Harry Moore
ILWS PhD Candidate
Topic
Northern Quolls in the Pilbara region of WA
Supervisors
Dr Dale Nimmo (Principal), Professor David Watson, Dr Euan Ritchie (Deakin University), Dr Leonie Valentine (University of Western Australia) and Dr Judy Dunlop (WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions)
Description
Harry Moore, who began his PhD by distance in February 2017, is studying the interactions between the Northern Quolls (an endangered marsupial), predators and fire, and in particular, the dynamics of different habitats and landscapes. The Pilbara region of Western Australia is one of the last strongholds for northern quolls which have undergone a dramatic decline in their distribution over the past century.
The project is complementing the Pilbara Region Quoll Monitoring Program run by Dr Dunlop. It has received funding support from the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions - The influence of invasive predators and fire regimes on northern quolls. Nimmo, D. & Moore, H. (PhD student) (2017-2020), $78,000) and a Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (Ecology of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara. Nimmo, D. & Moore, H. (PhD student) (2017-2018), $5500.
For the field work in 2017, camera traps were set up on 24 landscapes spread over 6000 square km. The camera traps are being used to monitor quolls and predators, in the context of the fire history, composition and extent of the quoll's rocky habitat.
The aims of the project are enhanced understanding of key habitat requirements for northern quolls as well as habitat use, as well as of the key threats to northern quolls.
Outputs
Cowan, M.A., Dunlop, J.A., Turner, J.M., Moore, H.A., & Nimmo, D.G. (2020) Artificial refuges to combat habitat loss for an endangered marsupial predator: How do they measure up? Conservation Science and Practice. 2020;e204. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.204
Moore, H.A., Valentine, L.E., Dunlop, J.A. & Nimmo, D.G. (2020) The effect of camera orientation on the detectability of wildlife: a case study from northâwestern Australia. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. doi:10.1002/rse2.158
Moore, H.A., Dunlop, J.A., Valentine, L.E., Woinarski. J.C.Z., Ritchie, E.G., Watson, D.M. & Nimmo, D. (2019) Topographic ruggedness and rainfall mediate geographic range contraction of a threatened marsupial predator. Diversity and Distributions, 00: 1– 14. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12982
Dunlop, J., Peacock, D., Moore. H. & Cowan, M. (2019) Albinism in Dasyurus species – a collation of historical and modern records, Australian Mammology http://www.publish.csiro.au/AM/justaccepted/AM19014
Qualifications
Bachelor of Biological Science (Honours) – Deakin University
Research Theme
Biodiversity Conservation
Campus
Distance Education (based in WA)
April 2020