Academic Staff - Associate Professor Glenda Wardle

Areas of Interest

My research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape the spatial and temporal patterns of variation found in natural populations. On a conceptual level I want to combine our understanding of microevolutionary processes such as selection, genetic structure of populations, and gene flow, with the ecological processes of age structure, recruitment, dispersal, and dormancy. I have begun this work on life history variation by integrating studies of selection and demography to explain the coexistence of two life history types within populations of a short lived plant, Campanula americana . I used a matrix population model to quantify the contribution of winter annuals and biennials to the population growth rate and to evaluate the role of the soil seed bank . The life cycle graph of this model is shown below.

My general approach to research involves combining field work in natural populations with greenhouse experiments and mathematical modeling. My current research is on the comparative demography of four native Australian species of Trachymene (Apiaceae) with life history types which include: annual, biennial or perennial. The projects which I have recently supervised include: (1) The population biology, canopy seed bank dynamics and early seedling growth characteristics of two gymnosperm species: Callitris muelleri and Callitris rhomboidea. (2) The distribution of four Banksia species in relation to a soil moisture gradient. (3) The population biology and reproductive ecology of a rare and endangered species, Trachymene scapigera.

I am interested in supervising students who want to combine experimental and field based studies of native Australian plants or projects that combine a theoretical and an empirical approach to plant ecology or evolution.

Research Output

Journal articles:

• Greenville A.C., Wardle G.M. and Dickman C.R. 2012. Extreme climatic events drive mammal irruptions: regression analysis of 100-year trends in desert rainfall and temperature. Ecology and Evolution 2645-2658 doi: 10.1002/ece3.37
• Frank A.S.K, Dickman C.R and Wardle G.M. 2012. Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous ‘patchy resources in matrix’ environment in arid Australia. The Rangeland Journal in press Accepted16 August 2012
• Popic T.J., Wardle G.M., and Davila Y.C. 2012. Plant-floral visitor networks only partially predict the function of pollen transport by bees. Austral Ecology. published online : 27 MAR 2012, DOI:10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02377.x
• Lindenmayer D.B. et al. +15 co-authors). 2012. The value of long-term ecological studies. Austral Ecology 37: 745-757
• Lindenmayer D.B, et al. +24 co-authors). 2012. Improving biodiversity monitoring in Australia. Austral Ecology 37: 285-294
• Dickman CR, Greenville A.C, Tamayo B., and Wardle G.M. Spatial dynamics of small mammals in central Australian desert habitats: the role of drought refugia. J. Mammalogy 92(6):1-17
• Emery N., Offord C., Wardle G.M., Henwood M., and Overall R. 2011. Variation in dormancy among populations of the fire-ephemeral flannel flower, Actinotus helianthi. Orbit 2: 22-28
• Gurevitch J., Fox G.A, Wardle G.M., Inderjit and D. Taub. Emergent insights from the synthesis of conceptual frameworks for biological invasions. Ecology Letters 14: 407-418 (invited review)
• Penman T.D, Christie F.J., Andersen A.N., Bradstock R.A., Cary G.J., Henderson M.K., McCaw W.L., Price O., Tran C., Wardle G.M., Williams R.J. and York A. Prescribed burning: how can it work to conserve the things we value? International Journal of Wildland Fire 20:731-733
• Morton S.R, Stafford Smith D.M, Dickman C.R., Dunkerley D.L., Friedel M.H., McAllister R.R.J., Reid J.R.W., Roshier D.A., Smith M.A., Walsh F.J., Wardle G.M., Watson I.W. and Westoby M. 2011. A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 75:313-329
• Renner M.A.M., Brown E.A., and Wardle G.M. 2011. The Lejeunea tumida species group is positively polyphyletic (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida). Australian Systematic Botany 24:10-18
• Buckley Y.M., Ramula S., Blomberg S., Burns J., Crone E., Ehrlen J., Pichancourt J.B., Quested H., and Wardle G.M. 2010. Causes and consequences of variation in plant population growth rate: a synthesis of matrix population models in a phylogenetic context. Ecology Letters 13(9):1182-1197
• Burns JH., Blomberg S.P., Crone E.E., Ehrlén J., Knight T.M., Pichancourt J.B., Ramula S., Wardle G.M. and Buckley Y.M. 2010. Empirical tests of life-history evolution theory using phylogenetic analysis of plant demography. Journal of Ecology 98: 334-344
• Dickman C.R., Greenville A.C., Beh C-L., Tamayo B., and Wardle G.M. 2010. Social organization and movements of desert rodents during population ‘booms’ and ‘busts’ in Central Australia. Journal of Mammalogy 91(4):798-810
• Renner M.A.M., Brown E.A., and Wardle G.M. 2010. The Lejeunea tumida species group (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida) in New Zealand. Australian Systematic Botany 23(6):443-462
• Williams M.C. and Wardle G.M. 2009. Pinus radiata invasion in NSW: the extent of spread. Plant Protection Quarterly 24(4): 146-156
• Renner M.A.M., Brown E.A. and Wardle G.M. 2009. Evidence for species recognition on the basis of a single specimen: Nephelolejeunea carcharias sp. nov. (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida). Systematic Botany 34(4): 615-624
• Renner M.A.M., Brown E.A. and Wardle G.M. 2009. Lejeunea pocsii R.M.Schust. is a heterotypic synonym of L. helmsiana Steph. Nova Hedwigia 89: 335-348.
• Greenville A.C., Dickman C.R., Wardle G.M., Letnic, M. 2009. The fire history of an arid grassland: the influence of antecedent rainfall and ENSO International Journal of Wildland Fire 18: 631-639
• Tierney D. and Wardle G.M. 2008. The relative fitness of parental and hybrid Kunzea (Myrtaceae): the interaction of reproductive traits and ecological selection. American Journal of Botany 95(2): 146-155
• Davila Y.C. and Wardle G.M. 2008. Variation in native pollinators in the absence of honey bees: implications for reproductive success of an Australian generalist-pollinated herb Trachymene incisa (Apiaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 156: 479-490
• Williams M.C. and Wardle G.M. 2007. Pine and Eucalypt litterfall in an invaded Eucalypt woodland: the role of fire and canopy cover. Forest Ecology and Management 253: 1-10
• Davila Y.C. and Wardle G.M. 2007. Bee boys and fly girls: pollinator preferences for male and female umbels in protandrous parsnip, Trachymene incisa (Apiaceae). Austral Ecology 32: 798-807
• Williams M.C. and Wardle G.M. 2007. Determining the threat of Pinus radiata in Australia: Identifying key knowledge gaps and research directions Austral Ecology 32: 721-739
• Williams M.C. and Wardle G.M. 2007. The spatial pattern of invading Pinus radiata. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 128: 83-94.
• Divljan A, Parry-Jones K and Wardle, G.M. 2006. Age determination in the Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus). Journal of Wildlife Management 70(2): 607-611
• Williams M.C. and Wardle G.M. 2005. The influence of vegetation structure and composition on invasibility by Pinus radiata in the Blue Mountains, NSW. (Cunninghamia 9(2): 285-294
• Tierney D. and Wardle G. M. 2005. Differential seed ecology in the shrubs Kunzea rupsetris, Kunzea capitata and associated hybrids (Myrtaceae): the function of thin-walled fruit in a fire-prone vegetation. Australian Journal of Botany 53: 313-321
• Williams M. C. and Wardle G.M. 2005. The invasion of two native Eucalypt forest by Pinus radiata in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia. Biological Conservation 125: 55-64
• Wardle G.M. 2003. Experimental determination of seed emergence and carryover in the soil seed bank of the herbaceous perennial, Trachymene incisa (Apiaceae). Austral Ecology 28: 161-172
• Warton D. and Wardle G.M. 2003. Site-to-site variation in the demography of a fire-affected perennial, Acacia suaveolens at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, New South Wales, Australia. Austral Ecology 28: 38-47
• Davila Y.C. and Wardle G.M. 2002. Reproductive ecology of the Australian herb Trachymene incisa subsp. incisa (Apiaceae). Australian Journal of Botany 50: 619-626
• Wardle G.M. 1998. A Graph Theory Approach to Demographic Loop Analysis. Ecology 79:2539-2549.
• Kalisz S. and Wardle G.M. 1994. Life History Variation in Campanula americana (Campanulaceae): Population Differentiation. American Journal of Botany 81:521-527.
• Wade M.J., Johnson N.A. and Wardle G.M. 1994. Analysis of Polygenic Variation for the expression of Haldane's Rule in Flour Beetles. Genetics 138:791-799.
• Ogden J., Wardle G.M. and Ahmed M. 1987. Population Dynamics of the Canopy Dominant Tree Agathis australis (D.Don) Lindl. (Kauri) in New Zealand. II. Seedling Population Sizes and Gap-Phase Regeneration. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25: 231-242.
• Wardle G.M. and Ogden J. 1983. The Scientific Reserves of Auckland University. 1. General Introduction to their History, Vegetation, Climate and Soils. TANE 29:143-161.

Book chapters:

• Popic T.J. and Wardle G.M. 2012. Extremes: Understanding flower – visitor interactions in a changing climate. In: Wildlife and climate change: towards robust conservation strategies for Australian fauna eds. Lunney, D. and Hutchings, P. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Mosmon, NSW, Australia. Pp 99-106
• Divljan A., Parry-Jones K. and Wardle G.M. 2011 A hundred and- forty days in the life of a flying-fox tooth-fairy: estimating the age of pups using tooth eruption and replacement. pp 97-105, in The Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats. Law, B, Eby, P, Lunney, D and L Lumsden (Editors). Proceedings Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
• Divljan A., Parry-Jones K., Griffith M., Whitney J,. Burton N.., Smith C and Wardle G.M. 2011. Practical solutions for catching and processing Grey-headed Flying-foxes, Pteropus poliocephalus based on a population study at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. pp 186-174, in The Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats. Law, B, Eby, P, Lunney, D and L Lumsden (Editors). Proceedings Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, Australia.
• Wardle G.M. 2010. The story of out land revealed through plants. In Desert Channels: the impulse to conserve. Robin L, Martin, M and Dickman CR (Editors). CSIRO Publishers, Canberra.
• Renner M.A.M., Wardle G.M. and Brown E.A. 2009. Conflict and Continuity and the Logic of Grouping in and out of Context, with Papillolejeunea (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida) as an example. In: Mohamed, H, Baki BB, Nasrulhaq-Boyce A, and Lee PKY, (Editors). Bryology in the New Millennium. Kuala Lumpar: University of Malaya, pp. 487-503.
• Gaggiotti O.E., Lee C.E.D. and Wardle G.M. 1997. The effect of overlapping generations and population structure on gene-frequency clines. Chapter 11 in Tuljupurkar, S and Caswell, H. (Editors). Structured Population Models in Marine, Terrestrial, and Freshwater systems. Chapman and Hall, New York.

Refereed Conference Proceedings:

• Goudkamp J., Lam S., Wong K., Wardle G.M. 2003. Salinity impacts and risks to biodiversity in Australia. in Salinity under the sun: investing in prevention and rehabilitation of salinity in Australia. Conference Proceedings 9th PUR$L National Conference.
• Frank A.S.K., Dickman C.R. and Wardle G.M. (2008). Responses of small mammals and lizards to cattle grazing and cattle removal in arid Australia. Proceedings of the 15th Biennial Conference of the Australian Rangeland Society “A climate of change in the Rangelands”, 28 Sep – 2 Oct 2008, Charters Towers, Queensland, pp. 1-4

Other:

• Wardle G.M. 2010. Rescue in the Channel Country. In Desert Channels: the impulse to conserve. Robin L, Martin, M and Dickman CR (Editors). CSIRO Publishers, Canberra. (Text box)
• Wardle G.M., Greenville A.C., Dickman C.R., Tamayo B. 2008. Fire Management Plan for Ethabuka and Cravens Peak Bush Heritage Reserves 2008-2012. (Peer-reviewed report for Bush Heritage, Australia)