Andrew Barnes, MSc

Research interests
I am broadly interested in the impacts of global change drivers, such as land-use change, on natural systems and the resulting functional consequences of these impacts. In particular, my research is aimed at exploring how environmental changes can alter the seemingly complex relationships between biodiversity, the structure of communities, and ecological processes.



Current research
In April, 2012 I joined the Systemic Conservation Biology research group to undertake a PhD in the collaborative CRC990 EFForTS project "Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems (Sumatra, Indonesia)".

In conjunction with Malte Jochum, also a PhD student in the EFForTS research initiative, I am working on the sub-project entitled "Structure, stability and functioning of macro-invertebrate communities in rainforest transformation systems in Sumatra (Indonesia)". In this project, we are comparing macro-invertebrate communities of the upper-soil and litter layer across four transformation systems: tropical lowland secondary rainforest, jungle rubber, intensively managed rubber, and oil palm plantations. My primary aims in this project are to explore the roles of 'niche' versus' neutral' processes in determining patterns in beta diversity, and also to ascertain how land-use intensification might alter biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across multiple trophic levels. Furthermore, in collaboration with other sub-projects of the EFForTS research initiative, I am investigating the role of bottom-up processes for determining diversity and ecosystem functioning across a broad range of taxa that span multiple trophic levels and body size classes.





Publications

Mumme, S., Jochum, M., Brose, U., Haneda, N.F. & Barnes, A.D. (2015): Functional diversity and stability of litter-invertebrate communities following land-use change in Sumatra, Indonesia. Biological Conservation (191): 750-758


Barnes, A.D., Spey, I.-K., Rohde, L., Brose, U., & Dell, A.I. (In press): Individual behaviour mediates effects of warming on movement across a fragmented landscape. Functional Ecology doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12474


Barnes, A.D., Emberson, R.M., Krell, F.-T., & Didham, R.K. (2014): The role of species traits in mediating functional recovery during matrix restoration. PLoS ONE , doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115385


Barnes, A.D., Jochum, M., Mumme, S., Haneda, N.F., Farajallah, A., Widarto, T.H., Brose, U. (2014): Consequences of tropical land use for multitrophic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nature Communications 5:5351 doi: 10.1038/ncomms6351


Döbert, T.F., Webber, B.L., Barnes, A.D., Dickinson, K.J.M., Didham, R.K. (2014): Forest fragmentation and biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes. In Kettle C.J. & Koh L.P. (Ed.), Global Forest Fragmentation: 28-49. CABI. ISBN: 978-1780642031


Barnes, A.D., Emberson, R.M., Chapman, H.M., Krell, F.-T., & Didham, R.K.(2014): Matrix habitat restoration alters dung beetle species responses across tropical forest edges. Biological Conservation (170): 28-37. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.12.006


Barnes, A.D. & Chapman, H.M. (2014): Dispersal traits determine passive restoration trajectory of a Nigerian montane forest. Acta Oecologica (56): 32-40. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2014.02.002

Conference contributions:

The effects of forest edges on dung beetle communities in a tropical montane forest. Oral presentation at the Australian Entomological Society's 41st Scientific Conference

The effects of forest edges on dung beetle communities in a tropical montane forest. Poster presentation at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference, Biodiversity: 2010 and Beyond

Using trait-based theory for predicting functional losses in dung beetle communities: Do species matter? Oral presentation at the 3rd Combined Australian and New Zealand Entomological Societies Conference