Professor Jonathan Majer
Head, Department of Environmental Biology
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Email: J.Majer@curtin.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 9266 7041
Fax: +61 8 9266 2495
Address: Curtin University of Technology,
GPO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845 |
- Abbreviated CV
- Research Interests
- Publications
Research interests - General
My major current research interests fall into several
categories, as outlined below. Almost without exception,
my research is of an applied nature and is aimed at providing
information for improving land reclamation, for the conservation
of invertebrates and those vertebrates which depend on
them, for forest management and for the control of pests
of arboreal crops in the tropics.
- The role of animals in reclaimed lands
This work has been continuing for the past 30
years. It has looked at how the presence of animals has
contributed to the success and sustainability of land
reclamation. Although this project has culminated with
the publication of a practical book entitled 'Animals
in Primary Succession: The Role of Fauna in Reclaimed
Lands', work is still continuing with Alcoa World Alumina
Ltd., and Worsley Alumina Ltd, and with mining companies
in Brazil.
- The importance of invertebrates in the conservation of vertebrate fauna in Australian ecosystems
This work is being carried out in conjunction
with Prof. Harry Recher, who is a vertebrate ecologist.
The nucleus of the project aims to quantify the levels
of tree-canopy invertebrates on trunks and in the canopies
of trees within Western Australian and New South Wales
forests and woodlands. Samples have been taken by bark
traps, chemical knockdown and branch clipping methods.
Levels of invertebrates in the trees are now being related
to the usage of those trees by insectivorous birds, and
the findings used as a basis for formulation of conservation
strategies for forest ecosystems. This project is currently
expanding in various other directions to look at the
importance of invertebrates in the conservation of our
vertebrate fauna.
- Surveys of the distribution and role of various invertebrates in ecosystems
A number of projects are being carried out under this heading. Some are involved with documenting our fauna in forest patches, nature reserves or in other ecosystems, both in Australia and Brazil. These studies are aimed at providing data on which to base conservation management decisions. Other types of projects are looking at the role of specific animals, such as termites, in nutrient cycling and, once again, should provide input into conservation management plans.
- The importance of ants in the biological
control of sub-tropical and tropical tree-crop pests
In many parts of the world, ants have been
shown to have a beneficial limiting role on the pests
of tree crops. Over the past few years I have been quantifying
the abundance and distribution of ants in mango plantations
in the north of Australia. I then initiated a co-operative
research project on Brazilian cocoa ants, with Dr Jacques
Delabie of the Cocoa Research Institute of Brazil (CEPLAC).
Currently, I am supervising an MSc project on the search
for beneficial ants in Queensland and Rwandan coffee
plantations. This work should lead to ways of minimising
pest levels on trees, while at the same time using less
pesticides.
- Effects of ants and ant-mediated dispersal on speciation
rates, biogeography and diversity of angiosperms
This work is being performed in conjunction with
Dr Rob Dunn of North Carolina University and Curtin
postdoctoral fellow, Dr Aaron Gove. The aim of
the study is to test whether ants, and the evolution
of ant-mediated seed dispersal, have consequences
for diversification and biogeography of plant lineages.
This is being done by comparing ant-dispersal lineages
to closely related lineages with other dispersal
modes. In doing so, we seek to understand the evolutionary
ant biogeographic consequences of the evolution
of morphological traits that are related to dispersal.
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Prof. Jonathan Majer
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