Honours supervisors and projects

Dr Ross Thompson

Biodiversity patterns in aquatic systems

Telephone: 9905 5633
Email: ross.thompson@sci.monash.edu.au

Projects for 2009

2009-1/2-1 Trophic and ecosystem consequences of low dose toxins in the environment.

Urbanization is associated with the introduction of a range of toxins into the environment. I am interested in the ways in which sub-lethal doses of toxins affect energy transfer through natural food webs. This work would be carried out in the newly established Freshwater Ecology facility in the Jock Marshall Reserve, with a component of field work.

2009-1/2-2 Effects of willow litter removal on aquatic food web complexity and productivity.

Willow removal and control are the subject of major investments. However the aquatic communities in streams beneath willow are strongly reliant on these litter sources and may be influenced by the removal of this energy source. This study will explore in the field and the lab the role of willow litter in stream food webs.

2009-1/2-3 Effects of patterned species removals on food web structure and dynamics in pond systems.

There has been considerable interest in the relationship between biodiversity (number of species) and ecosystem function (things like productivity, decomposition rates and nutrient cycling rates). This has typically been explored by randomly removing species from communities and measuring changes in ecosystem functions. I am interested in exploring the effects of ‘patterned’ biodiversity change (the loss of rare species and the gain of invasive species) on ecosystem functions. A body of theory now exists suggesting that the removal of the most highly connected species may have the smallest dynamic effects. This hypothesis will be explored in pond systems through species removals. This work would be carried out in the newly established Freshwater Ecology facility in the Jock Marshall Reserve, with a component of field work.

2009-1/2-4 Topic of your choice.

I am always interested in talking to students about their own ideas and how we could make them work as an Honours project. Students with interests in biodiversity, food web ecology and ecosystem ecology in aquatic environments should feel free to make a time to discuss ideas with me.