Staff profile

 

Teaching areas

• I teach in the areas of ecology, conservation biology, management of threatened species and threatening processes.
• ZOO2AFE – Australian Fauna and Ecology (Coordinator)
• ZOO3EPA – Mallee Field Course (Coordinator)
• ZOO3EPA – Behavioural Ecology
• CBE2IC – Issues in Conservation Biology
• CBE2IC – Applications in Conservation Biology

Research interests

• Ecological responses of fauna to fire
• Ecology of threatened species - see summary of recovery effort on the Black-eared Miner (PDF 611KB)
• Evolution of cooperative breeding in birds
• The ecology of honeyeaters, particular those in the genus Manorina
• The ecology and management of over-abundant native species, particularly Noisy Miners
• The research of my group proceeds along two distinct, but complementary, lines. The first is basic research in the field of behavioural ecology-studying the evolution and adaptive value of social behaviour, particularly among birds. It involves testing current hypotheses using empirical data collected in the field. The second is applied research in the field of conservation biology-studying ecology in conservation-related contexts. For further information, see Research programs.
• I am currently jointly leading a large project examining the properties of habitat mosaics produced by fire that enhance the persistence and status of a broad range of taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, reptiles, key invertebrates and plants) in mallee habitats. In 2007 I was awarded the DL Serventy Medal by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union for outstanding contribution to the scientific literature in ornithology. For further information, visit the Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Project website.

Recent publications and presentations

- view a full list of publications (PDF 32KB)



• Haslem, A., Kelly, L.T., Nimmo, D.G., Watson, S.J., Kenny, S.A., Taylor, R.S., Avitabile, S.C., Callister, K.E., Spence-Bailey, L.M., Bennett, A.F., & Clarke, M.F. (in press) Habitat or fuel? Implications of long-term, post-fire dynamics for the development of key resources for fauna and fire. Journal of Applied Ecology.
• Kelly, L.T., Nimmo, D.G., Spence-Bailey, L.M., Haslem, A., Watson, S.J., Clarke, M.F., & Bennett, A.F. (in press) Influence of fire history on small mammal distribution: insights from a 100-year post-fire chronosequence. Diversity and Distributions.
• Clarke, M.F., Avitabile, S.C., Brown, L., Callister, K.E., Haslem, A., Holland, G.J., Kelly, L.T., Kenny, S.A., Nimmo, D.G., Spence-Bailey, L.M., Taylor, R.S., Watson, S.J., & Bennett, A.F. (2010) Ageing mallee eucalypt vegetation after fire: insights for successional trajectories in semiarid mallee ecosystems. Australian Journal of Botany 58: 363-372.
• Driscoll, D.A., Lindenmayer, D.B., Bennett, A.F., Bode, M., Bradstock, R.A., Cary, G.J., Clarke, M.F., Dexter, N., Fensham, R.J., Friend, G.R., Gill, A.M., James, S., Kay, G., Keith, D.A., MacGregor, C., Possingham, H.P., Russell-Smith, J., Salt, D., Watson, J.E.M., Williams, R.J., & York, A. (2010) Resolving conflicts in fire management using decision theory: asset-protection versus biodiversity conservation. Conservation Letters 3: 215-223.
• Driscoll, D.A., Lindenmayer, D.B., Bennett, A.F., Bode, M., Bradstock, R.A., Cary, G.J., Clarke, M.F., Dexter, N., Fensham, R.J., Friend, G.R., Gill, A.M., James, S., Kay, G., Keith, D.A., MacGregor, C., Russell-Smith, J., Salt, D., Watson, J.E.M., Williams, R.J., & York, A. (2010) Fire management for biodiversity conservation: key research questions and our capacity to answer them. Biological Conservation 143: 1928-1939.
• Haslem, A., Callister, K.E., Avitabile, S.C., Griffioen, P.A., Kelly, L.T., Nimmo, D.G., Spence-Bailey, L.M., Taylor, R.S., Watson, S.J., Brown, L., Bennett, A.F., & Clarke, M.F. (2010) A framework for mapping vegetation over broad spatial extents: a technique to aid land management across jurisdictional boundaries. Landscape and Urban Planning 97: 296-305.
• Kelly, L.T., Nimmo, D.G., Spence-Bailey, L.M., Clarke, M.F., & Bennett, A.F. (2010) The short-term responses of small mammals to wildfire in semi-arid shrubland, Australia. Wildlife Research 37: 293-300.
• Brown, S., Clarke M.F., and Clarke R. (2009) Fire is a key element in the landscape-scale habitat requirements and global population status of a threatened bird: The Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee). Biological Conservation 142: 432-445.
• Oldland, J.M., Taylor, R., Clarke, M.F. (2009) Habitat preferences of the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) - a propensity for prime real estate? Austral Ecology 34: 306-316.
• Clarke, M.F. (2008) Catering for the needs of fauna in fire management: science or just wishful thinking? Wildlife Research 35: 385-394.
• Dare, A.J., McDonald, P.G., Clarke, M.F. (2008) The social and behavioural dynamics of territory establishment in the Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys. Emu 108: 175-180.
• Ewen, J.G., Ciborowski, K., Clarke, R.H., Boulton, R.L., Clarke, M.F. (2008) Evidence of extra-pair paternity in two socially monogamous Australian passerines: the crescent honeyeater and the yellow-faced honeyeater . Emu 108: 133-138.
• McDonald, P.G., Kazem, A.J.N., Clarke, M.F., Wright, J. (2008) Helping as a signal: does removal of potential audiences alter helper behavior in the bell miner? Behavioural Ecology 19: 1047-1055.
• Pacheco, M.L., McDonald, P.G., Wright, J., Kazem ,A.J.N., Clarke, M.F. (2008) Helper contributions to anti-parasite behaviour in the cooperatively breeding bell miner. Behavioural Ecology 19: 558-566.
• Taylor, R.S., Oldland, J.M., Clarke, M.F. (2008) Edge geometry influences patch-scale habitat use by an edge specialist in south-eastern Australia. Landscape Ecology 23:377-389.