Background:  

Graduating in Mechanical Engineering I moved to Europe and worked at the top level of motorsport modelling the vehicle dynamics of the world’s fastest race cars. After travelling around and visiting many places through my work and holidays I decided I wanted to do as much as I could to help protect our planet for all its current and future inhabitants. Returning back to Australia I completed a Bach of Science (First Class Honours) studying under Prof. Hugh Possingham and Dr Grant Wardell-Johnson analysing the competition between tree species in the World Biodiversity Hotspot of the Walpole Wilderness Area in south-western Australia. I am now completing a PhD to further our understanding of the area and the uncertainty in mapping biodiversity, and investigate ways to improve this process. To help protect Australia’s unique fauna I am a licensed wildlife carer and work for an organisation that rescues and rehabilitates these animals including kangaroos, possums, gliders, echidnas, birds and reptiles. I then organise and release these animals once they are ready to go back into the wild. I also run my own photography and web business and have covered internatioanal sporting events, wildlife, newspaper editorial and commercial product shoots.

Study Area: Managing the Natural Environment

Project outline: There is general agreement that global biodiversity is under great threat and that species are being lost at an ever-increasing rate. With its high levels of species diversity, coupled with a high level of habitat loss, south-western Australia has been identified as a World Biodiversity Hotspot. This research will develop new methods to desegregate existing datasets and use statistical methods (primarily Bayesian Networks) to derive better models for biodiversity conservation. Understanding the association between the geomorphology and floristic composition of vegetation complexes within the test area is an essential part of understanding the processes driving the spatial patterning. The models generated from this research will increase our understanding of the link between vegetation complex spatial patterning from plot level to the broader landscape scale. It is envisaged that the maps generated will enable greater control for environmental management programs by being a key tool in predicting the trajectory of vegetation community change, particularly under the current threat of climate change. This knowledge will help develop more informed management strategies not just for the Walpole Wilderness Area but also for the greater conservation community.

Advisors:

Principal: Dr. Grant Wardell-Johnson
Other: Dr. David Pullar, Dr. Carl Smith

Collaborating Organisations:

Dept of Environment & Conservation (DEC) - Western Australia

Contact Details:

• E-mail: p.smith5@uq.edu.au