Urban Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation
Understanding the ecology of urban environments and how this can be applied for improved conservation management in cities.
Academic staff
The following staff are available to supervise honours and masters research in the field of urban biodiversity, ecology and conservation.
Dr Kirsten Parris
Research in urban ecology, amphibian ecology, conservation biology and animal behaviour, including acoustic communication in urban noise.
Project topics:
- Ecology and conservation of urban wildlife
- Bio-acoustics and animal communication
- Impacts of anthropogenic stressors on freshwater ecosystems
- Community and population ecology of amphibians
Email: k.parris@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Chris Walsh
Studies of the interaction between land use and ecological structure and function of stream ecosystems, the management actions required for ecologically successful stream protection and restoration.
Email: cwalsh@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Yung En Chee
Research using ecological and decision theory, models and methods to provide evidence-based solutions to conservation and ecosystem management problems.
Email: yechee@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Nicholas Williams
Urban ecology research with a focus on biodiversity patterns in cities and towns, and the many ecosystem services urban vegetation can provide to urban areas.
Project topics:
- Native grassland ecology and restoration
- Plant ecology in urban areas, particularly comparative plant functional traits
- Development of green roofs and facades and quantification of their benefits
- Novel urban horticultural plant palettes to increase biodiversity
Email: nsw@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Nick Bond
Dr Joe Greet
The relationships between water regime and plant life-histories in riparian and wetland environments.
Email: greetj@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Geoff Heard
Dr Samantha Imberger
Studies in the ways to improve the structure and function of urban streams through the application of catchment-scale water sensitive urban design.
Email: samantha.imberger@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Caragh Threlfall
urban ecology, urban planning and landscape design, and the maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity in urban areas
Email: caragh.threlfall@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Kylie Soames
Email: ksoanes@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Amy Hahs
Urban ecology research to understand how urban landscapes impact local biodiversity and how to better manage and plan for this
Email: hahsa@unimelb.edu.au