Conservation biology and landscape ecology of the Brush-tailed Phascogale
Effective conservation of threatened species requires understanding their patterns of distribution and the ecological processes that influence these patterns.
The Brush-tailed Phascogale Phascogale tapoatafa is a medium-sized dasyurid marsupial that has declined in abundance, undergone a range contraction, and is listed as ‘threatened’ in Victoria.
A better understanding of distribution and ecology can inform management and conservation actions.
My project is examining patterns and processes influencing the distribution of the Brush-tailed Phascogale in Victoria.
At a regional scale, I’m investigating the importance of forest productivity, food availability, and nest sites for this species.
To investigate the importance of landscape suitability, I focused on a local area (Castlemaine) where the species is known to occur and am working with Connecting Country, a local community NGO.
I’m also investigating how microhabitat affects occurrence, and the use of nest boxes as a monitoring tool for this species.