A number of post-graduate and honours level students are involved in brigalow research. If you are interested in conducting research in brigalow ecosystems please contact Dr Clive McAlpine or Dr Martine Maron.
Maximising Woodland Bird Diversity in Brigalow Belt Forests
PhD project by Alison Howes
While large conservation reserves have the potential to provide important refugia for fragmentation-sensitive species, they often have an extended history of unsympathetic management practices including habitat clearing, grazing and burning. There is often much uncertainty regarding how threatening processes, both past and present, can best be mitigated. A PhD study undertaken by Alison Howes investigates how past land clearing, feral grazing and prescribed fire regimes influence avian assemblages of continuous eucalypt woodlands in the Brigalow Belt bioregion. The vegetation of the Brigalow Belt has been extensively cleared and modified with subsequent declines in habitat structure and avian biodiversity. One of the mechanisms through which habitat fragmentation and disturbance impact avian biodiversity is the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala), an aggressive competitor. This species is a major threat to small passerines, many of which are threatened and declining. Although the noisy miner is commonly associated with smaller fragments and woodland edges, there is recent evidence to suggest it can occur throughout continuous woodland in the Brigalow Belt. This project will identify the vegetation structure and management practices which facilitate the domination of large private and public reserves by this species, and which affect habitat suitability for small passerines. To combine this information in a useful format, a Bayesian Belief Network model was used in an adaptive management framework for use as a practical tool to help vegetation managers improve bird conservation outcomes. The abundance of the noisy miner was the strongest influence on small passerines. The study has found current ecological burning practices and grazing by feral animals in the region appear to be maintaining habitat suitability for noisy miners. By reducing the frequency and intensity of fire in some areas and effectively controlling feral grazers, noisy miner abundance could be reduced, leading to substantially improved avian biodiversity outcomes across the region.
The Ecology and Density of Red Foxes and Feral Cats in Brigalow Landscapes, Brigalow Belt South
PhD project by Cameron Graham
The aim of this study is to determine and quantify landscape and habitat characteristics that influence presence, density and fine scale movement pathways of feral cats and red foxes among highly fragmented brigalow landscapes. Being two highly invasive mammalian predators, both of whom are accredited with contributing to the loss of several native species, it is hoped that this study will increase our knowledge of their ecology and contribute to developing more effective and efficient red fox and feral cat control programs.
The Association Between the Ecological Condition of Remnant and Non-Remnant Brigalow Fragments
with Structural, Spatial and Land Use Attributes, Southeast Queensland
PhD project by Sarah Butler
Sarah Butler is currently undertaking a PhD at the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management at the University of Queensland, exploring the role of land use history and landscape change on the invasibility of fragmented ecosystems. Brigalow ecosystems are being used as a case study, addressing invasibility from patch to regional scales. This project will provide important insights into the spatial and temporal implications of land use on the ecological condition of landscapes, and important management implications for land use and restoration planning at a property, landscape and regional level in the Brigalow Belt and other regions.
