Research Seminar - Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Seminar Abstract: This talk describes the population and community dynamics of small mammals over 20+ years in the Simpson Desert, central Australia. In this extreme environment, rodents increase during short but spectacular boom periods after heavy rainfall and crash during prolonged droughts. Dasyurid marsupials, by contrast, show the opposite pattern, and appear to suffer mass mortality after heavy rains. Populations are also affected by wildfire, introduced predators and by competitive and facilitatory interactions among themselves. These varied processes are seldom reported as drivers of the population and community dynamics of desert mammals, and suggest that Australian systems differ markedly from those elsewhere. I propose some simple conceptual models that attempt to describe and predict the dynamics of small desert mammals, and will also discuss the likely effects of climate change on inland environments.

Further information on Prof Dickman can be found via: http://sydney.edu.au/science/biology/sites/dickmanlab/chris-dickman.shtml

The seminar will be followed by drinks and nibbles available in the foyer of L9 – all are welcome! No RSVP is required.