Ecology and Evolution Series: Threatened species

Our Series 2, Autumn 2020, builds on our summer Ecology and Evolution Series to discover how we can better protect our most threatened species as they adapt to our changing environments.

Curious. Cutting-edge. Community.

Ecology and evolution seminar series - threatened species

Series image: Kangaroo Island sea lions courtesy of Sputnik

The United Nation’s recent IPBES Global Assessment warns we’re hurtling towards the mass extinction of over a million species. Inspired by the report’s call for transformative change to halt destruction of the world’s web of life, and the impact on our wellbeing, we’re focusing on our most threatened species.

We’d love you to join us as we explore what we’ve recently discovered that may help other threatened species, what we still need to know, and how to build transformative teams to halt the extinction of our most threatened fauna, flora, and fungi.

Friday March 6

Threatened species: on land

James Trezise

James Trezise

PhD candidate - School of Biological Sciences; and Landscape Ecologist - Department for Environment and Water.

James will be sharing his PhD research on threatened flora and fire, in particular seed dormancy, succession and prescribing fire to enhance biodiversity. His presentation is titled, 'Fire can be used as a tool in long unburnt vegetation to enhance biodiversity'.

James' researcher profile


 

Luis Williamson - PhD candidate

Luis Williamson

PhD candidate - School of Biological Sciences 
Supervisor: Prof Michelle Waycott

Luis will share how he discovered poorly understood insects Setocoris are somehow immune to the trapping glands on carnivorous plants (Drosera spp.) and, surprisingly, are common on almost every Drosera species in South Australia! This is his introductory PhD seminar titled: Coevolution of sundews and sundew bugs.

Luis' researcher profile


 

Friday March 13

Giulia Ghedini - Monash University

Giulia Ghedini

ARC DECRA research fellow - School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
(PhD graduate in marine ecology supervised by Prof Sean Connell)

Following her PhD in marine ecology studying the ecological mechanisms that mediate community stability, Giulia’s research has evolved to how competition modifies individual resource use in populations and communities and how competition changes energy fluxes in communities, altering their stability and function.

Giulia's researcher profile


 

Friday March 20

Postponed

Alana Delaine

Alana Delaine

PhD candidate - School of Biological Sciences 
Supervisors: Prof Andy Austin, Dr Gary Taylor, Dr Juanita Rodriguez

Passionate about tiny insects, and always up for a challenge, Alana’s current research examines the taxonomy and systematics of a drastically understudied and unresolved genus of wasps which are the primary parasitoids of psyllids (lerps, another beautiful group of tiny insects). This is Alana’s introductory PhD seminar: Psyllaephagus, an important but problematic genus of Encyrtid wasps.

Alana's researcher profile


 

Yeniu (Mickey) Wang

Yeniu (Mickey) Wang

PhD candidate - School of Biological Sciences 
Supervisor: A/Prof Bertram Ostendorf

With an interest in using new technology for agriculture production, Mickey’s research aims to use low altitude remote sensing with hyperspectral technology to quickly detect viral diseases, and predict the spread of disease at vineyard scale. This is Mickey’s introductory PhD seminar.

Mickey's researcher profile


 

Friday March 27

Postponed

Emeritus Professor Roger Seymour

Emeritus Professor Roger Seymour

Professor Seymour will share his invited plenary from the 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry meeting, in Perth, titled, ‘The holes in the fossil record: how foramina in fossil bones gauge blood flow rate and metabolic intensity of archosaurs and human ancestors’.

Roger's researcher profile


 

Friday May 1

Diego R. Guevara Torres - PhD student Terrestrial Plant Ecology Lab

Diego Guevara

Diego is a Peruvian biologist from La Molina Agrarian University with a Masters in Applied Ecology from University of East Anglia, UK.

Diego’s PhD in the Terrestrial Plant Ecology Lab at the University of Adelaide, is studying the management, remote sensing monitoring and restoration of native temperate grasses of South Australia. His research is specifically investigating 'the influence of rainfall variations and soil microbial community manipulation on native and invasive species of Mediterranean-type grasslands of South Australia'.

Diego's researcher profile

Watch Diego's seminar
Tagged in Biological Sciences, Ecology and evolutionary biology, For current students, For researchers, Research seminar, Ecology and Evolution Series, Online event