DAVID ELDRIDGE Profiles Research Opportunities PublicationsPhotosContactCollaborators & Links

Research opportunities

We are a small lab that aims to maintain a collaborative and friendly atmosphere.  We have fortnightly lab meetings to discuss each others projects, and students are expected to assist with fieldwork, attend discussion groups and seminars, go to conferences and be an active member of the School.

I encourage students interested in postgraduate studies to develop their own research questions and urge them to talk to current students about life in the lab. Most students undertaking PhDs support themselves with an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) although there may also be opportunities for industry based awards (APAIs). Please feel free to contact me to discuss potential projects and collaborations.

Potential projects

Prospective honours students should contact me to discuss their ideas and the range of projects that could be undertaken in the lab. Some examples of potential honours projects are listed below. This page can also be viewed as a pdf file here (or right-click link to save the pdf file).

Rabbits have dramatic and varied effects on ecosystem properties and processes. One of these effects is to produce resource-poor patches (warrens) that persist for many years. Another effect is to create foraging pits that influence seed capture and germination of vascular plants. This study will examine whether pits and warrens support unique assemblages of plant species or merely a subset of species present in the plant community.

Location: Yathong Nature Reserve (Cobar) or Nanya (Broken Hill)

Numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) are critically endangered and confined to a few small areas of south-western WA. Numbats have been reintroduced into predator-free exclosures in western NSW. This study will examine the links between numbat foraging pits and the distribution of subterranean termite galleries, as well as landscape variables  in order to predict where numbats may be foraging.

Location: Scotia Sanctuary with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

Litter remaining on the soil surface in arid landscapes is broken down by photo-oxidation and contributes little to soil nutrient pools. However, litter trapped in depressions is more likely to contribute to soil nutrient pools. This study examines the links between pit shape and size, and the capture efficiency of litter using artificial pits. Other studies will also evaluate the importance of soil for holding litter in situ.

Location: Yathong Nature Reserve (Cobar), Arid Recovery (Roxby Downs)

Locally-extinct native mammals such as the stick-nest rat and Marla have been reintroduced into fenced exclosures at Scotia Sanctuary. As part of the re-introduction program, supplementary water is provided in order to enhance the survival prospects for these animals. However, little is known about whether the animals actually use free water or the other animals (e.g. birds) that might use it. This study will involve regular monitoring of animal use of water at two locations in an arid woodland.

Dense stands of white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla) are thought to suppress the growth of vascular plants by competing for water, nutrients and light. Forests NSW have been experimentally manipulating stand density over the past 30. This study will compare a range of ecosystem properties (e.g. plant diversity, composition, microbial respiration, infiltration, soil surface morphology, litter decomposition) across density gradients to test the hypothesis that increasing tree density equates with enhanced ecosystem function.

Location: Forbes with Department of Environment and Climate Change

Anecdotal evidence suggests that woody shrub encroachment leads to the suppression of understorey plants. This is inconsistent however with the large body of research showing that shrubs have important facilitatory effects on plants and soils. This study will test the hypothesis that overgrazing masks the facilitatory effect of shrubs on understorey plants using field survey along a degradation gradient in western NSW and supported by glasshouse trials.

Location: Scotia Sanctuary (Buronga)

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is Australia’s number one vertebrate pest. In the past 20 years, landmanagers in western NSW have spent millions of dollars controlling rabbits. The most effective method is to destroy their warrens, usually by mechanical ripping. However, rabbit control has not always been effective. This study will test the effectiveness of rabbit warren ripping in five vegetation communities in western NSW to analyse: 1) reinvasion of warrens by rabbits, 2) changes in vegetation on the old warrens, and 3) changes in soil surface morphology after ripping.

Location: arid and semi-arid NSW in collaboration with Western CMA.

Soil disturbances such as pits, mounds and burrows are constructed by a range of animals including spiders, ants, beetles, skinks, goannas, rodents, echidnas and rabbits. We hypothesise that the density of goanna foraging pits is greater in healthier, functional landscapes (greater resources) than unhealthy, resource-poor landscapes. This study will examine the density of goanna pits in relation to the density of gecko and Lycosid spider burrows and their occupancy using a ‘burrowscope’ and will be supported by experiments on the response of goanna foraging to manipulated resource levels.

Location: Scotia Sanctuary (Buronga) in collaboration with James Val (DECC)