Do Australia’s biosecurity policies match the ecological reality?

Project description

Australia has one of the world's strongest biosecurity systems, yet invasive plant species are often regulated differently across states and territories. Why are some high-risk species declared in one jurisdiction but not another? Are current policies keeping pace with new ecological evidence? This project will use the newly updated Alien Flora of Australia database to compare the distribution and invasion status of alien plants with the declared weed lists of every Australian jurisdiction. The aim is to identify mismatches between biological invasions, biosecurity risk and environmental policy, and investigate what drives these inconsistencies. Depending on your interests, you may also explore links with climate suitability, invasion stage or environmental impacts. The project combines invasion ecology, conservation and environmental policy and biosecurity actions, offering hands-on experience working with Australia's largest national alien plant dataset. You'll develop skills in ecological data analysis in R while contributing to research with real-world applications for biodiversity conservation and biosecurity. There will be opportunities to contribute to scientific publications and help inform future evidence-based environmental policy. If you're interested in ecology, conservation or environmental decision-making, this project offers the chance to tackle an important national challenge with genuine conservation impact.

Assumed knowledge

A background in ecology, environmental science, biology, conservation or related disciplines. Experience with statistics, GIS and/or R is desirable.

Supervisors research focus

I am a passionate invasion ecologist dedicated to unravelling the complexities and impacts of biological invasions within plant communities through a multi-scale approach. My research integrates invasion ecology, functional ecology, biodiversity monitoring and ecological modelling to better understand how ecosystems respond to biological invasions, climate change and land-use change. I am particularly interested in translating ecological research into practical tools that improve biosecurity, conservation planning and environmental policy, helping bridge the gap between scientific evidence and decision-making.     If you are interested in any other topic or have any other ideas related to plant ecology, invasive species and biosecurity, adaptations to climate and global change, restoration ecology, functional ecology and ecosystem services, please come to have a chat with me!

Note: You need to register interest in projects from different supervisors (not a number of projects with the one supervisor).
You must also contact each supervisor directly to discuss both the project details and your suitability to undertake the project.