School of Botany and Zoology

Julian Ash Senior Lecturer Email: Julian.Ash@anu.edu.au Ph: 61-2-6125 2879 Fax: 61-2-6125 5573

Research Area
Ecology of Plants

Background
My undergraduate degree was in Biology at the University of Sussex (1967-70), followed by a PhD from the University of East-Anglia in which I analysed factors controlling species diversity of terrestrial plant communities. From 1974 to 1981 I studied the diversity and dynamics of tropical rainforest communities in New Guinea and North Queensland while a Post Doctoral Fellow and then Research Officer at the Australian National University. Between 1982 and 1986 I held lecturing posts at the University of New England and the University of the South Pacific, and studied population dynamics of tropical plants. Since 1987 I have lectured in plant ecology at the Australian National University.

Research Interests
The coexistence of plant species in communities. This seems the fundamental question in plant ecology: how can many species persist in a plant community? This research focuses on understanding the dynamics of a semi-arid annual-perennial herb-grass-shrub community with about 30 species. I am examining seedbanks, germination cues, survivorship and fecundity in relation to temporal and spatial variation in environmental conditions and herbivory. The research involves both field and laboratory experiments as well as monitoring of natural populations. A number of the species are exotic, and they allow examination of demographic characteristics leading to invasion, and their impact on native species.

The effect of perennial plants on spatial and temporal environmental variation and community structure. Currently research focuses on the impacts of trees on crops and pasture communities across rainfall gradients.

The structure of hybrid zones as a means of examining species integrity. Currently research focuses on a five-species complex of Australian alpine Ranunculus in which F1 and F2 crosses have been bred and are being examined for character segregation and fitness under laboratory and field conditions.

Publications 2004-07
Dorrough, J.W., Ash, J.E., Bruce, S., McIntyre, S. 2007. From plant neighbourhood to landscape scales: how grazing modifies native and exotic plant species richness in grassland. Plant Ecology 191: 185-198.

Woodman, J., Ash, J., Rowell, D., (2006) "Population structure in a saproxylic funnelweb spider (Hexathelidae: Hadronyche ) along a forested rainfall gradient", Journal of Zoology, Vol 268, Issue , pp 325-333.

Dorrough, J., Ash, J., McIntyre, S., (2004) "Plant responses to livestock grazing frequency in an Australian temperate grassland", Ecography, Vol 27, Issue , pp 798-810.

Dorrough, J., Ash, J., (2004) "The impact of livestock grazing on the persistence of a perennial forb in a temperate Australian grassland", Pacific Conservation Biology, Vol 9, Issue , pp 302-307.

Current Research Group

• Karel Mokany - PhD student
• Philip Shearman - PhD student
• Rebecca Gibson - Honours student

Past Students

• Tristan Armstrong - PhD student with a project on hybridisation and species maintenance in alpine Ranunculus.
• Andrew Butterfield - PhD student with a project on simulating the evolution of germination strategies in communities.
• Karl Grigulis - PhD student with a project on demography of Echium plantagineum populations in Australia and Europe.
• Joshua Dorrough - PhD student with a project on diversity and invasion of exotics in native grasslands.
• Brett Melbourne - PhD student with a project on scale effects in the dynamics of stream algae-invertebrate herbivore communities.
• Peter Berentson - Honours Student with a project on impacts of a biological control mite Aculus hyperici on target and native Hypericum hosts.
• Julie Matarczyk - Honours Student with a project on impacts of environmental weeds on Pimelea spicata.
• Elizabeth Oliver - Honours Student with a project on the structure of a plant-fungal pathogen system involving Cakile and Alternaria.
• Kelli Gowland - Honours student with a project on the segregation of characters and fitness of the F2 generation of alpine Ranunculus hybrids.
• Annabel Forsyth - Honours student with a project on medicinal properties of plants used in traditional healing at Cape Vogel, PNG.
• Jane Mogina - Co-supervised PhD student with a project on changes in traditional plant knowledge on Goodenough Island and Cape Vogel, Papua New Guinea.
• Kendi Davies - Co-supervised PhD student with a project on the effects of habitat fragmentation on carabid beetles.
• Rochelle Christian - Co-supervised PhD student with a project on the role of light and salinity in the distribution of mangroves.
• Jacqui de Chazal - Co-supervised PhD student with a project on the application of the ecosystem health concept.
• Sandy Berry - Co-supervised PhD student with a project on climatic change and vegetation distribution in Australia.
• Anthony Willis (1988) Supervised honours thesis on 'Breeding systems of Stylidium graminifolium and S. productum'. Completed a PhD at ANU, now Post Doctoral Fellow at CSIRO.
• Fiona May (1989) Supervised honours thesis on 'The allelopathic potential of Eucalyptus'. Now in environmental policy section, Federal Public Service.
• Colin Yates (1989) Supervised honours thesis on 'The distribution of rainforest in the Clyde region of N.S.W.' Completed PhD at University Western Australia.
• Coral Rishworth (1990) Advised honours thesis on 'Wombats in pine plantations'. Completed PhD at Griffith University.
• Don Driscoll (1991) Supervised honours thesis on 'The impact of insects on Eucalyptus blakelyi seedlings'. Completed PhD at University Western Australia.
• Jason Passioura (1991) Supervised honours thesis on 'The Eucalyptus saligna - E. botryoides complex'. Undertook PhD at University Western Australia. Now in Environment Australia, Federal Public Service.
• Claire Murphy ( 1991) Supervised honours thesis on 'Competition in Eucalyptus pauciflora - E. dalrympleana forest'. Undertook PhD at Sydney University, now Post doctoral Fellow with Weed Control CRC, Wagga Wagga..
• Karl Grigulis (1992) Supervised honours thesis on 'Photoinhibition of eucalypt seedlings in pasture'. Completed PhD at ANU.
• Olusegun Osunkoya (1992) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Survival and growth of rainforest seeds and seedlings'. Currently lecturer in ecology at University of Newcastle.
• Damian Barrett (1992) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Ecophysiological bases for rainforest distribution' Currently a Senior Research Scientist in CSIRO, Plant Industry.
• John Vranjic (1993) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Impact of scale insects on eucalypts' Currently Postdoctoral Fellow in Weed Control CRC, CSIRO.
• Catherine. Pickering (1993) Co-supervised PhD thesis on 'Reproductive ecology of alpine Ranunculus'. Currently a Lecturer at Griffith University.
• Andrew Wynberg (1993) Supervised honours thesis on 'The response of ant communities to vegetation change'. Now in Federal Public Service.
• Linda Baraciolli (1993) Supervised honours thesis on 'Environmental causes of eucalypt dieback'. Now in a Catholic order.
• Felicity Smith (1993) Supervised honours thesis on 'Why is Acacia baileyana. an invasive species?'. Now in Nature Conservation section, South Australia Public Service.
• Jenny. Carnell (1993) Supervised honours thesis on 'A population viability model for two plant species'. Now in CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology.
• Anthony Willis (1994) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Impact of a biocontrol mite on Hypericum species'. Currently a postdoctoral fellow in Weed Control CRC, CSIRO.
• Ann Chan (1994) Supervised honours thesis on 'The effect of stones on plant growth'. Now in Queensland Public Service.
• Joshua Dorrough (1995) Supervised honours thesis on 'Past and present habitat of the striped legless lizard, Delma impar (Polygopodidae), in the Australian Capital Territory'. Now undertaking PhD at ANU.
• Tristan Armstrong (1995) Supervised honours thesis on 'Hybridisation and habitat selection in alpine Ranunculus'. Now undertaking PhD at ANU.
• Shannon Gardner (1995) Supervised honours thesis on 'Historical biogeography of Archontophoenix cunninghamiana'. Now at Macquarie University.
• Graciela Gutzman (1995) Co-supervised PhD thesis on 'Impact of rust fungi on grasses'. Currently a postdoctoral fellow in National Centre for Evolutionary Ecology, Mexico.
• Ian Mullen (1995) Co-supervised honours thesis on 'Environmental process and landscape pattern'. Working as Research Assistant in ANU.
• Susan Hoebee (1996) Co-supervised honours thesis on 'Ecology of a Daviesia leptophylla x mimosoides hybrid zone'. Now PhD student at ANU.
• Nicola Fortune (1996) Supervised honours thesis on 'Ecology of invasive exotic and native grasses'. Now in Institute of Public Health.
• Mr Shaun Barclay (1997) Co-supervised honours thesis on 'Ecology and sex ratio of Peripatus'.
• John Crockett (1997) Supervised honours thesis on 'Fire and rainforest boundaries' Now working in Nepal on environmental project.
• Sarah Bruce (1998)'The role of resources and grazing in determining pasture community structure' Now PhD student at Charles Sturt University.
• Kathy Tsang (1998) Supervised honours thesis on 'Migration and metapopulation structure in Archontophoenix cunninghamiana' Now working as editor at Environmental Information Network.
• Megan Ryan (1998) Supervised PhD thesis on 'The role of mycorrhizae in organic and conventional farming systems' Now Postdoctoral Fellow in CSIRO Plant Industry.
• Mamoru Matsuki (1998) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Coexistence and exclusion in clonal understorey herbs' Now Postdoctoral Fellow in CSIRO Plant Industry.
• Stefan McCoy (1998) Supervised PhD thesis on 'Succession and mine revegetation on ultramafics in New Caledonia' Now Environmental Officer with INCO.