Trish Fleming

This project aims to assess the vulnerability of the Pilbara leaf-nosed bat (Rhinonicteris aurantia; Pilbara form) to climate change and identify drivers of seasonal and annual population variation. Using physiological experiments, long-term cave microclimate monitoring, and predictive modelling integrated with demographic and movement datasets, the project will advance understanding of species resilience and population dynamics. The project will generate new knowledge on climate tolerance and ecological drivers of colony sizes using innovative interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes include improved conservation strategies, climate-resilient artificial roost design, and predictive tools for management, such as biodiversity protection and mining offset planning.

Electricity production contributes 40% of world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Conversion to renewable energy production is therefore critical for mitigating climate change. Australia’s commitment to meeting emission targets has seen rapid growth in the renewable energy sector. Wind energy met 13.4% of Australia’s total energy demands over the last 12 months, but the rapid increase in wind energy developments will see this proportion increase. In 2023, there were 121 Australian wind farms operating or under construction, but an additional 188 have been proposed. Markedly, there is a projected 12-fold increase over current wind energy generation, with more, much larger turbines, proposed. As the number of wind energy projects increases, so has the scrutiny of their environmental impact. Wind energy, in particular, has a pronounced ecological impact on bird and bat species due to collisions with turbine blades and towers. Understanding the potential impact of the growth of wind farms on threatened wildlife species requires species-specific collision risk data. However, reported turbine strike data is lacking for most Australian species, especially scarce, threatened species, and those whose geographic range does not overlap with existing wind farms. Without actual strike data, conservation management decisions are currently being made on the basis of theoretical predictions. To fully assess and address potential environmental impacts of wind turbine developments We have reviewed the biological traits of bird and bat species, available collision mortality monitoring, and compiled direct activity observations to identify a list of Western Australian species that are potentially at risk of wind turbine collision. We have also identified knowledge gaps that require additional research. This work is building research and industry collaboration towards managing and mitigating the balance between green energy development and the conservation challenges that it represents.

Windfarms and wildlife: what data do we need?

Wind energy is a significant component of Australia’s commitment to renewable energy. While this transition is vital to reduce the cumulative impacts of infrastructure and climate change on ecosystems, there remain significant knowledge gaps around the likely impacts of this transition to green energy on Australian wildlife. Assessment of potential impacts on birds and bats due to wind turbine collision is undertaken as part of the assessment of the Matter of National Environmental Significance (MNES) under Commonwealth legislation (EPBC Act) and the different states legislations (EP Act for WA etc) during their environmental impact assessment (EIA) for proposed wind farms. Such data can be validated against post-construction mortality monitoring at operating wind farms. The proposed PhD projects aim to address some of the knowledge gaps around these processes.

(1) Can wind turbine impacts be detected using landscape-level bioacoustic monitoring methods? Audio recording analysis has huge potential for understanding biodiversity across large landscapes. Using a before-after control-impact experimental design, this project will examine the use of passive acoustic recording to assess the changes in biodiversity associated with construction of wind turbines.

(2) What’s the best way to detect and assess potential impacts on bats? Acoustic recording is an important method used for the detection and understanding of bat activity. However, previous data has shown that pre-construction assessments of bat species presence and activity are not correlated with collision impacts post-construction revealed through mortalities. This suggests that our methods of auditory assessment have limitations that are not being addressed adequately through EIA assessments. This project will examine detectability of different bat species using various survey methods, to inform collision risk modelling.

(4) Does increasing light infrastructure impact ecosystem function? In birds, artificial light at night (ALAN) has been linked to activity changes such as delayed sleep onset, increased nocturnal awakenings, vigilance, and night vocalisation with direct fitness costs. Light, as an attractant, also has the potential to impact food webs, luring both prey and predator species to newly lit locations. This project will use a range of methods to address the before and after impacts of ALAN on wildlife at landscape scales to inform adaptive management practices.

Long-life lures for pest detection and monitoring. Lures are used to attract animals for surveillance or monitoring purposes. Historically, these lures are food-based and short-lived(2 weeks). Developments in remote communications now means that traps are becoming more autonomous and can be left out for longer periods of time with little to no maintenance required. One of the current shortfalls relating to these autonomous traps is the continuous need to replace the trap lure. Such a lure would significantly decrease operational costs associated with refreshing lures and increase the effectiveness of the control/monitoring operations by ensuring that the lures are always optimally attractive to target animals. This project will trial New Zealand-developed long-life block lures toassess the effectiveness and longevity of the lures in attracting invasive rodents in Australia. Contact Melissa Thomas or Trish Fleming.

What are Perth foxes eating for supper? The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the world’s most successful urban adapters, today found across more than 120 cities around the globe. Their success is likely due to their ability to avoid potential dangers implicit with livingalongside people (e.g. domestic dogs, road strike), while taking advantage where they can. One advantage lies in the potential food sources that they can find in and around residential areas. We have a collection of ~50 red foxes that have been collected as part of population control from urban reserves across the Perth metropolitan area. These foxes vary in age from young to old animals, and they were trapped across a diversity of sites, from refuse tips through to intact native bushland. This project will investigate their stomach contents, to determine what dietary resources are being used by these animals. The project will suit a student who is keen to understand more about urban biodiversity, invasive predators, and the biology of foxes. For more detail, contact Trish Fleming.

Can we return fauna to revegetation sites by addition of refuges?

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a critical functional and structural component of forest and woodland ecosystems, providing habitat for many species, and is an important consideration in forest and woodland restoration (Craig et al. 2014). Parts of Chingarrup Sanctuary in southwest Western Australia were revegetated 20 years ago. About 5 years after planting, piles of large mallee roots were added to the landscape as potential fauna habitat and seed accumulation sites. This project will investigate small vertebrate activity around ~50 of these coarse woody debris piles to determine their value for return of fauna to revegetated landscapes. You will use cameras to identify fauna species present, and compare their activity with landscape features. The project suits a mid-year start. For more detail, contact Trish Fleming. 

We have collected and analysed specimens over 10 years for a largescale study of the demographics, diet, parasites, bite force, and growth rates of stray and feral cats. The management of stray cats has been particularly contentious, with proponents advocating for the introduction of Trap-Neuter-Release in Australia. Our work unequivocally demonstrates that, in addition to the wildlife conservation damage this would cause, it is an unethical management option, with poor animal welfare outcomes.

Animal welfare is increasingly important for the Australian livestock industries, to maintain the social licence to practice, as well as ensuring market share overseas. Improvement of animal welfare in the livestock industries requires a number of key steps, most importantly, objective measures are needed for welfare assessment to enable comparison and contrast of welfare implications of husbandry procedures or housing options.

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) is an integrated measure that characterises behaviour as a dynamic, expressive body language. It is not necessarily what the animal is doing, but how it is doing it. Here we describe how to carry out a QBA and summarise outcomes of recent QBA studies.

This transdisciplinary project has been examining the role of bandicoots as contribution to healthy urban bushland. Quenda (our local south-west Western Australia bandicoot species) move mycorrhizal fungi between reserves with their scats, and we have shown that these fungi are important for maintaining tree health. The challenge has therefore been to determine whether we can use quenda scats as an inoculant for seedlings to improve tree health.