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Dr Kirsten Parris
Research Fellow, CERF - Applied Environmental Decision Analysis
Location
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Botany Building (ground floor, south end) |
| Phone |
+61 3 9305 8090 |
| Fax |
+61 3 9348 1620 |
| Email |
k.parris@unimelb.edu.au |
SAVE THE FROGS! Nonprofit Organization - Advisory Committee Member
I completed a PhD at The Australian National University in 1999, on the ecology of forest-dwelling frogs in sub-tropical eastern Australia. During my PhD, I investigated the distribution, habitat requirements and conservation status of the cascade tree frog Litoria pearsoniana, the great barred frog Mixophyes fasciolatus and associated stream-breeding frogs. Following a number of post-doctoral positions, I lectured in environmental science at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University (Burwood Campus) from 2004 to early 2007. I started my current position at The University of Melbourne in February 2007.
My
research interests include ecology and conservation biology of
amphibians, the ecology of urban systems, bio-acoustics and animal
communication, field survey methods, and macroecology.
NEW! See me talk about the impacts of traffic noise on birds in Arizona (video courtesy of The Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University)
http://sustainability.asu.edu/news/video/impacts-traffic-noise-birds-urban-environments
Hear me talk about frogs having their love lives interrupted by traffic noise (interview from All Things Considered, National Public Radio, USA)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113717563
Current Research
My current research projects include:
- Effects of traffic noise on acoustic communication in birds and frogs
- The Value and impact of ecological field research
- Optimal marking of animals for conservation: balancing benefits of information with impacts of marking
- Robust replication of field surverys in the presence of uncertainty
- Experimental translocation of tadpoles for conservation of frogs in urban habitats
- Human-induced changes in genetic structure of frog populations
- Macroecology of frogs in eastern Australia
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Current Students
Stefano Canessa Masters student (based at The University of Melbourne): Effects of urbanisation on frog communities in Melbourne streams
Josh Hale
PhD student (based at Museum Victoria and The University of Melbourne):
Human-induced changes in the genetic structure of amphibian populations
http://researchdata.museum.vic.gov.au/herpetology/JoshHale.htm
Sacha Jellinek PhD student (based at the University of Melbourne): The value of landscape linkages for wildlife
Dominique Potvin PhD student (based at The University of Melbourne): Urban noise effects on song learning, development and evolution in a native Australian bird species
Katie Smith
PhD student (based at Museum Victoria and The University of Melbourne):
Historical change in a hybrid zone: Evolution of the Hylid frogs, Litoria ewingii and L. paraewingii
http://researchdata.museum.vic.gov.au/herpetology/KSmithPhD.html
See Episode 5 of "Access All Areas" to learn more about Josh and Katie's research
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Major Grants
2009-2012 ARC Linkage Grant, in collaboration with Dr Michael McCarthy, Dr Andrew Hamer and Dr Jane Melville; Optimal management of threatened amphibian metapopulations in urbanising landscapes: $340,000
2006 - 2008
ARC Linkage Grant, in collaboration with Dr Josh Van Buskirk, Dr Jane Melville, Dr Jeremy Austin and Dr Murray Littlejohn: $221,000
2003 - 2005
ARC Discovery Grant, including an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship (APD): $240,500
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Publications
Refereed papers and book chapters
Parris, K.M., Velik-Lord, M. and North, J.M.A. (2009) Frogs call at a higher pitch in traffic noise. Ecology and Society 14 (1): 25 http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss1/art25/
Parris, K.M. and Schneider, A. (2009) Impacts of traffic noise and traffic volume on birds in roadside habitats. Ecology and Society14 (1): 29 http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss1/art29/
Parris, K. M.
(2009) Towards a comparative ecology of cities and towns. Pp. 567-573 in M. J.
McDonnell, A. J. Hahs and J. Brueste (eds) Ecology of Cities and Towns: A
Comparative Approach. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).
McCarthy, M.A., Weller, W.F. and Parris, K.M. (2009) Effects of toe clipping on survival, recapture and return rates of Jefferson Salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersoniaum) in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Herpetology 43: 394-401.
Parris, K.M. and McCarthy, M.A. (2008). Toe clipping of anurans for mark-recapture studies: acceptable if justified. Herpetological Review 39: 148-149.
McCarthy, M. A. and Parris, K. M. (2008) Optimal marking of threatened species to balance benefits of information with impacts of marking. Conservation Biology 22: 1506-1512.
Parris, K. M. (2006) Urban amphibian assemblages as metacommunities. Journal of Animal Ecology 75: 757-764.
Parris, K. M. and Hazell, D. L. (2005) Biotic effects of climate change in urban environments: the case of the grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) in Melbourne, Australia. Biological Conservation 124: 267-276.
McCarthy, M. A. and Parris, K. M. (2004). Clarifying the effect of toe clipping on frogs with Bayesian statistics. Journal of Applied Ecology 41: 780-786.
Wintle, B. A., McCarthy, M. A., Parris, K. M. and Burgman, M. A. (2004). Precision and bias of methods for estimating point survey detection probabilities. Ecological Applications 14: 703-712.
Parris, K. M. (2004). Environmental and spatial variables influence the composition of frog assemblages in sub-tropical eastern Australia. Ecography 27: 392-400.
Parris, K. M. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2004). Evidence that creation of a Pinus radiata plantation in south-eastern Australia has reduced habitat for frogs. Acta Oecologica 25: 93-101.
McCarthy, M. A., Parris, K. M.,
van der Ree, R., McDonnell, M. J., Burgman, M.A., Williams, N. S. G.,
McLean, N., Harper, M. J., Meyer, R., Hahs, A. and Coates, T. (2004).
The habitat hectares approach to vegetation assessment: an evaluation
and suggestions for improvement. Ecological Management and Restoration 5: 24-27.
Tyre, A. J., Tenhumberg, B., Field, S. A., Niejalke, D., Parris, K.
and Possingham, H. P. (2003). Estimating false negative error rates for
presence/absence data: Improving precision and reducing bias in
biological surveys. Ecological Applications 13: 1790-1801.
Parris, K. M.
(2002). More bang for your buck: The effect of caller position, habitat
and chorus noise on the efficiency of calling in the spring peeper. Ecological Modelling 156: 213-224.
Parris, K. M. (2002). The distribution and habitat requirements of the great barred frog Mixophyes fasciolatus. Wildlife Research 29: 469-474.
Parris, K. M.
(2002). Assessment of amphibian diversity in the Blackall and Conondale
Ranges, south-east Queensland. In A. E. O. Natrass (ed.) Frogs in The
Community. Proceedings of the Brisbane Symposium, 13-14 February
1999. pp. 65-75. (Queensland Frog Society Inc., East Brisbane).
Parris, K. M. and McCarthy, M. A. (2001). Identifying effects of toe clipping on anuran return rates: the importance of statistical power. Amphibia-Reptilia 22: 275-289.
Parris, K. M. (2001). Distribution, habitat requirements and conservation of the cascade treefrog (Litoria pearsoniana, Anura: Hylidae). Biological Conservation 99: 285-292.
Williams, N. S. G., Leary, E. J., Parris, K. M. and McDonnell, M. J. (2001). The potential impact of freeways on native grassland. Victorian Naturalist 188: 4-15.
Lindenmayer, D. B., McCarthy, M. A., Parris, K. M. and Pope, M. L (2000). Habitat fragmentation, landscape context, and mammalian assemblages in southeastern Australia. Journal of Mammalogy 81: 787-797.
Parris, K. M. (1999). Review: Amphibian surveys in forests and woodlands. Contemporary Herpetology 1999(1). http://www.cnah.org/ch/
Parris, K. M. and McCarthy, M. A. (1999). What influences the structure of frog assemblages at forest streams? Australian Journal of Ecology 24: 495-502.
Parris, K. M.,
Norton, T. W. and Cunningham, R. B. (1999). A comparison of techniques
for sampling amphibians in the forests of south-east Queensland,
Australia. Herpetologica 55: 271-283.
McGuigan, K., McDonald, K., Parris, K., and Moritz, C. (1998). Mitochondrial DNA diversity and historical biogeography of a wet forest-restricted frog (Litoria pearsoniana) from mid-east Australia. Molecular Ecology 7: 175-186.
Parris, K. M. and Norton, T. W. (1997). The significance of State Forests for conservation of Litoria pearsoniana (Copland) and associated amphibians. In
P. Hale and D. Lamb (eds), Conservation Outside Nature Reserves. pp.
521-526. (Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland).
Parris, K. M., Drinnan, A. N. and Cantrill, D. J. (1995). Palissya cones from the Mesozoic of Australia and New Zealand. Alcheringa 19: 87-111.
Popular articles
Parris, K. M. (2009). What are strategic impact assessments? Decision Point 32: 4-6. http://www.aeda.edu.au/docs/Newsletters/DPoint_32.pdf
Parris, K. M. (2006). City slickers. Wildlife Australia Winter 2006: 20-23.
Invited Presentations
Parris, K. M. (2009). Conserving frogs in urban habitats. Vice-Chancellor’s Knowledge Transfer Awards, The University of Melbourne.
Parris, K. M. (2007). Effects of traffic noise on the acoustic communication and
population ecology of birds and frogs. World Congress of Landscape
Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
McDonnell, M. J. and Parris, K. M.
(2004) Attraction of native wildlife to urban areas, conflict with
humans, and implications for conservation. Society for Conservation
Biology, New York.
Parris, K. M.
(2003). Contemporary issues in international urban wildlife management.
Third International Wildlife Management Congress, Christchurch, New
Zealand.
Parris, K. M.
(2003). Conference summary: Towards a comparative ecology of cities and
towns. Melbourne Urban Ecology Workshop: Comparative Ecology of Cities
and Towns, Melbourne.
Press Releases
Frog sex in the city (September 2004)
Melbourne, the most livable city… for bats (May 2005)
Save the Frogs Day 2009 (April 2009)
Mating Calls of Urban frogs drowned out by noisy traffic in conjunction with the 10th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL), Brisbane (August 2009)
Birds
have to change their tune or get out of town (October 2009)
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