Dr Finella Dawlings

I am a post-doc research associate with the Conservation Science Research Group (UoN), conducting research into the management of invasive rodents on Norfolk Island, particularly in relation to their effects on the island's fauna and flora species, many of which are threatened. This project will identify the significance of the reinvasion of rodents, determine whether control activities that are pulsed or continual yield better outcomes, investigate the roles of cats as predators of rodents and native wildlife, and assess how these issues translate to the biodiversity on the island more broadly.

PhD: Novel use of remote sensors to improve population monitoring and ecological understanding of threatened vertebrates for the purpose of conservation management

I conducted my PhD in the Research Ecology and Conservation lab (Monash University) in 2020-24, during which I investigated the use of remote sensors to improve monitoring and conservation management of Australian biodiversity. I compared vehicle-mounted thermal scanners with traditional spotlights as tools for detecting and monitoring small grassland birds and mammals in the Northern Plains of Victoria, including the Endangered Plains-wanderer. I also explored the RPASs as a tool for monitoring canopy-dwelling species, as well as build an understanding of the nesting distribution and population trend of the Christmas Island Frigatebird. My research reshaped monitoring protocols for small endotherms in open habitats, and canopy-dwelling species, and I was able to contribute to the design of new monitoring programs for Plains-wanderers and Christmas Island Frigatebirds.