Welcome

Welcome to the Invasion Ecology Group, a research group led by Dr Phill Cassey at the Global Ecology Lab, University of Adelaide. The Global Ecology Lab is a research intensive centre in the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute. It undertakes world-leading multidisciplinary research to mitigate the actions of human-induced biological change across all environments and develop adaptive strategies to respond to the anticipated impacts of climate change. The Global Ecology Lab is led jointly by Professors Barry Brook, Corey Bradshaw and Phill.

Phill is an ARC Future Fellow in Invasion Biogeography and Associate Professor in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences. He is a core member of the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute and management committee member for ACEBB, the Australian Centre of Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity. Phill is a participant of the intergovernmental Vertebrate Pests Committee Incursions Working Group.

The Invasion Ecology Group includes postdocs, PhD students, honours students, and undergraduate researchers working in invasion biogeography and biosecurity risk assessment. Anyone interested in working with us or joining the group as a researcher or student can contact Phill directly to discuss the opportunities currently available.

April 2, 2013

Recent News…

[Link to Article]

2013 is already proving to be an exciting year for the group and the Global Ecology Lab. February saw Camille Duval and Kaat Brulez (PhD students) visit from Birmingham, UK. This is the last year in their candidatures and they have both worked extremely hard to get to this point. Their visit to Adelaide was partly supported by the Environment Institute and they both presented invited seminars whilst they were here.

We are very pleased to welcome the new members to our group. Our 2013 Honours students Calum Cunningham and Arlette Srour are both working on invasive species projects in collaboration with the Kangaroo Island NRM Board, and Masters student Danielle Pedler has started a research project on climate scenarios for invasive marine species in South Australia. Our Invasive Animals CRC PhD students Amy Iannella and Pablo Garcia Diaz have both commenced their candidatures and postdoc Miguel Vall-llosera is set to arrive in June.

Phill is convening a session (April 16) in the next Ethology Investigates online conference on the Behaviour of invasive species and their impact on the host environment (www.ethologyinvestigates.com). The South Australian Vertebrate Pest Forum will be held on May 14-15 at the Plant Research Centre Auditorium, Waite Campus. Phill will be presenting research on emerging pests.

Finally, the Global Ecology Lab is delighted to welcome Associate Professor Lian Pin Koh who will be joining the leadership of the lab from 2014. Lian Pin is an applied ecologist and conservation biologist and was most recently honoured as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2013. His world-class research into biodiversity loss and solutions for environmental sustainability will greatly support, and add to, the labs ongoing work in global change biology.

Our highlighted news item this month is the discovery of 54 ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) and 21 radiated tortoises (A. radiata) being smuggled through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Found only in Madagascar, both species are listed as critically endangered and current estimates of ploughshare tortoises in the wild number around 400. Our own research is focussing on what characteristics drive the illegal trade in species like these tortoises and how to best forecast the pathways by which they can be detected and their future smuggling prevented.