PhD (General)

Thesis title: The ecological implications of periurban subdivision

Supervisors: Jamie Kirkpatrick and Peter McQuillan

Research:

With over 90 % of our citizens living in urban and peri-urban areas, Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world. The most significant population growth is occurring in the outskirts of metropolitan areas known as the periurban fringe. The urbanisation of an area can lead to a rapid alteration of the environment and changes in its suitability as fauna habitat. With this project Grant aims to assess the effects of periurban subdivision around Hobart on various animal groups. Approximately 80 periurban residents will be surveyed regarding their land-management activities and attitudes, and their properties surveyed for fauna and vegetation. Models will then be created to show the most important vegetation, or land-management characteristics in maximising animal species richness on periurban properties. This data can then be used to make periurban subdivision more ecologically sustainable. Grant has an interest in urban ecology because he believes that urban areas are too often dismissed by ecologists as useless to conservation. He believes that urban conservation projects are a good way of introducing a large number of people to conservation issues in general, and may in turn inspire them to be more passionate about the serious plight of our environment.

Background:

Grant began studying at the University of Tasmania as an undergraduate in 2001. After being awarded a Bachelor of Science in 2003, Grant commenced an honours year with the School of Geography and Environmental Studies in 2004. His honours thesis focussed on how variation in gardens influences suburban bird assemblages. This revealed the most important factors determining bird presence in suburban Hobart, and allowed him to produce models predicting the occurrence of several bird species and groups. During his years at the University of Tasmania, Grant has taken timeout to travel overseas and participate in two wildlife conservation projects, Project Fauna Forever in Amazonian Peru and All Out Conservation Projects in southern Africa. These projects have taught Grant valuable skills in the fields of fauna observation, bird and bat capture, radio-telemetry and project coordination, as well as giving him an appreciation of the intricacies involved with undertaking wildlife conservation in less developed countries.

Publications:

Daniels, G.D. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. Does variation in garden characteristics influence the conservation of birds in suburbia? Biological Conservation.

Daniels, G.D. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. Comparing the characteristics of front and back gardens in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Landscape and Urban Planning.

Kirkpatrick, J.B., Daniels, G. and Zagorski, T., in press. Explaining variation in front gardens between suburbs of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Landscape and Urban Planning.