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Professor Chris Johnson

Professor

Professor Chris Johnson

PhD (University of New England)

Research Interests

I am interested in evolutionary, behavioural and population ecology, and the biology of extinction. I have a special interest in the biology of Australian marsupials.

Recent and Current Research Projects Include

  • Reproductive strategies and sex allocation in marsupials: current projects are investigating the ways in which reproductive effort changes with age in brushtail possums, the causes of variation in sex ratio of offspring within and among populations of possums, and the effects of defensive chemicals in eucalypt foliage on reproductive success in possums

  • The ecological roles of top predators in Australian ecosystems: I am interested in the interactions of dingoes with exotic ‘mesopredators’ (cats and foxes), and the way in which such interactions limit predation on vulnerable wildlife. Planned projects on dingoes will assess other ecological benefits, and related them to management of large cattle grazing properties.

  • Rarity, extinction and macroecology: why are some species rare and others common? Current projects are analysing ecological data (especially geographic range, local abundance and niche breadth) in relation to phylogeny to understand the role of evolutionary history in determining which species are common and which are rare in assemblages of birds, mammals and frogs.

  • The biology of extinction, including prehistoric extinctions: what role have human populations played in the extinction of mammals in prehistory? I do comparative analyses to evaluate the roles of human hunting and other factors in causing the extinction of mammal megafauna. I recently published a book which diagnosed the causes of the exceptionally high rate of extinction of Australian mammals in prehistory and recent history.

Recent and Currently Supervised Projects

  • Fred Ford: Evolution of conilurine rodents. PhD (2003)

  • Joanne Isaac: Maternal investment, life history and sex allocation in the common brushtail possum. PhD (2004)

  • Yvette Williams: Evolutionary ecology of rarity in microhylid frogs. PhD (2006)

  • Karen Coombe: Ecology and conservation of tree kangaroos in fragmented landscapes. PhD (2005)

  • Leonie Valentine: Effects of fire and rubber vine infestation on vertebrate communities in riparian habitats of tropical savannahs. PhD (2006)

  • Euan Ritchie: Macroecology and conservation of the antilopine wallaroo. PhD (2006)

  • Damian Milne: Community ecology of bats in the Northern Territory. PhD (2006)

  • Rodrigo Esparza-Salas: Molecular ecology and conservation of the Gouldian finch. PhD (2007)

  • Jane Degabriel: Effects of leaf chemistry on population ecology of marsupial folivores. PhD.

  • Veronica Menz: Maternal investment in brushtail possums. PhD.

  • Paul Ferraro: Conservation genetics of the mahogany glider. PhD.

  • Brooke Bateman: Distributional modelling of the northern betong under climate change. PhD.

  • Stephen Kolomyjec: Population history of the platypue, a molecula approach. PhD.

  • ARC Research Associate: Dr Euan Ritchie, trophic regulation by dingoes

Future PhD Directions

I am interested in developing projects with students in any of these areas. I also supervise postgraduate students working on conservation of particular species or communities of vertebrates of conservation concern (current and recent examples are Gouldian finch, northern betong, and bird and reptile communities in riparian habitats in tropical savannah).

Teaching

BZ3215/BZ5215

Conservation Biology

ZL3205/ZL5205

Wildlife Ecology and Management

Selected Publications

Johnson, C. N., Isaac, J. L. & Fisher, D. O. (2007) Rarity of a top predator triggers continent-wide collapse of mammal prey: dingoes and marsupials in Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274, 341-346

Johnson, C. N. (2006) Australia’s mammal extinctions: a 50 000 year history. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne

Johnson, C. N., Vernes, K. and Payne, A. (2005) Demography in relation to population density in two herbivorous marsupials: testing for source-sink dynamics versus independent regulation of population size. Oecologia 143, 70-76

Isaac, J. L. & Johnson, C. N. (2005) Terminal reproductive effort in a marsupial. Biology Letters 1, 271-275

Johnson, C. N. (2002) Determinants of loss of mammal species during the late Quaternary ‘megafauna’ extinctions: life history and ecology, but not body size. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269, 2221-2228

Johnson, C.N., Clinchy, M., Taylor, A. C., Krebs, C. J., Jarman P. J., Payne, A. & Ritchie, E. G. (2001) Adjustment of offspring sex ratios in relation to availability of resources for philopatric offspring in populations of the common brushtail possum. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 268, 2001-2005.

Johnson, C. N. (1998) Species extinction and the relationship between distribution and abundance. Nature 394, 272-274.

Johnson, C. N. (1998) Rarity in the tropics: latitudinal gradients in distribution and abundance in Australian mammals. Journal of Animal Ecology 67, 689-698.

Johnson, C. N. (1996) Interactions between mammals and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11, 503-507.

Johnson, C. N. (1988) Dispersal and the sex ratio at birth in primates. Nature 332, 726-728.

List of all Publications

Ritchie, E. G., Martin, J., Krockenberger, A. K., Garnett, S. J. & Johnson, C. N.Large herbivore distribution and abundance in the tropics: intra- and inter-specific niche variation across species ranges. Ecological Monographs (in press)

Valentine, L. E., Schwarzkopf, L., Johnson, C. N. & Grice, A. C. Season of burn influences the response of bird assemblages to fire in tropical savannas. Biological Conservation (in press)

Shevill, D. I. & Johnson, C. N. Diet and breeding of the rufous spiny bandicoot Echymipera rufescens australis, Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula. Australian Mammalogy (in press)

Symonds, M. R. E. & Johnson, C. N. Species richness and evenness in Australian birds. The American Naturalist (in press)

Johnson, C. N., Isaac, J. L. & Fisher, D. O. (2007) Rarity of a top predator triggers continent-wide collapse of mammal prey: dingoes and marsupials in Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274, 341-346

Brook, B. W., Bowman, D. M. J. S., Burney, D. A., Flannery, T. F., Gagan, M. K., Gillespie, R., Johnson, C. N., Kershaw, A. P., Magee, J. W., Martin, P. S. Miller, G. H., Prideaux, G. J. & Roberts, R. G. (2007) Would the Australian megafauna have become extinct if humans had never colonised the continent?Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 560-564

Parsons, J., Cairns, A., Johnson, C. N., Robson, S. K., Shilton, L., Westcott, D. (2007) Bryophyte dispersal by flying foxes. Oecologia152, 112-114

Ford, F. & Johnson, C. N. (2007) Eroding abodes and vanishing bridges: historical biogeography of the substrate specialist pebble-mound mice. Journal of Biogeography 34, 514-523

Parsons, J., Cairns, A., Johnson, C. N., Robson, S. K., Shilton, L., Westcott, D. Bryophyte dispersal by flying foxes. Oecologia 152, 112-114

Johnson, C. N. (2006) Australia’s mammal extinctions: a 50 000 year history. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Brook, B. W. & Johnson, C. N. (2006) Selective hunting of juveniles as a cause of the imperceptible overkill of the Australasian Pleistocene ‘megafauna’. Alcheringa special issue 1, 39-48.

Williams, Y. M., Williams, S. E., Alford, R. A., Waycott, M. & Johnson, C. N. (2006) Niche breadth and geographic range: ecological compensation for geographic rarity in rainforest frogs. Biology Letters 2, 532-535

Symonds, M. R. E., Christidis, L. & Johnson CN. (2006) Latitudinal gradients in abundance, and the causes of rarity in the tropics: a test using Australian honeyeaters (Aves: Melipahgidae). Oecologia 149, 406-417

Hourigan, C. L., Johnson C. N. and Robson S. K. (2006) The structure of a micro-bat community in relation to gradients of environmental variation in a tropical urban area. Urban Ecosystems 9, 67-82

Symonds, M. R. E. & Johnson, C. N. (2006) Determinants of local abundance in a major radiation of Australian passerines (Aves: Meliphagidae). Journal of Biogeography 33, 794-802

Symonds, M. R. E. & Johnson, C. N. (2006) Range size-abundance relationships in Australian birds. Global Ecology and Biogeography 15, 143-152

Parsons, J. G., Cairns, A., Johnson, C. N., Robson, S. K. A., Shilton, L. A., & Westcott, D. A. (2006) Diet variation in Spectacled Flying Foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) in the Wet Tropics of Australia.Australian Journal of Zoology 54, 417-428

Johnson, C. N. (2005) What can the data on late survival of Australian megafauna tell us about the cause of their extinction? Quaternary Science Reviews 24, 2167-2172

Johnson, C. N., Vernes, K. A. & Payne, A. (2005) Demography in relation to population density in two herbivorous marsupials: testing for source-sink dynamics versus independent regulation of population size. Oecologia 143, 70-76

Johnson, C. N. (2005) The remaking of Australia’s ecology. Science 309, 255-256

Isaac, J. L. & Johnson, C. N. (2005) Terminal reproductive effort in a marsupial. Biology Letters 1, 271-275

Pope, L. C., Blair, D. & Johnson, C. N. (2005) Dispersal and genetic population structure in the rufous bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens. Austral Ecology 30, 572-580

Isaac, J. L., Krockenberger, A. K. & Johnson, C. N. (2005) Adaptive sex allocation in relation to life history in the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Journal of Animal Ecology 74, 552-558

Johnson, C. N. & Prideaux, G. (2004) Extinctions of herbivorous mammals in Australia’s late Pleistocene in relation to their feeding ecology: no evidence for environmental change as cause of extinction. Austral Ecology 29, 553-557.

Vernes, K. A., Johnson, C. N. & Castellano, M. (2004) Fire-related changes in hypogeous ectomycorrhizal fruit-body density at foraging points used by a tropical mycophagous marsupial, the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica). Mycological Research 108, 1438-1446.

Isaac, J. L., Johnson, C. N., Grabau, P. J. & Krockenberger, A. K. (2004) Automated feeders: new technology for food supplementation experiments with mammals. Wildlife Research 31, 437-441

Keiper, P. & Johnson, C. N. (2004) Diet and habitat preference of the Cape York short-nosed bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus peninsulae) in north-east Queensland. Wildlife Research 31, 259-265

Scrivener, N. J., Krockenberger, A. K., Johnson, C. N., Wallis, I. R., Takasaki, M. & Foley, W. J. (2004) Which trees do wild common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) prefer? Problems and solutions in scaling laboratory findings to diet selection in the field. Evolutionary Ecology Research 6, 77-87

Isaac, J. & Johnson, C. N. (2003) Sexual dimorphism and synchrony of breeding: variation among populations in polygyny potential in the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Behavioural Ecology 14, 818-822

Johnson, C. N. & Wroe, S. (2003) Causes of extinction of vertebrates during the Holocene of mainland Australia: arrival of the dingo, or human impact? The Holocene 13, 941-948

Johnson, C. N. & Payne, A. (2002) Sex-biased dispersal in the rufous bettong. Australian Mammalogy 24, 233-235

Johnson, C. N. (2002) Determinants of loss of mammal species during the late Quaternary ‘megafauna’ extinctions: life history and ecology, but not body size. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269, 2221-2228

Johnson, C. N. & Ritchie, E. G. (2002) Biased offspring sex ratios established before birth in a marsupial, the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Behavioral Ecology 13, 653-656

Fox, S., Brooks, R., Lewis, M. J. & Johnson, C. N. (2002) Polymorphism, mate choice and sexual selection in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae). Australian Journal of Zoology 50, 125-134

Johnson, C. N., Delean, S. & Balmford, A. (2002) Phylogeny and the selectivity of extinction in Australian marsupials. Animal Conservation 5, 135-142

Jackson, S. M. & Johnson, C. N. (2002) Time allocation to foraging in the mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis and a comparison of exudivorous and folivorous possums and gliders. Journal of Zoology (Lond) 256, 271-277.

Fisher, D. O., Owens, I. P. F. & Johnson, C. N. (2001) The ecological basis of life history variation in marsupials. Ecology 82, 3531-3540.

Vernes, K., Castellano, M. & Johnson, C. N. (2001) Effects of season and fire on the diversity of hypogeous fungi consumed by a tropical mycophagous marsupial. Journal of Animal Ecology 70, 945-954.

Johnson, C. N., Clinchy, M., Taylor, A. C., Krebs, C. J., Jarman, P. J., Payne, A. & Ritchie, E. G. (2001) Adjustment of offspring sex ratios in relation to availability of resources for philopatric offspring in populations of the common brushtail possum. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 268, 2001-2005.

Johnson, C. N. (2001) Natural extinctions. In “Encyclopedia of Biodiversity” ed. S. Levin. Academic Press, San Diego. Johnson, C. N. (ed.)(2001) Feral Pigs in North Queensland: Pest Status and Prospects for Control. Proceedings of a feral pig workshop, James Cook University, Cairns, March 1999. Rainforest CRC, Cairns.

Johnson, C. N. & Stork, N, (2001) Introduction. In Johnson CN (ed.) Feral Pigs in North Queensland: Pest Status and Prospects for Control. Rainforest CRC, Cairns.

Vernes, K., Johnson, C. N. & Mitchell, J. (2001) The effectiveness of trapping in reducing pig abundance in the wet tropics: a case study. Pages 51-56 in Johnson CN (ed) Feral Pigs in North Queensland: Pest Status and Prospects for Control. Rainforest CRC, Cairns.

Balmford, A., Lewis, M. J., Brooke, M. de L., Thomas, A. L. R. & Johnson, C. N. (2000) Experimental analyses of sexual and natural selection on short tails in a polygynous warbler. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 267, 1121-1128.

Higginbottom, K. & Johnson, C. N. (2000) Partial seasonality of breeding in the red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus. The Journal of Zoology (London) 251: 71-77.

Woolnough, A. P. & Johnson, C. N. (2000) Dietary overlap between the northern hairy-nosed wombat Lasiorhinus krefftii and the eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus. Wildlife Research 27, 301-308.

Johnson, C. N. (1999) Relationships between body size and abundance in animals: the problem of scaling of study area in relation to body size. Oikos 85, 565-69.

Johnson, C. N. (1998) Species extinction and the relationship between distribution and abundance. Nature 394, 272-274.

Johnson, C. N. (1998) Rarity in the tropics: latitudinal gradients in distribution and abundance in Australian mammals. Journal of Animal Ecology 67, 689-698.

Johnson, C. N. (1998) The evolutionary ecology of wombats. In "Wombats " ed by RT Wells and PA Pridmore, pp 34-41. Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney

McIlwee, A. P. & Johnson, C. N. (1998) The contribution of fungus to the diets of three mycophagous marsupials in Eucalyptus forests, revealed by stable isotope analysis. Functional Ecology 12, 223-231.

Woolnough, A. P., Johnson, C. N. & Horsup, A. B. (1998) The short-term effect of radio packages on a free-ranging large herbivore, the northern hairy-nosed wombat. Wildlife Research 25, 561-565.

Johnson, C. N. & McIlwee, A. P. (1997) Ecology of the northern bettong Bettongia tropica, a tropical mycophagist. Wildlife Research 24, 549-560.

Johnson, C. N. (1997) Fire and habitat management for a mycophagous marsupial, the Tasmanian bettong Bettongia gaimardi. Australian Journal of Ecology 22, 101-105.

Taylor, A. C., Horsup, A., Johnson, C. N., Sunnucks, P. J. & Sherwin, W. (1997) Relatedness structure detected by microsatelite analysis and attempted pedigree reconstruction in an endangered marsupial, the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii. Molecular Ecology 6, 9-20.

Woolnough, A., Foley, W. J. Johnson, C. N. & Evans, M. (1997) Evaluation of techniques for indirect measurement of body composition in a free-ranging large herbivore. Wildlife Research 24, 649-660.

Johnson, C. N. (1996) Interactions between mammals and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11, 503-507.

Frederick, H. & Johnson, C. N. (1996) Social organization in the rufous bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens. Australian Journal of Zoology 44, 9-17.

Johnson, C. N. (1995) Interactions between fire, ectomycorrhizal fungi and a mycophagous marsupial in Eucalyptus forest. Oecologia 104, 467-475.

Hoyle, S. D, Horsup, A. B., Johnson, C. N., Crossman, D. G. & McCallum, H. (1995) Live-trapping of the northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii): population-size estimates and effects on individuals. Wildlife Research22, 741-755.

Johnson, C. N. (1994) Nutritional ecology of a mycophagous marsupial in relation to production of hypogeous fungi. Ecology 75, 2015-2021.

Johnson, C. N. (1994) Mycophagy in a marsupial: selection of taxa of ectomycorrhizal fungi in relation to their abundance. Functional Ecology 8, 464-468.

Johnson, C. N. (1994) Fruiting of hypogeous fungi in dry sclerophyll forest in Tasmania: seasonal variation and annual production. Mycological Research 98, 1173-1182.

Johnson, C. N. (1994) Distribution of feeding activity of the Tasmanian bettong Bettongia gaimardi in relation to vegetation patterns. Wildlife Research 21, 249-255.

Crossman, D. G., Johnson, C. N. & Horsup, A. B. (1994) Trends in the population of the northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) in Epping Forest National Park, central Queensland. Pacific Conservation Biology 1, 141-49.

Johnson, C. N. (1991) Utilisation of habitat by the northern hairy-nosed wombat. The Journal of Zoology (London) 225, 495-507.

Johnson, C. N. & Crossman, D. G. (1991) Dispersal and social organisation in the northern hairy-nosed wombat. The Journal of Zoology (London) 225, 605-15.

Johnson, C. N. and Crossman, D. G. (1991) Sexual dimorphism in the northern hairy-nosed wombat. Australian Mammalogy 70, 18-26.

Johnson, C. N. (1989) Dispersal and philopatry in the macropods. In G Grigg, ID Hume and PJ Jarman (eds) "Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-Kangaroos." Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney.

Johnson, C. N. (1989) Grouping and the structure of association in the red-necked wallaby. The Journal of Mammalogy 70, 18-26.

Johnson, C. N. (1989) Social interactions and reproductive tactics among adult red-necked wallabies. The Journal of Zoology (London) 217, 267-280.

Johnson, C. N. (1989) Mortality of immature red-necked wallabies. The Journal of Mammalogy 70, 202-204.

Jarman, P. J., Jones, M. E., Johnson, C. N., Southwell, C. J., Stuart-Dick, R., Higginbottom, K. B., & Clarke, J. L. (1989) Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek VIII. Individual recognition of kangaroos and wallabies. Australian Wildlife Research 16, 179-186.

Johnson, C. N. (1988) Dispersal and the sex ratio at birth in primates. Nature 332, 726-728

Cockburn, A. C. & Johnson, C. N. (1988) Patterns of Growth. In CH Tyndale-Biscoe and PA Janssens (eds) "The Developing Marsupial: Models for Biomedical Research." Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg.

Johnson, C. N. (1987) Relationships between mother and infant red-necked wallabies. Ethology 74,1-20.

Jarman, P. J., Johnson, C. N., Southwell, C. J. & Stuart-Dick, R. (1987) Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek I. The area and animals. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 1-14.

Johnson, C. N. (1987) Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek IV. Home range and movements of the red-necked wallaby. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 125-132.

Johnson, C. N,. Jarman, P. J. & Southwell, C. J. (1987) Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek V. Patterns of defecation by eastern grey kangaroos and red-necked wallabies. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 133-138.

Johnson, C. N. & Jarman, P. J. (1987) Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek VI. A validation of the use of dung-pellet counts for measuring the absolute densities of populations of macropods. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 139-146.

Johnson, C. N. (1986) Philopatry, maternal investment and the reproductive success of females in the red-necked wallaby. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 19, 143-150

Johnson, C. N. (1986) Sex-biased philopatry and dispersal in mammals. Oecologia 69, 626-627.

Johnson, C. N. (1983) Variations in group size and composition in red and western grey kangaroos Macropus rufus and M. fuliginosus. Australian Wildlife Research 10, 25-31.

Johnson, C. N. & Johnson KA (1983) Behaviour of the bilby Macrotis lagotis in captivity. Australian Wildlife Research 10, 77-87.

Johnson, C. N. & Jarman, P. J. (1983) Geographical variation in offspring sex ratios in kangaroos. Search 14, 152-153.

Johnson, C. N. (1983) Courtship feeding and mating in the channel-billed cuckoo. Corella 7, 44.

Johnson, C. N. & Bayliss, P. (1981) Habitat selection by sex age and reproductive class in the red kangaroo Macropus rufus. Australian Wildlife Research 8, 465-474.

Popular Publications

Horsup, A. B. & Johnson, C. N. (2007) Northern hairy-nosed wombat. In Van Dyck, S. (ed) Strahan’s Mammals of Australia. Reed Books (in press)

Johnson, C. N. (2007) Re-balancing Australia’s ecology? On Line Opinion http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6448

Johnson, C. N. (2007) Australia’s mammal extinctions. Wildlife Matters (newsletter of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy) June 2007, 20-21.

Johnson, C. N. (2007) Death of the big things of Australia. On Line Opinion, April 10 th , http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5709

Wroe, S. & Johnson, C. N. (2003) Bring back the devil. Nature Australia Summer 2003-2004, 84.

Cogger, H., Ford, H. A., Johnson, C. N. & Holman, J. (2003) Impacts of land clearing on wildlife in Queensland. 48 pp. World Wide Fund for Nature, Sydney.

Johnson, C. N. (2003) Wombats. In Kleiman, D. G., Geist, V., Hutchins, M., & Dade, M. C. (eds) Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopaedia. Vol 13, pp 51-56. Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Johnson, C. N. (2001) Wombats. Pages 856-857 in McDonald DW (ed) New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Johnson, C. N. (2001) A mutually beneficial relationship: how rat kangaroos help to cultivate the fungi they feed on. Page 849 in McDonald D. W. (ed) New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Johnson, C. N. (1997) Rat-kangaroos (family Potoroidae). Pp 55-57 in Aldhamland M, Hewitt G, Johnson E & Simpson J (eds) "The Encyclopaedia of Australian Wildlife". Readers Digest, Sydney.

Johnson, C. N. & Gordon G (1995) Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. In "The Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals (second edition) " R. Strahan (ed), Angus & Robertson, Sydney.

Johnson, C. N. (1994) The invisible wombat. Australian Natural History 24, 34-41.

Contact Details

Christopher Johnson

Campus: Townsville

Telephone: +61 7 4781 4141

Fax: +61 7 4725 1570

Email: Christopher.Johnson@jcu.edu.au

Note: Please direct all student enquiries through the School Secretary.