EDUCATION Bachelor of Environmental Science Advanced. Hons 1 University of Wollongong RESEARCH Insectivorous bats in the Sydney Region: urban ecology of an over-looked fauna My research project aims to significantly fill the gaps in our knowledge of the ecology of insectivorous bats in urban environments, using Sydney as the study area. My PhD project aims to:

• investigate insectivorous bat diversity and activity across an urban landscape
• develop models of habitat associations at a landscape scale for each species, and groups of species that occur in the study area
• investigate roost selection and foraging site selection via radiotracking and experimentally study competition and predation by other, over abundant and introduced fauna which dominate the urban setting (e.g. common mynahs, lorikeets and the black rat).

A lack of understanding of how insectivorous bats respond to urbanisation is currently limiting bat conservation efforts where pressures from development are acute, ongoing and predicted to increase. This is particularly pertinent in Australia where 18 species of insectivorous bat are classified as threatened in NSW and seven species are listed as threatened nationally.   This research will allow land managers to better predict key bat habitats, understand where the hotspots for bats in Sydney are and habitat factors are associated with these. This research will also facilitate improved management and will allow land managers to implement programs to maintain and increase biodiversity. Together, these outcomes will lead to tangible improvements in the conservation management of this diverse but understudied fauna group.

Photo by Brad Law

• Do Green and Golden Bell Frogs (Litoria aurea) occupy habitats with fungicidal properties? Honours Project, Prof Bill Buttemer and Dr Dianne Jolley UOW
• Cotton insect pests and novel techniques for sampling. CSIRO Sustainable Industries, Narrabri

• Threlfall, C.G., Jolley, D. F., Evershed, N, Goldingay, R, and Buttemer, W.A (manuscript accepted, article in press) 'Do Green and Golden Bell Frogs (Litoria aurea) occupy habitats with fungicidal properties?' Australian Zoologist
• Presentation at Bell Frog Complex Conference (March 2006) held in Sydney. Over 200 attendees from all over Australia and overseas.
• CSIRO Presentation at Headquarters, Canberra. Results of research project based on sampling techniques for insect pests. 2005.

Ph 02 9385 1153
Email caragh.threlfall@gmail.com