Previous Lab Members

Adele Calandra

Adele completed her Masters thesis in 2008

Julia Cooke www.juliacooke.com.au

Julia completed her PhD on 'The Functional Ecology of Plant Silicon' in 2011, under the supervision of Michelle Leishman. She examined the role of silicon in the leaf dry mass economics spectrum, patterns in responses of stressed plants to silicon fertiliser, the distribution and anti-herbivore defence role of silicon in natural systems and the effect of silicon on leaf biomechanics. She currently a post-doc working with Dr Ian Wright to examine changes in relationships between leaf traits, biomass allocation and growth rates with ontogeny.  She is also assciated with the Comparative Ecology Lab, led by Professor Mark Westoby.

Dr Paul Downey

Paul Downey was a Visiting Research Fellow at Macquarie University and associated with PIREL for a number of years until 2011 when he became an assistant Professor at the University of Canberra (See here).  Paul works on the the protection of native species from weed invasion, understanding the impact of weeds on native species and weeds and climate change.

Marnie Innis

Marnie completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Macquarie University in 2007.   She undertook part of this degree at Monash University in Melbourne and completed a Bachelor of Business at Southern Cross University in 2004. Since coming to Macquarie University and working in the university’s Ecology Reserve she developed an interest in all types of vegetation ecology.  Marnie completed her Honours project in 2008 under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Leishman, running plant growth experiments in the glasshouse to determine growth strategies of native and exotic invasive plants of the Cumberland Plain Woodland, and whether disturbed conditions favour the growth of either vegetation type.

Dr Carla Harris

Carla explored the role of seedbank and seed rain dynamics (such as seed density, germination and seedling establishment) in the successful rehabilitation of riparian zones in the Lower Hunter. She also assessed differences in seedbank and seed rain quality and quantity across different geomorphic units to explore the differences in seed composition across geomorphic units and thus whether certain zones of the riparian area are better to target for seedbank germination than others.  This was a multi-disciplinary collaboration with the Department of Environment and Geography, as well as the Hunter Central Rivers CMA.

Dr Garreth Kyle

Garreth Kyle completed his PhD thesis in 2008. His PhD research was part of a larger rehabilitation project known as the Upper Hunter River Rehabilitation Initiative (UHRRI). This rehabilitation project focused on an 8 km study reach near Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley. A major part of his research was concerned with the comparative ecology of native and exotic species in relation to a fluvial processes, and more specifically riparian disturbance. See the Upper Hunter River Rehabilitation Initiative website for more information.

Anna Maria Llorens

Anna Maria completed her Honours degree in Biological Sciences in 2003. Her project in this lab investigated the diversity of vines’ climbing strategies among natives and exotics, their structural characteristics, success in reaching favourable light conditions and impacts on regenerating structural hosts in an endangered Blue Gum High forest remnant in Sydney. After working on Barro Colorado Island on leaf mechanical and chemical defences in relation to other plant traits, she completed a Masters in Ecology, Biodiversity and Evolution in Paris, France in 2005. She is currently working for the “Institut Français de la Biodiversité”, Véolia Water and the “Ecole des Mines de Paris” investigating ecological engineering solutions to reduce the impacts of water treatment on a lake biodiversity and surrounding ecosystem functions.

Tatjana Schmidt

Tatjana completed her Honours thesis with Michelle for her degree at Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Germany in 2004 with a project entitled “Assessing the success of riparian re-vegetation plantings: regeneration in the Upper Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia”.  Her work formed part of the Upper Hunter River Rehabilitation Initiative (UHRRI).  After a year back in Germany, Tatjana has returned to Australia and worked in the lab on a casual basis.  She also worked for a bush regeneration company in Sydney and as a project leader for International Student Volunteers. 

Vivien Thomson

Vivien worked as a research assistant for Michelle Leishman in 2001-2003 on projects on weed invasion into natural ecosystems.

Ifeanna Tooth

Ifeanna completed her Masters degree by research in 2012.  She explored the effects of climate change on weeds. She used a field experiment at Mount Annan Botanic Garden measuring plots of native and exotic plants and two glasshouse experiments to look at the effects elevated levels of CO2 have on the growth and post-fire resprouting response of native and weedy grasses.

Peter Tung

Peter completed an Honours project with Michelle Leishman in 2001 entitled ‘The effect of disturbances on Cumberland Plain Woodland: soil characteristics and invasive plant distribution’. Different disturbance types were assessed for their impact on soil attributes and the success of exotic plants in the endangered (TSC Act 95) Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) ecological community, located in Western Sydney, N.S.W. Three disturbance types were looked at: (i) landuse - grazed, cleared / grazed, uncleared / ungrazed; (ii) creeks with developed catchments; and (iii) roads - sealed and unsealed.  Peter was then employed as the Marine Fieldwork Manager at Macquarie University.

Daniel Whaite

Dan completed his Honours/Masters degree in 2004, with a project entitled ‘Potential for Restoration of Long-Sheep-Grazed Grassy Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) Woodlands in the Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains’.  The project assessed spatial and temporal differences in native and exotic species vegetation and soil seed bank composition across four different property land-units and how this related to pre-agricultural compositions. The soil seed bank was also treated with several fire-related cues to assess their usefulness to restoration management.  After a short period working within the Bushland and Biodiversity team at Hornsby Shire Council he then worked as the Western Sydney Project Manager for environmental restoration company ‘Toolijooa’.