Associate Professor Diana Fisher

Principal Research Fellow

School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
d.fisher@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 69004

Overview

Principal Research Fellow / Deputy Academic Director UQ Hidden Vale Research Station/ Associate Professor, School of the Environment / Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, UQ. Jan 2022- Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Qld. January 2019

UQ Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland. Conservation and life history evolution of mammals in Australia and Melanesia. January 2016 – December 2018.

ARC Future Fellow / Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland. Life history evolution, extinction and conservation ecology of carnivorous marsupials. January 2012 – December 2015.

ARC Australian Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland. Causes of animal extinction and rediscovery, detection of extinction and trajectories of decline in mammals with respect to the spread of invasive predators. January 2007 – December 2011.

Natural Heritage Trust, federal Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Collating published data on threats to nationally endangered vertebrates under the EPBC Act, for the Species Profiles And Threats database. Part time, January- December 2006.

ARC Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra. Testing hypotheses to explain the evolution of polyandry, using antechinuses. April 2002 to February 2006 (maternity leave December 2004 – October 2005).

Royal Society Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen. Behavioural mechanisms of density-dependent immigration and implications for population dynamics in the water vole. Jan 2000 - April 2001 (maternity leave April 2001 – April 2002).

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Queensland. Ecological correlates of marsupial life histories, behaviour and social organisation. 1999 - 2000.

PhD. The Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Queensland, supervised by Professor Craig Moritz and Dr Anne Goldizen: Behavioural ecology and demography of the bridled nailtail wallaby, Onychogalea fraenata 1994 - 1998.

Research Interests

  • Mammal ecology
    Population ecology & biogeography of mammals, especially in Australia & Melanesia. Life history evolution of animals: drivers and mechanisms. Causes and detectability of extinction. Conservation ecology of threatened and declining marsupials, bats, tropical mammals. Evolutionary ecology of mammals: sexual selection, mating systems, life histories Behavioural ecology of mammals: social organisation and maternal care strategies.

Research Impacts

Co-chair Australian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission 2019-Australian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group

Australian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium Chair 2023- Australian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium

Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) 2020. Australian Ecology Research Award

Senior Editor, Cambridge University Press Journal Prisms: Extinction 2021- Cambridge Prisms Extinction

Member of the ARC College of Experts 2019-2021

Associate Editor of Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2013-

Associate Editor of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 2015-2021.

Media:

The Conversation AMTC checklist of Australian mammals

The Conversation evolution of semelparity in male Antechinus

Nature- beyond the glamour of conservation

Science- sexual selection

Nature- extinct species rediscovery

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • (2024) Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • The aims of this industry collaboration project are to develop and demonstrate rigorous, efficient drone- based protocols that use the most effective combination of thermal and light photography to estimate population size of koalas in fragmented habitat. The goal is to recommend improved methods that avoid over-estimating population size, and account for variability in detection of koalas. We will apply the best technique to determine the population size and distribution of koalas in the Burleigh Heads region, identify where koalas are most likely to encounter road traffic and dogs using intensive camera-trapping at sites and roads informed by our drone surveys and citizen science participation, to implement community action to increase awareness and reduce koala mortality. We will use camera-trapping, DES / QPWS database records of koala mortalities and citizen science data to test how effective these community awareness-raising actions are.

    The project outcome will improve accuracy of population estimates, to clarify koala population responses to conservation actions in SEQ. The distance method is used globally to estimate wildlife population size. To avoid under-counting, the method estimates how many individuals are missed on separate transect lines, accounting for detectability and variability. The method calculates how many koalas are missed based on the drop in sightings with distance from the observer. Numbers of koalas detected by a drone camera are expected to decline when koalas are lower in trees. However, drone surveys in SEQ typically follow a protocol in which they travel an overlapping path that risks missing koalas closer to the ground, and double-counting at canopy level. We will identify and recommend the most accurate drone survey protocol and apply this to a south-east Queensland population.

    A masters or honours project will be part of this research.

  • A handful of animals (some arthropods and Australian marsupials) have iteroparous females- that reproduce repeatedly, but semelparous males- that inevitably die during or soon after mating. This ARC-funded project is using multi-species comparative approaches, behavioural ecology, population ecology methods, and quantitative modelling to test evolutionary explanations. Multiple projects are available on the causes and cnsequences of semelparity in animals and plants.

  • Brush-tailed phascogales are insect-eating, arboreal, forest-dependent marsupials restricted to southern Australia. They are threatened in all states where they occur except Queensland. At UQ Hidden Vale Research Station, brush-tailed phascogales are are some of the most frequent occupants of our recently established nest boxes. This species has a peculiar life history likely to underpin population dynamics: it is one of very few animals in which all males die after breeding. This field-based project includes field ecology, evolutionary ecology experiments, and practical conservation. You will test hypotheses to advance theory in life history evolution, understand why brush-tailed phascogales appear to be doing better in south east Queensland than elsewhere, and find how we can protect them.

    You will work with researchers conducting landscape scale habitat restoration, fire and tree-thinning experiments at UQ Hidden Vale Research Station. Experiments include adding nest boxes, leaf litter and fallen timber to plots in phascogale habitat. You will 1) follow the fate and behaviour of individually identifiable phascogales to investigate how the timing and quality of food, nest site attributes, male competition, and predation risk influence recruitment and adult survival. 2) Find how environmental productivity and predictability influence mating systems, life history adaptations and constraints in dasyurids, focusing on male and female phascogales.

    Applicants should submit a cover letter explaining their experience and research interests, CV, academic transcripts, and the names of two referees to Assoc. Prof. Diana Fisher <d.fisher@uq.edu.au>. You will be based in the School of the Environment at the University of Queensland, St Lucia (Brisbane), Australia. UQ Hidden Vale Research Station is an hour by car from UQ St Lucia campus.

    All research costs of this project are funded. You will need to apply for a PhD scholarship. The next Graduate School Scholarship (UQGSS, including tuition fees) in the University of Queensland domestic round opens in August 2024, for commencement in RQ1 2025.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Woinarski, John C. Z. and Fisher, Diana O. (2023). Conservation Biogeography of Modern Species of Australasian Marsupials. American and Australasian Marsupials. (pp. 1319-1366) Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-08419-5_44

  • Baker, Andrew M., Eldridge, Mark D. B., Fisher, Diana O., Frankham, Greta, Helgen, Kristofer, Jackson, Stephen M., Potter, Sally, Travouillon, Kenny J. and Umbrello, Linette S. (2023). Taxonomy and Diversity of Living Australasian Marsupials. American and Australasian Marsupials. (pp. 163-247) Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-08419-5_32

  • Fisher, D. O. (2018). Reproductive strategies. The secret lives of carnivorous marsupials. (pp. 211-212) edited by C.R. Dickman and A. Baker. Clayton, VIC Australia: CSIRO Publishing.

  • Fisher, D. O. (2016). The bridled nailtail wallaby. A fragile balance: the extraordinary story of Australian marsupials. (pp. 21-22) edited by Dickman, C. R.. Sydney, NSW Australia: Australian Geographic.

  • Paplinska, J. Z., Bencini, R., Fisher, D. O., Newell, G., Goldizen, A. W., Hazlitt, S. L., Sigg, D. P., Finlayson, G., Munn, A., Chambers, B., Mayberry, C. and Taggart, D. A. (2010). Sperm competition in the Macropodoidea: a review of evidence. Macropods: The biology of kangaroos, wallabies and rat-kangaroos. (pp. 65-76) edited by Graeme Coulson and Mark Eldridge. Collingwood, Vic., Australia: CSIRO Publishing.

  • Fisher, D.O. (2004). Maternal behavior of marsupials. Encyclopedia of animal behaviour. (pp. 850-852) edited by Marc Bekoff. London, United Kingdom: Greenwood Press.

Journal Article

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • The aims of this industry collaboration project are to develop and demonstrate rigorous, efficient drone- based protocols that use the most effective combination of thermal and light photography to estimate population size of koalas in fragmented habitat. The goal is to recommend improved methods that avoid over-estimating population size, and account for variability in detection of koalas. We will apply the best technique to determine the population size and distribution of koalas in the Burleigh Heads region, identify where koalas are most likely to encounter road traffic and dogs using intensive camera-trapping at sites and roads informed by our drone surveys and citizen science participation, to implement community action to increase awareness and reduce koala mortality. We will use camera-trapping, DES / QPWS database records of koala mortalities and citizen science data to test how effective these community awareness-raising actions are.

    The project outcome will improve accuracy of population estimates, to clarify koala population responses to conservation actions in SEQ. The distance method is used globally to estimate wildlife population size. To avoid under-counting, the method estimates how many individuals are missed on separate transect lines, accounting for detectability and variability. The method calculates how many koalas are missed based on the drop in sightings with distance from the observer. Numbers of koalas detected by a drone camera are expected to decline when koalas are lower in trees. However, drone surveys in SEQ typically follow a protocol in which they travel an overlapping path that risks missing koalas closer to the ground, and double-counting at canopy level. We will identify and recommend the most accurate drone survey protocol and apply this to a south-east Queensland population.

    A masters or honours project will be part of this research.

  • A handful of animals (some arthropods and Australian marsupials) have iteroparous females- that reproduce repeatedly, but semelparous males- that inevitably die during or soon after mating. This ARC-funded project is using multi-species comparative approaches, behavioural ecology, population ecology methods, and quantitative modelling to test evolutionary explanations. Multiple projects are available on the causes and cnsequences of semelparity in animals and plants.

  • Brush-tailed phascogales are insect-eating, arboreal, forest-dependent marsupials restricted to southern Australia. They are threatened in all states where they occur except Queensland. At UQ Hidden Vale Research Station, brush-tailed phascogales are are some of the most frequent occupants of our recently established nest boxes. This species has a peculiar life history likely to underpin population dynamics: it is one of very few animals in which all males die after breeding. This field-based project includes field ecology, evolutionary ecology experiments, and practical conservation. You will test hypotheses to advance theory in life history evolution, understand why brush-tailed phascogales appear to be doing better in south east Queensland than elsewhere, and find how we can protect them.

    You will work with researchers conducting landscape scale habitat restoration, fire and tree-thinning experiments at UQ Hidden Vale Research Station. Experiments include adding nest boxes, leaf litter and fallen timber to plots in phascogale habitat. You will 1) follow the fate and behaviour of individually identifiable phascogales to investigate how the timing and quality of food, nest site attributes, male competition, and predation risk influence recruitment and adult survival. 2) Find how environmental productivity and predictability influence mating systems, life history adaptations and constraints in dasyurids, focusing on male and female phascogales.

    Applicants should submit a cover letter explaining their experience and research interests, CV, academic transcripts, and the names of two referees to Assoc. Prof. Diana Fisher <d.fisher@uq.edu.au>. You will be based in the School of the Environment at the University of Queensland, St Lucia (Brisbane), Australia. UQ Hidden Vale Research Station is an hour by car from UQ St Lucia campus.

    All research costs of this project are funded. You will need to apply for a PhD scholarship. The next Graduate School Scholarship (UQGSS, including tuition fees) in the University of Queensland domestic round opens in August 2024, for commencement in RQ1 2025.