Dr Ricky Spencer

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Publications
• Contact Details

Biography

Dr Ricky Spencer is a new staff member to UWS, having begun as a Lecturer in Biological Sciences in December 2007. Ricky is a founding member of the Native and Pest Animal Unit in the School of Natural Sciences. Prior to beginning at UWS, Ricky was a Senior Research Scientist for a private company within the Invasive Animals CRC, conducting research and development as part of a $3.18 million project to develop new vertebrate pest control methodologies, specifically using PAPP. Much of this work was commercial-in-confidence and will be published in the future.

Ricky completed his PhD in 2001 and has produced many scientific publications in refereed international journals since that time. Ricky was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Qld (Fire Ecology on Fraser Island- Prof. Hugh Possingham-advisor); Iowa State University (Temperature dependent Sex Determination in turtles (TSD)- Prof. Fred Janzen-advisor) and his PhD research investigated the impact of foxes on freshwater turtle populations of the Murray River (University of Sydney- Prof. Mike Thompson- supervisor). Ricky has spent 13 years actively working on vertebrate pests and is a member of the Invasive Animals CRC.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Ecology; Evolution; Pest Management and Control; Animal Behaviour; Biology

PhD, BSc(Hons) Syd

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Grants / Current Projects

2009- Impact of Foxes on Shorebirds on the Central Coast of NSW (Gosford City Council)
2009- Assessing the impact of foxes using new technologies (Melbourne Water)
2009- New technologies for the management of Foxes in Australia (Caring for Our Country- Australian Government)
2008- Eco-Toxicogenomics to Save the Dingo (UWS- $25K)
2008- Assessing distribution, abundance and habitat preferences of feral Indian mynas in an urban landscape (Blacktown City Council)
2008- Biodiversity of the Wolgan Valley (Emirates Airlines)
2008- Taxonomy of the Bellinger River Emydura  (NSW DECC) 

 

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Publications

Since 2004

2004 Spencer R-J., and Thompson M.B. The significance of predation in nest site selection of turtles: An experimental consideration of macro- and microhabitat preferences. Oikos 103:592-600. (I.F.- 3.3)

2004 Kennedy MS, Spencer R-J, Baxter GS. Using small mammals to test ecological processes driving population and community processes after fire in a nutrient poor environment. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43 (6): 843. (I.F.- 2.7)

2004 Spencer R-J, Clark WF. Testing a theoretical model of nest site selection in turtles and water birds. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43(6). (I.F.- 2.7)

2004 Spencer R-J, Janzen F. J. Ecology and evolution of TSD in turtles: the value of long-term research and the effects of climate change. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43(6). (I.F.- 2.7)

2005 Spencer R-J., and Thompson, M.B. Experimental analysis of the impact of foxes on freshwater turtle populations using large scale field and modelling techniques: Implications for management. Conservation Biology 19: 845-854. (I.F.- 4.0)

2005 Fuller S. J., Bull C.M., Murray K., and Spencer, R-J. Clustering of related individuals in a population of the Australian lizard, Egernia frerei. Molecular Ecology 14 ,1207 –1213. (I.F.- 5.2)

2005 Spencer R-J, Cavanough V.C., Baxter G, Kennedy M.S. Adult-free zones in Australian small mammal populations: Response of Australian native rodents to reduced cover. Austral Ecology. 30: 876-884. (I.F.- 1.8)

2005 Blamires S.J. Spencer R-J, King P. Thompson M.B. Population parameters and life table analysis of two coexisting freshwater turtles: are the Bellinger River turtle populations threatened? Wildlife Research. 32(4):339-347. (I.F.- 1.0)

2005 Bowen K.D., Spencer R-J., and Janzen F.J. A comparative study of environmental factors that affect nesting in Australian and North American freshwater turtles. Journal of Zoology. 267:397-404. (I.F.- 1.5)

2006 Spencer R-J. and Baxter G.S. Effects of Prescribed Fire and Fire History on the Structure an Composition of Mixed Forests on Fraser Island, Australia. Austral Ecology. 31, 638–646 (I.F.- 1.8)

2006 Spencer R-J, Janzen F.J and Thompson M.B.. Counterintuitive density-dependent growth in a long-lived vertebrate after removal of nest predators. Ecology. 87(7):1123-1131. (I.F.- 4.3)

2007 Georges, A., Walsh, R., Spencer, R.J., Welsh, M. and Shaffer, HB. (2007). The Bellinger Emydura. Challenges for Management. Report to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney, by the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra. July 2007.

2007 Spencer, R-J., Georges, A., and Welsh, M. (2007). The Bellinger Emydura. Ecology, Population Status and Management. Report to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney, by the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra. July 2007.

2008. Schwanz L., Bowden, R., Spencer, R-J., Janzen, F.J. (2008). Nesting ecology and offspring recruitment in a long-lived turtle. Ecology. (in press) (I.F.- 4.3)

2008 Colbert P., Spencer R-J and Janzen F.J. Hatch or Wait II: Revisiting the significance of synchronous hatching in a species that overwinters in the nest. Functional Ecology (In Press) (I.F.- 3.2)

2009 Spencer R-J, Lapidge, S, and Dall, D. Introgression as a Springboard for Facultative Changes in Australia’s Last Top Mammalian Predator. Journal of Animal Ecology (In Press)(I.F.- 3.8)

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