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Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 In this Issue… Bulletin editorial and Executive’s report…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Ecological Research Chapter News…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Invasive Species Ecology……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Student projects in focus………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Urban Ecology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Labs in the Limelight ‐ Heloise Gibb’s Insect Ecology Lab…………………………………………………………………………. 10
2013 student prizes and grants – Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award……………………………………………………… 12
JLTF 2013 student winner’s report ‐ Jorge Ramos Castillejos……………………………………………………………………. 13
JLTF 2012 student winner’s report ‐ Dejan Stojanovic……………………………………………………………………………… 14
The road to EcoTas13………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
ESA news – 2013 AERA winner, ESA Web Officer Position………………………………………………………………………. 19
Ecological Society of Australia – 2013 Office Bearers……………………………………………………………………………….. 21
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Bulletin editorial Dear ESA members, In this Issue of the Bulletin, the second for 2013, we report on the evolving activities of ESA’s Research Chapters, including an article on novel research into the genetics of invasive irises (Gerry Ho; Invasive Species RC), and behaviour of cockatoos across urban landscapes (John Martin; Urban Ecology RC). We also begin our countdown to EcoTas13, which is shaping up to be an exciting, dynamic conference for Aussie and New Zealander ecologists alike! As usual, this Issue showcases the research of award winning students, with a particular focus on current and past winners of the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund Award for applied conservation research. We congratulate the winner for 2013, Jorge Ramos Castillejos from the University of Tasmania, for his project on the life history and population dynamics of the range extending Octopus tetricus in south‐eastern Australia. Finally, below we offer you a sneak peak of ESA’s new and very much improved webpage, which will be launched by the end of July! Details of its launch will be announced via our weekly e‐news within the next month. Until then, happy ecology to you all, and I look forward, as usual, to your feedback on the Bulletin and ideas for future improvements, Ben Gooden, ESA Bulletin Editor, Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management, University of Wollongong. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Ecological Research Chapters Ecological Research Chapters are collectives of ESA members who share similar fields of interest. Three years after their official launch at ESA10 in Canberra, 2010, Chapter activity has grown substantially! Here we feature an overview of news and activities for 2013 for the Invasive Species Research Chapter, now in its second year, and the Urban Ecology Chapter, which was launched at ESA12 in Melbourne. Invasive Species Research Chapter Ben Gooden, Invasive Species RC Convenor Australian ecologists are undoubtedly the world’s leaders when it comes to researching the impacts of invasion and management of alien species on ‘natural’ ecosystems and their unique resident biota. Australia can boast one of the world’s most rigorous border biosecurity programs, and a nationally coordinated weed alert and management strategy, for instance, none of which would be possible without the fundamental and applied ecological research done by Australian scientists. In this contribution to the Bulletin, we highlight the novel research done by three of our student members: Robert Cirocco and Jasmin Packer from The University of Adelaide and Gerry Ho from La Trobe University’s Department of Botany. These projects are featured because they address three important, yet rarely considered areas in invasion biology: (1) what is the functional role of invasive plants in recipient ecosystems? Work done by Jasmin reveals that not all effects of weeds are negative, and that they can play important and often positive novel roles in invaded landscapes; (2) Robert investigates how indigenous attributes of recipient communities can be utilised to better manage invasive plants; (3) Gerry goes back to basics, using an integrative ecological approach to determine the drivers of range expansion of plants within the Iridacea family. Gerry’s report represents this Bulletin’s Students in focus contribution – thanks Gerry! 3
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Students in focus Robert Cirocco: Potential use of a native parasitic plant (Cassytha pubescens) as biological control agent. This project, funded by an ARC Linkage Grant, investigates the interactions between C. pubescens and native and invasive plants. We aim to assess the potential use of the parasite to control invasive plants such as Cytisus scoparius (broom) and Ulex europaeus (gorse). We use a combination of laboratory, glasshouse and field experiment. Robert Cirocco is studying the native parasitic vine Cassytha pubescens and its differential impact on native versus invasive hosts. He has found that C. pubescens has substantial negative effects on the biomass of the invasive host Ulex europaeus (gorse) but not those of the native hosts Leptospermum myrsinoides and Acacia paradoxa. Rob is close to finishing his PhD. Jasmin Packer: The effect of invasive blackberry (Rubus anglocandicans) on habitat quality for small native mammals. Jasmin is investigating the effect of blackberry on native vegetation and small mammal communities within native, mixed and blackberry‐dominated ecosystems in the biodiversity hotspot of the Mount Lofty Ranges. This research has identified R. anglocandicans as an ecological engineer that retains native mammal communities in degraded ecosystems. Blackberry is especially important for the endangered southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus). Blackberry density, and small arthropods associated with it, were the strongest positive predictors for recruitment of juvenile bandicoots into the meta‐population. Jasmin is in the final stages of her PhD. * Robert and Jasmin belong to Associate Professor Jose Facelli’s lab group, which has a long‐standing research focus on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity in ecological systems. Jose leads a research group investigating the various ways in which variability determines how ecological systems work, focussing particularly on plant communities across arid and semi‐arid landscapes. For the last few years they have been investigating the ecological characteristics of plants that invade natural ecosystems in South Australia. Anyone interested should contact Jose Facelli: Benham Laboratories, University of Adelaide, +61 8313 6222, [email protected]. 4
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Gerry Ho, from La Trobe University’s Department of Botany, reports on research into the role of reproduction, genetic diversity and the environment in the spread of Cape Iridaceae in Australia. Background: Weeds pose a threat to global biodiversity and the economy. This threat has propelled research to predict why introduced species become invasive and to manage their impact. Despite extensive studies, there is little consensus on definitive invasive traits. Gurevitch et al. (2011: Ecol. Lett. 14, 407–18) proposed a synthetic invasion framework to explain invasion events as the interplay between biotic, abiotic and stochastic processes. In their formulation, invader demography is a linchpin for invasion. For plants this includes pollinator mutualisms, breeding systems and genetic architecture. There is, however, little synthetic work on the roles of plant–pollinator mutualism, reproductive diversity and ecological genetics in understanding terrestrial plant invasion. Study group: The Iridaceae includes over 2000 species worldwide, and their vivid floral hues have lent many species and cultivars of this family horticultural success. Horticulture has introduced many genera from the Cape Floral Kingdom to temperate regions of Australia, including Babiana, Freesia, Gladiolus, Ixia, Sparaxis, and Watsonia. Many have “jumped the garden fence” and become naturalised. For example, Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera (bugle lily) is a declared weed in Victoria and South Australia, and is prohibited in Western Australia. Other species, such as Moraea flaccida (one‐leaf Cape tulip) are poisonous to stock and are agricultural pests. Most extraterritorial irids are geophytic, pre‐adapting them to the seasonal climate of Australia. In Africa, their taxonomy and pollination mutualisms have been studied extensively by Peter Goldblatt (Missouri Botanic Gardens) and John Manning (South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI). Many Cape irids have formed specialised relationships with particular pollinators and occur in very restricted geographic ranges. By contrast, these narrow endemics often spread rapidly within their introduced ranges, prompting questions on the extent of their fundamental niche. Field and lab work: I adopted a field and lab approach to elucidate drivers of range expansion in introduced Iridaceae species. In 2011/12, I conducted breeding system studies on Gladiolus tristis (marsh Afrikaner), G. undulatus (large white Afrikaner) and G. gueinzii, a rare coastal gladiolus. Both G. tristis and G. undulatus are self‐incompatible and are specialist‐pollinated in South Africa by long‐tongued hawk moths and flies, respectively. G. gueinzii is pollinated by long‐tongued bees but is also self‐compatible. Gladiolus tristis 5
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 I had anticipated that the Australian invasion would have been driven by a breakdown in self‐
incompatibility and the production of self‐seed, allowing the exploration of local adaptations. This is not the case; both Gladiolus species retained their incompatibility mechanisms, and no seed was produced. By contrast, G. gueinzii set abundant seed. Thus, it is likely that range expansion of these specialist‐pollinated, self‐incompatible gladioli is driven primarily by vegetative reproduction. I postulate that this is enabled by the absence of fossorial (burrowing) herbivores in Australia, which contrasts to their presence in Africa where herbivores, such as mole rats (Bathyerigidae), prey upon irids. Baker’s Law states that self‐compatible species colonise a new range more easily compared to obligate outcrossers. However, shifts to autogamy (i.e. self‐
fertilisation) often lead to evolutionary dead‐ends, as the creation and maintenance of genetic variation is essential for population viability. To explore the relative importance of vegetative and sexual reproduction, I extended the study to a pair of conspecific invaders, one sexual and one asexual. Watsonia meriana var. meriana (WMM) expands its range through seed production in South Africa although it is capable of producing clumps. A mutation has generated a second variety of this species which is sterile but reproduces asexually through the production of aerial corms on the inflorescence; this is known in Australia as W. meriana var. bulbillifera (WMB). While WMM produces copious seed, it has a restricted distribution in Australia compared to WMB, the vegetative variety. This pattern is reversed in South Africa. The molecular component will be performed using microsatellite markers originally developed for Gladiolus longicollis by Paul Rymer (University of Western Sydney). Initial tests showed that eight markers amplified for my Gladiolus species. I am conducting further tests on polymorphism and cross‐transferability to Watsonia. My field studies will use the power of population genetics to understand demographic structure and invasion. Future questions: Does the Enemy Release Hypothesis explain the range expansion of introduced Iridaceae in Australia, viz. mole rat herbivory? Have the introduced Iridaceae species shifted in their environmental niches following introduction to Australia? How do biotic and abiotic factors interact to produce various invasion patterns? 6
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Gerry is supervised by Trevor Edwards and Susan Hoebee from La Trobe University. Gerry is also collaborating with Graham Duncan, curator of bulbous plants at Kirstenbosh Botanic Gardens (SANBI), exploring the biology and distribution envelopes of the study species in their home ranges; and Paul Rymer (University of Western Sydney) on marker utility in other Iridaceae taxa. For more information on this project, contact Gerry at The Department of Botany, La Trobe University, Bundoora VIC 3086. Tel: +61 (0)3 9479 2281, Email: [email protected]. Urban Ecology Research Chapter Report by Amy Hahs, RC Convenor The Urban Ecology RC currently has 43 members, which is fantastic start! Through discussions with many of our members, three simple options have been identified to direct future Research Chapter activities. These relate to opportunities for sharing research directions and outcomes in both the physical and virtual world, in order to facilitate greater collaboration and complementary research efforts, as well as disseminating research outcomes beyond the scientific community. More information on each option is outlined below.
Social event at ESA meetings
This could be anything from an informal mixer to a more structured event such as an organised debate or discussion of a current issue or idea that is topical at the time of the conference. The actual nature of the event each year would be left up to the members who are organising the event.
For 2013, I will be working with Gary Luck to organise a social event at the EcoTas13 conference. Please let me know if you are interested in helping out, as any assistance would be greatly appreciated. If you have any ideas or issues that you think could make a topical discussion/debate, please feel free to send me an email and we will see if we can work them in to the event. I would also 7
be really interested in knowing if you are planning to be at the EcoTas13 conference and would be interested in attending a social event.
Interactions in the virtual world
The ESA is currently constructing a new website, which will have the capacity to host web pages for individual Chapters. These pages could either be used for communication within the Urban Ecology Research Chapter (e.g. sharing current research conducted by group members, posting upcoming events of interest to the group, hosting a discussion site to allow online discussions around particular topics or questions), or could also be made open to the broader online community (e.g. posting evidence‐based tip sheets that could be accessed by urban planners, architects, engineers, landscape architects, land managers and other built environment professionals). As construction on the ESA website is still underway, there is a small window of opportunity for getting some assistance in setting up an RC website with the desired functionality that we want it to have. The success of the website requires a champion (or champions) who is/are willing to take on the responsibility of overseeing the development, and then ensuring that it is updated regularly and remains current and relevant. If you Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 have the skills, time and passion to take on this project, please send me an email as I confess it is outside my current areas of expertise.
In the meantime, I am happy to compile a small newsletter a couple times a year where our research chapter members can share short communications about themselves, their research groups/labs, specific research projects, conference summaries, upcoming events or anything else that may be of interest. I am also looking into options for creating a subscriber list for emails, which would allow you to opt in or out of the mailing list, and allow RC members to email information about upcoming events or other relevant material directly to the larger group. If you have any suggestions about mailing lists that you can recommend, please let me know!
colloquium with built environment professionals that could address a specific topic related to the management and enhancement of urban ecosystems.
Ideally, for this activity to occur, our RC would need to have a temporary team willing to act as the event committee. They would be responsible for fleshing out the details of the event, and working with the ESA local conference organising committee to determine what level of integration the event would have with the conference itself. This idea is probably outside the scope of what we could achieve in 2013, but might be a discussion point for the social event at EcoTas13.
Lessons from the other ESA research chapters indicates that the success of any of these activities really depends on having a small group of people coordinating and looking after that Outreach, communication and extension activities
particular activity. If you as an individual or even as Urban Ecology research is all about studying an established group, would like to take over the the environments where most of the world’s human role of coordinating one of these activities, or even population lives. The ESA annual meetings are one if you are simply willing to help with running the time each year when the density of urban ecology research chapter, your contribution would be experts present in a single city explodes. Therefore greatly appreciated.
it is also an ideal time for organising an event that bridges the gap between ecologists and local Dr Amy Hahs
GIS Ecologist
decision‐makers or local communities. This could Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic involve a public open forum where the local Gardens Melbourne
c/o School of Botany, The University of Melbourne VIC 3010 community has a chance to participate in a Australia, t: +613 8344 0116, e: [email protected]
conversation with researchers or other w: http://arcue.botany.unimelb.edu.au/amy_hahs.html professionals working at the front‐line of urban ecology, or it could involve a workshop or 8
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Urban projects in focus John Martin, Wildlife Officer at the Sydney Royal Botanic Garden, reports on an innovative new project – termed the “Wingtags” – to assess the site loyalty, population size and foraging distances of sulphur‐crested cockatoos in an urban landscape. Sulphur‐crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) have recently colonised suburban Sydney. A few decades ago this species was only observed around the fringes of the Sydney region and west of the Great Dividing Range. This range expansion and perceived population increase are likely to result from altered foraging resources, increased reproductive success and reduced predation. However, cockatoos rely on large hollows to breed, which are a limited resource in urban Sydney due to clearing for agriculture and housing. This has resulted with cockatoos competing with other birds, mammals and reptiles for this limited resource. Little is known about the cockatoo’s ecology in the urban environment. Our study aims to assess the site‐fidelity, foraging distances and preferences, population size and distribution and breeding success and juvenile dispersal of cockatoos within the Sydney Region. Thus far we have wing‐tagged a small sample of birds (n = 80) within the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. The individually numbered 9
plastic tags are highly visible and allow easy identification, which allows members of the community to report sightings of the wing‐tagged cockatoos. These reports complement our surveys. To date, we have been overwhelmed with over 6000 reports of the 80 wing‐tagged cockatoos. Re‐
sightings of tagged birds can be submitted through the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme. However, to make reporting easier we have created three options: 1. an email address ([email protected]), 2. an iPhone App “Wingtags”, which geolocates the sighting location and allows people to upload a photo and view the last 20 sightings (including photos) that have been submitted through the App., and 3. a Facebook site (www.facebook.com/CockatooWingtags). As well as being able to report sightings via Facebook, members of the community are able to view photos and follow the progress of the project; at the moment ~2400 people are following the project. Our findings to date indicate that ~30% of the cockatoos display a high degree of site‐fidelity to the Royal Botanic Garden, where they were tagged. These birds readily forage within 10 km of the Garden, predominantly in urban areas. Several birds, however, have dispersed between 20 and 40 km and no longer return to the Garden but are consistently sighted within the same region. As the resighting data is heavily skewed towards urban areas one of the next steps of the project is to fit GPS transmitters to allow a more detailed assessment of known birds’ habitat use away from urban areas. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Labs in the Limelight: showcasing ecological research across Australia Heloise Gibb’s Insect Ecology Lab, report by Nicole Coggan. It is rare to find the majority of Dr. Heloise Gibb’s Insect Ecology Lab at La Trobe University working inside the lab at the same time. From arid deserts to icy mountain slopes, the lab’s research across a variety of habitats has one overarching theme: To understand the factors that drive community structure for terrestrial invertebrates. Only a few weeks ago Heloise, research assistant Manoli Photakis, and some adventurous volunteers recently returned from ant surveys in the MacDonnell Ranges, near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. “We’re using the mountain ant surveys to compare functional trait L‐R standing: Melissa Van De Wetering, Dr. Heloise Gibb, Louise Menz, differences between ants living at different altitudes, in Sebastian Buckingham, Manoli Photakis. L‐R front: Blair Grossman, Nicole Coggan, Katayo Sagata. the same way that longitude and latitude are used in other climate‐change studies. Before that, we were at comparisons of the associations between ant traits and Kosciusko National Park in New South Wales, and also in their habitats. Heloise says that “…it’s important to the Tasmanian alps,” Manoli says. incorporate large‐scale information to predict or understand far‐reaching events, such as climate change,” which is one of the reasons why Heloise’s insect lab has a special interest in ants: “Ants are one of the best invertebrate groups to study because of their abundance and ecological importance,” Heloise admits. “We can use ants to uncover general patterns that aren’t just restricted to particular locations, or tied to the phylogenetic history of a particular area.” For example, Heloise’s most recently accepted paper, published in PLOS One (Gibb and Parr 2013), found strong associations between ants’ eye positioning and habitat complexity that is consistent across Australia, Africa and Sweden. Manoli and Iona Okey (future honours student) collecting ants on Stacks Bluff in Tasmania (Photo by HG). The data from their mountain expeditions will be incorporated into the Global Ant Database, an international collaboration that will enable worldwide 10
Heloises’ ant endeavours include honours graduate Blair Grossman who makes ant identification look deceptively easy. Today Blair is sorting through a whiffy ball of approximately four thousand tyrant ants, Iridomyrmex. “The ants I’m looking at are part of a project that we’re doing in collaboration with Chris Dickman’s lab at the University of Sydney to track long‐
term responses of desert ants to extreme rainfall events.” PhD candidate Melissa Van De Wetering, who is studying the behavioural ecology of Australian beauty Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 ants, Calomyrmex purpureus in collaboration with Dr. Ajay Narendra at ANU, will be flying to New Zealand to present her honours findings on her novel approach to nest relocation and ant navigation. “Most people have looked at [ant] navigation by studying individual foragers using pheromone trails,” Mel explains. “With Calomyrmex I’ve been looking at how pairs of ants relocating to new nest sites incorporate environmental and physical information to find their way from their old Melissa observing carrying behaviour in Calomyrmex (Photo by MP).
to new home.” community may not be able to recover efficiently as dispersal between refuges is limited. Also, 3 years after fire, there seem to be no differences in amphipod abundance between unburnt, ground burn and crown burn sites, suggesting that the local recolonisation has occurred rapidly.” Nicole Coggan is another of the Insect Ecology lab’s PhD student’s whose main focus is not solely upon ants. In fact, it even extends to vertebrates. In addition to monopolising the lab’s field vehicle, The Maggot (or ‘Maggie’, for short), Nicole uses her mountain bike and trailer to sneak up on reintroduced marsupials such as bilbies and bettongs so that she can track their movements and discover how their regional extinction and reintroduction has affected termite habitat use and coprophilic invertebrate assemblages. “I’ve found that reintroducing fossorial marsupials has strongly influenced termite behaviour. Like any animal that doesn’t want to get eaten, my termites seem to be avoiding resources that get disturbed a lot by marsupial foraging. It will be interesting to see how insect communities and interactions have changed since the bilbies’ and bettongs’ extinctions from the mainland, and how they are adjusting to marsupial reintroductions.” Meanwhile, PhD student Katayo Sagata’s study of ant‐
plant interactions under climate change scenarios has revealed that increases in temperature affect honeydew availability using growth chamber experiments as well as in the field through tree translocation from cooler to warmer climates. The Insect Ecology lab’s interests are not solely restricted to ants, however. In collaboration with Dr. Nick Nicole and Melissa preparing a bettong for spool and line tracking at Murphy, PhD student Sebastian Buckingham and Scotia Sanctuary, western NSW (Photo by Wesley Anderson).
honours graduate Louise Menz have been studying invertebrate detritivore genetics and ecology in forests At the moment there is a rest between hectic planning affected by the Kilmore‐Murrundindi fire complex during for more field work and trekking across desert sands and Victoria’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. mountain tops. We were actually able to get the whole Sebastian’s study of leaf litter decomposition has lab together for a sunlit group‐shot. People are actually uncovered functional differences in decomposition by working inside the lab! litter detritivores depending upon fire severity, while …But the tranquillity won’t last forever – in a Louise has found that the amphipods’ genetic population few weeks The Maggot will be overloaded to bursting structure suggests that “…the most common species is point again, pounding the kilometres of shiny black not great at dispersal, and perhaps recolonisation after highway on the way to another sand‐swept adventure, fire is relatively local.” She concludes, “This could have first to the Simpson Desert, then to the Tanami. implications with large scale burns, [as] the amphipod Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Student prizes and grants offered by the Ecological Society of Australia The Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award now open! The ESA wishes to announce that applications are being accepted for our last major student research scholarship for the year: The Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award worth $ 5000! Applications are due on the 29th of July 2013, and the winner will be announced in November 2013. ESA conference travel awards The Ecological Society of Australia offers travel grants each year to help student members attend the ESA conference. ESA aims to cover the majority of a budget return airfare for each applicant. The amount of money each student receives is indexed according to their location and the location of the conference. The value of the grants for each major location will be available on the ESA website when applications open each year to give students certainty in their budgeting. Note that ESA student members can receive funding for international travel to attend an ESA conference, but ESA will not bear the full cost of international travel. The cap for international travel will be equal to the maximum award for domestic travel. New award policies: ‐ To improve the equitability of travel awards, each person can only receive one student travel grant from the ESA. Student members may apply for a travel grant at any time during their candidacy. ‐ If a person has been a member of ESA for less than one year, then they will only be awarded half of the total amount of funding. This provision is intended to allow ESA to keep funding all applications from our student members while reducing the costs associated with people who take membership for a single year to access benefits for conference attendance. That is, we reward long‐term membership. A student who has received a 50% grant cannot apply for the other 50% in another year. Research awards Each year, the ESA also offers around 10 Student Research Awards, each of up to $1500. Applications for these awards will be due on the 28th of October 2013. In contrast to previous years, there will only be one round of applications for Student Research Awards in 2013, but the total number of grants awarded per year will remain unchanged. Conference awards There will also be a wide range of prizes for student poster and spoken presentations available at this year’s conference in Auckland. A complete list of these prizes is available on the ESA website: More information See http://ecolsoc.org.au/prizes.html or contact ESA’s Vice President for Student Affairs, Angela Moles: The University of New South Wales, NSW 2052; ph: +61 2 9385 8302, email: [email protected] 12
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Jill Landsberg Trust Fund Award Congratulations to the 2013 JLTF winner Jorge Ramos Castillejos, University of Tasmania, for his project on the Life history and population dynamics of the range extending Octopus tetricus in south‐eastern Australia. Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in warmer waters that are altering the distribution, abundance and life history of many marine species. The East Australian Current is extending further into Tasmanian waters and persisting for longer periods throughout each year, and is therefore a likely factor contributing to the observed shift in distribution of several marine species. One of these species is the ecologically and commercially important Common Sydney octopus, Octopus tetricus, which is extending its distribution from southern Queensland and central NSW to Victoria and Tasmania, with the potential impacts on local marine ecosystems largely unknown. Despite range shifts being documented all over the world, there are large gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning range‐shift dynamics, the evolutionary consequences and how genetic traits can modulate such shifts. Genetic diversity is critical for the adaptive potential of a population and its ability to deal with changing environmental conditions such as increased temperatures. Therefore, knowledge on the level of connectivity and the structure within populations is fundamental to understanding the genetic and evolutionary consequences of range extensions. Hence, this study aims to answer the following questions by using microsatellites and High Resolution Melt analysis: (1) Is the O. tetricus population formed by one or more subpopulations along its range in eastern Australia? (2) What is the gene flow between Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania? (3) Where along the coast of central‐eastern Australia are the source populations located that are contributing to the extension of O. tetricus in Victoria and Tasmania? (4) What is the genetic diversity of the range edge vs. other population components? (5) What are the potential evolutionary consequences of this range shift? (6) What implications could the genetic structure of this species have on the establishment and dispersal of O. tetricus in the new environments? Jorge will be receiving his scholarship at EcoTas13 in Auckland in November. 13
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Commendation awards went to: 
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Jessica Strauss (Flinders university) "Exploring the effects of resource availability on the health indices of the Southern hairy nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) at brookfield conservation park and Moorunde wildlife reserve". Alison Hewitt (Uni Western Sydney) "Applying microsatellite markers in multiplex reactions to assess the extent of clonality and genetic variability between and within populations of the rare species Melaleuca deanei" Nicole Coggan (La Trobe) "The impacts of fossorial marsupial extinction upon ecosystem processes and invertebrate diversity". These students will all receive an annual membership to ESA.
Dejan Stojanovic, winner of the 2011‐12 Jill Landsberg Trust Fund Award, reports on his extraordinarily daring pursuits as a PhD student atop the towering trees of the Tassie Wilderness. The swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) is an endangered but poorly understood species endemic to south eastern Australia. Although the species has a high profile because of its interaction with forestry, agriculture and development, basic information about their life history has not been available. My PhD research is addressing these fundamental gaps in knowledge to improve the management of swift parrots and their habitat. Swift parrot breeding has not been studied in detail before because the species is difficult to research in its Tasmanian breeding range. Their nests are typically 20‐50m above the ground in mature trees, so in order to access and monitor nests, trees must be climbed. Swift parrots are picky about which tree cavity they use for nesting, selecting only hollows with small entrance diameters and deep chambers. Using funding provided by the JLTF, I surveyed trees across a broad area of eastern Tasmania to investigate how common tree cavities suitable for swift parrots are in Tasmanian forests. My results indicated that tree cavities suitable for wildlife are not common, and that potential swift parrot nests are even less common. 14
One possible explanation for why swift parrots prefer such a scarce subset of an already rare resource is the high rate of attempted predation at their nests. Using camera traps (generously loaned by Michael Johnstone of the Arthur Rylah Institute and the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment) and funds provided by the JLTF, I monitored swift parrot nests from the point of egg laying to chick fledge. I detected 8 species attempting to prey on nesting swift parrots, but due to the small entrance and deep chamber of swift parrot nests, most predation attempts failed. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 However, one species, the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), was small enough to pass the small entrance and deep chamber of a parrot nest. Sugar gliders were observed to inflict 60‐100% breeding failure on swift parrots, and most predations by gliders involved the mortality of the adult female parrot. Interestingly, there is some evidence to Dejan at work – can you spot the ecologist?
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indicate that sugar gliders are introduced to Tasmania. Thanks to the funding provided by the JLTF, I was able to undertake important new research on the basic ecology of one of Australia’s most endangered birds and to identify this previously unknown source of mortality. Applied ecological research on species like the swift parrot is difficult to undertake and funding for such work can be challenging to obtain. The JLTF is focused on supporting research in applied ecology, and I am extremely grateful to the JLTF and the Ecological Society of Australia for their support of my PhD and applied ecology. For more information on this research, contact Dejan at [email protected]. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Celebrating ecology on both sides of the Tasman: diversity and opportunity We invite you to attend the latest joint conference held between the Ecological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Ecological Society to celebrate advances in ecological science, and the ecological connections and differences between the two countries. The conference will create a critical forum on ecology for researchers, managers and policy makers, and we urge ecologists covering the full range of ecosystems, life forms, approaches, and scales to attend and highlight their valuable contributions. Conference details are available on the website at www.EcoTas13.org. Registrations for the conference will be open on the 21st June. Call for Abstracts: We are currently accepting abstracts for EcoTas13. Please submit abstracts at http://ecotas13.org/abstracts/abstract‐submission/. Abstracts close on the 28th June, 2013. Three main presentation types will be catered for at the conference: oral presentations (12 minute talk + 3 minutes for questions), speed talk (4 minutes talk + 1 minute changeover), and poster presentations. This year we are also running a session catering for presentations given in alternative formats (e.g., poetry, or musical presentations, etc.). Please consider giving this type of contribution. We are also asking for expressions of interest in running workshops in association with the conference. If you are interested in running a workshop, please email [email protected] for more information before 28th June. Keynote speakers Prof Chris Thomas (University of York) – Impact of climate change on ecosystems Prof Tom Kompas (ANU) ‐ Natural Resource and Environmental Economics Prof Don Cowan (University of Pretoria) – Antarctic Ecology Prof Richard Duncan (University of Canberra) – Biological Invasions and Extinctions Assoc Prof John Ogden – Forest and Conservation Ecology Prof Ian Jamieson (University of Otago) – Conservation Genetics Winner of the 2013 Australian Ecology Research Award. 16
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Confirmed symposia 1.
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Ecosystem development and retrogression on both sides of the Tasman Invasive species in a changing world: theoretical and applied perspectives Monitoring restored and remnant vegetation in agricultural landscapes: What ecosystem services do they provide? Understanding socio‐ecological systems for effective conservation. The ongoing evolution of predictive ecosystem‐scale ecological modeling Using genetic data to study ecological patterns and processes across landscape New frontiers in elevated CO2 impacts on terrestrial ecosystems Microbial ecology Ecological management of urban landscapes: a cross‐Tasman perspective eResearch in ecology: a new paradigm Antarctic ecology The future of forests in Australasia: impact of Phytophthora on plant composition and ecosystem functioning Functional community ecology: trait‐based approaches to the paradox of community assembly Insects and climate change Ecosystems and economics Back to fundamentals: linking Indigenous and western ecologies 4.
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Other events A student day will be held on Sunday 24th November prior to the main conference and a full suite of field trips is currently being prepared with most running on Friday 29th November. There will also be an ecology‐themed photographic competition run in conjunction with the conference. Details of these events will run on the conference website shortly. The Local Organising Committee is working hard to develop an excellent and noteworthy conference for the potential delegates and look forward to seeing you in Auckland in November. Sincerely, Bruce Burns and Jacqueline Beggs University of Auckland Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Events noticeboard Invasive mammals symposium ‐ Australian Mammal Society and Invasive Species Research Chapter of the ESA Activity: Presented will be a series of exciting, cutting edge talks on the science of invasive mammal ecology in Australia.  Jonathan Webb: Teaching an old quoll new tricks: Conditioned taste aversion enhances the survival of northern quolls in Kakadu National Park  Euan Ritchie: A monument to predator xenophobia: Ecological and economic impacts of the world's longest fence  Thomas Newsome: Dietary overlap of free‐roaming domestic dogs and dingoes: Humans and their role as trophic regulators  Frances Zewe: Letting the cat out of the bag: Feral cat ecology in mesic environments  Alexandra Carthey: What can odour chemistry and prey behaviour tell us about naiveté in Australian mammalian predator‐prey interactions?  Guy Ballard: Everybody needs good neighbourhoods: How do dingoes, foxes, cats and quolls interact in NE NSW? Attendence: Australian Mammal Society Conference; see http://www.bees.unsw.edu.au/ams‐
conference‐2013 for details of registration. When: Tuesday morning (8‐10.30) 9th July, 2013. Where: University of NSW, Sydney ‐ Building E27, Biomed Theatre C, entry via Botany Street. South Australian regional event: ‘Introduction to publishing: natural history to restoration’ Activity: 10 experienced writers across a range of ecological and conservation topics will demystify the publication process by sharing useful advice and hints on subjects, including: Panel 1: The value of publishing, preparing good quality manuscripts and overcoming writer’s block, presented by Mike Bull (Flinders University) and Barry Brook (University of Adelaide). Panel 2: Journal selection, avoiding common mistakes, and communicating with editors, presented by Graeme Medlin (SA Naturalist), Oliver Mayo (Trans. of the Royal Soc. of SA), Bob Hill (Australian Journal of Botany), Paul Cooper (Australian Journal of Zoology), Max Finlayson (Marine and Freshwater Fish), Peter Cale (Restoration Ecology), Mike Gardner (Austral Ecology), Jenny Watling (Functional Ecology). Attendance: This workshop is free to ESA members ($40 non‐members), and includes finger food, tea and coffee. Registration forms are available from [email protected] or www.ecolsoc.org.au. Closing date for registrations is 3rd July, places are limited. When: 3.00 – 5.00 pm (followed by Q&A), Friday, 2 August 2013. Where: Lecture Theatre, Goodman Building, Hackney Road, Adelaide (near the Wine Centre).
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Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 ESA News 2013 Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) Lecture The ESA is pleased to announce that Professor David Keith has been selected to deliver the 2013 Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) Lecture, entitled, ‘Understanding ecosystems and conservation of their biodiversity’, at EcoTas13 in Auckland, November 24‐29, 2013. The 2013 AERA recognises David’s outstanding contributions in providing a strong scientific foundation for the conservation of biodiversity. In recent work David led an international research effort to develop new IUCN Red List criteria for ecosystems to complement the established Red List for species in support of conservation decisions. The importance of this work is evident from the rapid attention it has received professionally and in the media. David's considerable research contributions include developing methods of biological survey, description and mapping of vegetation patterns, conservation planning, fire ecology and management, restoration of native vegetation, amongst much else! To read more on David’s research, visit:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062111.
University of Queensland Congratulations to ESA member, Professor Hugh Possingham, recognized by the Ecological Society of America through listing on the 2013 Ecological Society Fellows list of the Ecological Society of America. Hugh was the only Australian listed this year, although honorary Australian Charles Krebs was listed in 2012! http://www.esa.org/esa/?page_id=7167 University of Western Sydney Postgraduates, from Alison Hewitt Recent PhD completions at UWS Hawkesbury have been Megan Halcroft with her thesis titled "Investigations into the biology, behaviour and phylogeny of a potential crop pollinator: the Australian stingless bee, Austroplebeia australis” and Sahar Van Dyk with "Production of high quality cured vanilla beans". Jocelyn King's dissertation "Carrion insects and their application to forensic investigations in Richmond, NSW with particular reference to significant Coleoptera" has gone for examination. For a fourth year out of five a UWS Hawkesbury research student has been awarded the Australian Plants Society Vallette Williams Scholarship in Botany. This year we congratulate Jessica 19
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Mowle, supervisor Dr Jeff Powell, with her project titled: "Promoting conservation and future generations of Wollemi Pine through manipulation of microbial communities". The fortnightly postgraduate research meetings this year have seen John Wright practise for the 3 minute thesis competition, Alison Hewitt present "Some useful online botanical resources", Fiona Loudon who attended the world herpetology conference in Vancouver present some of her data on torpor in Murray River turtles, Dr Brad Purcell "A plan for a research station at Yerranderie" and James Oliver "Capillary electrophoresis applications". Position vacant – ESA Web Management Officer The Ecological Society of Australia is currently undertaking a website upgrade and is now seeking to appoint a part‐time experienced web manager to provide content management and technical support following the launch of the new site. This will be a part‐time position with initial hours of 7.5 hours per week but with the potential to increase hours at a future date. The position can be offered as an individual part‐time three year contact or as a negotiated contract with a service provider. A home office is welcome. The position description is available for download from the Society’s website: http://ecolsoc.org.au/CurrentEmploymentOpportunities.htm For more information please contact: Gail Spina, Executive Officer E: [email protected] P: 07 3352 7279 M: 0409279068 ESA members are encouraged to distribute position details within their networks and to recommend organisations or consultancies who would be appropriate candidates. Applications Close: Friday July 27 2013 at 5.00pm 20
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Ecological Society of Australia 2013 Office Bearers President Kris French Institute for Conservation Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Ph: 02 42213655 02 4221 4135 [email protected] President‐elect Nigel Andrew University of New England Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology Zoology Department Armidale NSW 2351 Ph: 02 6773 2937 Fax: 02 6773 3814 Vice‐Presidents Membership & Communication Liz Tasker Ph: 02 6125 2635 NSW Office of Environment & Heritage PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: 02 9585 6061 Fax: 02 9585 6606 [email protected] [email protected] Student Affairs Angela Moles [email protected] Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of New South Wales, NSW 2052. Ph: 0293858302 Fax: 0293851558 [email protected] Secretary Jodie Lia Research Glenda Wardle WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services Ph: 0407311035 [email protected] University of Sydney School of Biological Sciences Heydon‐Laurence Building, A08 Sydney NSW 2006 Ph: 02 9351 7113 / 0425382205 Fax: 02 9351 4119 [email protected] Treasurer Brad Murray School of Environment University of Technology Sydney PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007 Ph: 0295144075 [email protected] Executive Officer Gail Spina PO Box 2187 Windsor QLD 4030 Ph: 07 3162 0901 Fax: 07 31620901 Bulletin Editor Ben Gooden Institute for Conservation Biology & Environmental Management School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong NSW 2522 Ph: 02 4221 3436 / 0431151143 Fax: 02 4221 4135 [email protected] [email protected] Public Officer Debbie Saunders Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University ACT 2601 21
Membership Manager Bev Watkins Finance Officer Lyn McCormick [email protected] Ph: 08 8953 7544 Fax: 08 8953 7566 PO Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871 Regional Councillors Australian Capital Territory Don Driscoll Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University ACT 0200 Ph: 02 6125 8130 [email protected] New South Wales Luke Collins Institute for Conservation Biology & Environmental Management School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong NSW 2522 Ph: 02 4221 3555 [email protected] Northern Territory Christine Schlesinger School of Environment & Life Sciences Charles Darwin University PO Box 795 Alice Springs NT 0871 Ph: 08 89595218 Fax: 08 89595293 [email protected] Queensland Andrew R. Hayes Dept Primary Industries and Fisheries 80 Meiers Rd Indooroopillly, QLD 4068 Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Ph: 07 3896 9759, [email protected] South Australia Nerissa Haby School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Adelaide North Terrace Adelaide SA 5005 Ph: 08 8303 5254/ 0419 033 055 Fax: 08 8303 4347 [email protected] Tasmania Anita Wild Wild Ecology Mount Nelson TAS 7007 Ph: 0458 233 168
[email protected] GPO Box 2100 Adelaide SA 5001 Ph: 08 8201 2263 Victoria Peter Vesk School of Botany The University of Melbourne Ph: 03 8344 7480, [email protected] Western Australia Blair Parsons Outback Ecology, Malleefowl Preservation Group 1/71 Troy Terrace, Jolimont WA 6014 Ph: 0893888799 Fax: 0893888633 [email protected] Austral Ecology Managing Editor Mike Bull School of Biological Sciences Flinders University [email protected] Ecological Management & Restoration Managing Editor Tein McDonald P.O. Box 42 Woodburn NSW Australia 2472 Tel: 02 6682 2885 [email protected] Chair of Editorial Board Gary Luck Charles Sturt University Institute for Land, Water and Society PO Box 789 Albury NSW 2640 Ph: 02 6051 9945 [email protected] Austral Ecology and EMR could not be published without the ongoing efforts of the numerous members of each journal’s editorial boards. Please refer to the respective publications for the full listing of journal editors. ESA wishes to welcome the following new members! Thomas Meredith, Miles Keighley, Alexis Carteron, David Ellsworth, Katharine Catelotti, Floret Meredith, Daniel Coleman, Isobel Roberts, Nikki Bramwell, Krystle Keller, Viyanna Leo, Dan Hunter, Greg Stephenson, Timothy Hitchcock, Sarsha Gorissen, Peter McDonald, Laura Brannelly, David Gatfield, Johanna Leonhardt, Daniel Hamilton, Christopher Spain, Angela Sherwin, Lauren Nadler, Louise Barnett, Kathryn Berry, Hannah Markham, Thomas Prowse, John Marshall, John Aalders, Daniela Farias Aqueveque, Fiona Warry, Georgia Dwyer, Tanja Straka, John Patykowski, Josef Krawiec. 22
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Do you wish to contribute to the Bulletin? The ESA is seeking the following:  General news of interest,  Event and Research Chapter announcements,  Recent publications,  Thesis abstracts (PhD, Honours & Masters)  Feature articles summarizing a topic of interest to the ESA  Nominations for Labs in the Limelight  Photographs for the ESA Bulletin cover Thesis abstracts should be no more than 200‐300 words, include a 2‐sentence blurb about the author, a photo and caption related to the research, and written for a general scientific audience. Feature articles may be 600‐800 words in length. Submissions and enquiries may be directed to Ben Gooden, the Bulletin Editor: [email protected] or [email protected] Content for the September 2013 ESA Bulletin must be received by Monday 26th August 2013. General mail to the ESA should be directed to: Ecological Society of Australia Inc. P O Box 8250 Alice Springs NT 0871 23
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 2, Volume 43, June 2013 Photo acknowledgements ESA wishes to thank everyone who submitted photos to the photo competition these past few years. Below are references for each of the photos featured in this Issue (excluding those accompanying articles written by Gerry Ho, Dejan Stojanovic and Nicole Coggan). 
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Cover: Kris Murray, 2007, Eungella National Park, Queensland. Description: Flat out like a lizard thinking 1 – Phyllurus nepthys. One of the many pleasures of doing research on frogs is that you spend a hell of a lot of time wandering around in the dark, sometimes pretty aimlessly given the fatigue and unpredictability of the game, in some of the most wild and remote places on the planet. And that can lead to some pretty interesting encounters that at times (normally after you’ve been stung in the face by a stinging tree, around 3 or 4am, when it’s raining and cold and you just want to go home to bed) gets you wondering whether you can believe what you’re seeing. Eungella National Park in central coastal Queensland is one such wild place, and Phyllurus nepthys, or Eungella leaf‐tail gecko, is one of those almost unbelievable creatures that might look more real if it were in the Neverending Story (although sadly it probably isn’t given the projected effects of climate warming on the relictual high altitude endemics of the Queensland tropics...). On this night we were out for some frog surveys as part of the then EPA’s (now DERM) FrogSearch program set up to monitor imperilled amphibians (and maybe, just maybe rediscover the missing Eungella gastric brooding frog), when in some down time I exchanged a few curiously perplexed moments with this awesome and, forgive my anthropomorphisms, distinctly thoughtful lizard. Page 3. Header: Marta Ferenczi, 2012, Didgealpa, South Australia. Description: Our project is to increase our understanding of Avian Influenza Virus dynamics in Australian bird populations, with a focus on AIV‐prevalence changes over time in birds in Australian ephemeral and permanent wetland systems. This picture was taken on one of the expeditions in the desert region. The black swan was sampled for avian influenza viruses. Page 8. Alan Kwok, 2012, Central Coast, NSW. Description: Affectionately labelled by locals as "the banshee", this bush stone curlew frequently skulks in the shadows of a dimly lit suburb on the central coast of NSW, wailing a mournful tune in the quiet of night. Though not normally considered appropriate habitat, something about this area draws the bird(s) back, and has done so for years. Page 9. Laura Weidenauer, 2012. Description: 'Party Boy', a cockatoo tagged as part of the Cockatoo Wingtags research project was snapped by a resident in Mosman, Sydney, Page 17. Matthew Malishev, 2010. Description: To us, this lavender flower has many shades of purple. This bee sees only blue. Finding resources when everything looks similar is tricky business and requires careful decision‐making. However, bees have evolved to solve remarkable challenges of colour and sight to become highly successful. Page 21. Jordan de Jong, 2011, Central South Australia. Description: On our way back from a research trip to Alice Springs we noticed large bright red patches in the otherwise dry, drab roadside vegetation along the Stuart Hwy. We stop at the next patch and found it to be a healthy stand of Sturt's Desert Peas in full flower. The plants looked extremely healthy which no doubt gives a good indication of their ability to retain and conserve moisture in their arid environment. Page 22. Casey O'Brien, 2012, Middleback ranges, SA. Description: An endangered sandhill dunnart being released back into the wild by Amanda McLean, after being measured and microchipped. NOTICE: Items printed herein should not be reproduced without the permission of the Society or the author of the material. Opinions expressed by contributors to the Bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc. unless otherwise stated. Any mention of companies or products in the Bulletin should not be viewed as an endorsement by the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc.
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