School of Marine and Tropical Biology > Disciplines > Zoology & Tropical Ecology > Zoology & Tropical Ecology Staff

Professor Richard G. Pearson

Head of School

Head of School, School of Marine and Tropical Biology 2008-Current.

Professor of Zoology and Tropical Ecology 1999-Current

Deputy Head, School of Marine and Tropical Biology 2007-2008

Head, School of Marine and Tropical Biology 2006-2007

Head, School of Tropical Biology 1999-2006

Director, Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research 1992-2002.

Research Interests

Community ecology, especially of stream and wetlands; river health and water quality monitoring; biodiversity; bird ecology

Recent and Current Projects Include

Program leader for Catchment to Reef – a joint venture of the Reef and Rainforest Cooperature Research Cnetres. Research involvement in river heath monitoring tasks in collaboration with Griffith University and CSIRO, especially with regard to invertebrates as indicators of ecosystem health (with N. Connolly). See www.catchmenttoreef.com.au.

Studies on the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem function, using stream detritivores as a model system (with L. Boyero et al.).

Studies on the ecology of rainforest streams (with N. Connolly et al.).

Recent and Currently Supervised Projects

1.
Connolly, N, current, PhD, Ecological processes in rainforest streams
2.
Davis, A, current, PhD, Phylogeny and feeding specialisation of tropical theraponid fishes
3.
Dell, T, current, PhD, Cyclical stream-bed communities
4.
Faithful, J, current, PhD, Sediment dynamics and productivity in a tropical impoundment
5.
Flint, N, current, PhD, Sublethal effects of hypoxia on tropical freshwater fishes
6.
Godfrey, P, current, PhD, Recruitment dynamics of tropical riverine fishes
7.
Preite, C, current, PhD, Algal dynamics and water quality in tropical riverine waterholes
8.
Veitch, V, current, PhD, Ecological basis for management of tropical floodplain wetlands
9.
Moloney, J, 2007, PhD, Dynamics of bird communities in remnant rainforest patches
10.
Rayner, T, 2007, PhD, Food webs and fish community dynamics in a tropical river
11.
Camacho, R, 2006, Hons, Litter processing in streams in Australia and Panama
12.
Moloney, B, 2006, Hons, Community evenness: a test of the utility of a novel approach
13.
Bastian, M, 2005, Hons, Biodiversity and ecosystem processes in streams
14.
Cook, S, 2005, PhD, Determinants of lizard diversity wet tropics forests
15.
Okelsrud, A, 2005, MSc, Ammonia toxicity in freshwater fish
16.
Webb, A, 2005, PhD, Ecology of invasions by exotic freshwater fishes
17.
Bengsen, A, 2004, Hons, Grazing impacts on riparian bird communities in the wet-dry tropics
18.
Betts, D, 2004, Hons, Invertebrate assemblages of waterholes in the Burdekin River
19.
Christidis, F, 2004, PhD, Taxonomy and phylogeny of Leptophlebiidae in the Wet Tropics
20.
Keir, A, 2004, Hons, Bird communities of riparian vegetation among sugar-cane fields
21.
Perna, C, 2004, MSc, Habitat values and fish communities of floodplain wetlands
22.
Thuesen, P, 2004, Hons, Genetic isolation of stream fishes in the Wet Tropics
23.
McKie, B, 2003, PhD, Community ecology of rainforest streams
24.
Zunker, B, 2003, Hons, Community structure of wetland bird assemblages
25.
Humphrey, C, 2002, MSc, Biomonitoring of environmental impacts
26.
Coughlan, J, 2001, PhD, Ecology of birds in vine thickets

Future PhD directions

Community ecology, stream and wetlands ecology, river and wetland health assessment

Teaching

BS9000

Tropical Coral Reef, Rainforest and Wetlands Ecology

Selected Publications

Pearson R.G. & N. Connolly, 2000. Nutrient enhancement, food quality and community dynamics in a tropical rainforest stream. Freshwater Biology 43:31-42.

Connolly N. & R.G. Pearson, 2002. Impacts of deforestation on stream ecology. In M. Bonell (ed) Impacts of Deforestation in the Humid Tropics. Cambridge University Press.

Connolly, N. M., M. R. Crossland & R. G. Pearson 2004. Effect of low dissolved oxygen on survival, emergence and drift in tropical stream macroinvertebrate communities. J. North American Benthological Society 23:251-270.

McKie, B.G., P. S. Cranston and R. G. Pearson (2004). Gondwanan mesotherms and widespread eurytherms: effects of temperature on the development and survival of Australian Chironomidae (Diptera) from tropical and temperate populations. Marine and Freshwater Research 55:759-768.

Pearson, R.G. 2004. Biodiversity of the freshwater fauna of the Wet Tropics region of north-eastern Australia: patterns and possible determinants. Pages 470-485 in E. Bermingham, C. W.Dick, and C. Moritz (editors). Tropical Rain Forests: Past, Present and Future, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. 1004 pages.

Coughlan J. and R.G. Pearson 2004. The bird communities of dry rainforests and surrounding woodlands in north Queensland. In D.Lunney (ed.) Conservation of Australia’s forest fauna.. Royal Society of New South Wales. Pp. 474-492.

McKie, B.G., R.G. Pearson and P.S. Cranston 2005. Does biogeographic history matter? Diversity and distribution of lotic midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the Australian Wet Tropics. Austral Ecology 30:1-13.

Cheshire K., L. Boyero and R.G. Pearson 2005. Food webs in tropical Australian streams: shredders are not scarce. Freshwater Biology, 50:748-769.

BoyeroL. and R. G. Pearson 2006. Intraspecific interference in a tropical stream shredder guild. Marine and FreshwaterResearch 57:201-206.

BoyeroL., R.G. Pearson and R. Camacho (2006) Leaf breakdown in Australian tropical streams: the role of different species in ecosystem functioning. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 166: 453-466.

McKie B.G. and R.G. Pearson (2006) Environmental variation and the predator-specific responses of tropical stream insects: effects of temperature and predation on survival and development of Australian Chironomidae (Diptera) Oecologia 149: 328-339.

Bengsen A. and R.G. Pearson (2006) Bird Assemblages of Fenced Riparian Zones in North Queensland Ecological Management and Restoration 7:141-144

Bastian, M., L. Boyero, B.R. Jackes & R.G. Pearson (2007) Leaf litter diversity and shredder preferences in an Australian tropical rain-forest stream. J. Tropical Ecology 23:219-229.

Boulton A.J., L. Boyero, A.P. Covich, M. Dobson, P.S. Lake and R.G. Pearson, 2005. Are tropical streams ecologically different from temperate streams? Chapter 8 in Tropical Stream Ecology (Eds D. Dudgeon and C. Cressa) Academic Press: San Diego. (In press)

Connolly N.M. and R.G.Pearson 2006. Resistance to experimental sedimentation by a tropical stream macroinvertebrate assemblage. Hydrobiologia (in press).

Boyero L, Pearson RG, Bastian M. How biological diversity influences ecosystem function: the separate role of species richness and evenness. Ecological Research (in press)

Connolly N., Kelley R., Pearson R.G. and Prior T. 2005. Catchment to Reef – an interpretive poster and booklet. ISBN 1 876054 60 3 (see www.catchmenttoreef.com.au).

Kelley R., Barnett B., Bainbridge Z., Brodie J. and Pearson R.G. 2006 Nutrients, catchments and reefs. A guide to nutrients in your landscape. ISBN 0 86443 784 6

Keir, A.F., R.G. Pearson and R.A. Congdon (2007) Determinants of bird assemblage composition in riparian vegetation on sugarcane farms in northern Queensland. Wildlife Research (in review)

Boyero L., P.A Rincón. and R. G. Pearson (2006) Individual- and ecosystem- level effects of a fish predator on a tropical detritus-based food web. Ecological Research

Williams, S.E., L.P. Shoo, R. Henriod and R.G. Pearson (2006) Elevational gradients in assemblage structure and productivity of rainforest birds in the Australian Wet Tropics bioregion: implications for the potential impact of global climate change. Ecology (in review).

Contact Details

Professor Richard Pearson

Campus: Townsville

Telephone: +61 7 4781 4345

Fax: +61 7 4781 5511

Email: Richard.Pearson@jcu.edu.au

{Please direct all enquiries through Ms Sam Kent (P.A.) sam.kent@jcu.edu.au or phone 4781 4345