Urban green spaces have huge potential to provide habitat for biodiversity, but their design and management needs to be informed by science. My research on urban habitat restoration focuses around understanding if we can increase habitat for biodiversity in cities, how to do it, and where. The projects below are designed to investigate the following questions:

1) Can we improve habitat in cities by adding critical resources?

2) What is the role of green infrastructure in supporting urban biodiversity?

Projects  

Understanding and enhancing urban pollinator biodiversity via wildlife gardening and citizen scientists

Funded by McCoy Seed Grant with Museum Victoria

Researchers include Dr Caragh Threlfall, Dr Nick Williams, Dr Ken Walker, Jessica Baumann and our Masters student Daniella Davalos

This project aims to better understand the effectiveness of wildlife gardening for providing pollinator foraging and nesting habitat, and to test ways to enhance the urban matrix in supporting insect pollinator biodiversity via the addition of bee hotels. In this project we are using citizen scientists to assist in surveying native bees, butterflies and other pollinators inhabiting their gardens and compare them to nearby remnant vegetation.

Insect Diversity on Extensive Green Roofs in Melbourne

Masters student Jacinda Murphy supervised by Dr Nick Williams, Dr Caragh Threlfall and Dr Briony Norton

This research characterised and compared the insect diversity on six extensive green roofs, including grassland green roofs and succulent green roofs in Melbourne. Jacinda is currently preparing a manuscript describing her results, so stay tuned!