publications, the
profiles
of current and past members of our group, or
summaries of our current projects.
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Professor Jim Hone 