Dan Rosauer

PhD Candidate (University of New South Wales)

Phone (+61) 02 6246 5117

Fax: (+61) 02 6246 5249

E-mail: dan.rosauercsiro.au

Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
GPO Box 1600
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA

Spatial Distribution of Phylogenetic Diversity in the Australian Biota.

This PhD project uses phylogenies for a diverse selection of Australian plant and animal taxa, combined with continent wide species location datasets to identify important places for biodiversity conservation and to shed light on the broad scale geography of evolutionary processes within and between the different taxon groups.  It applies and builds on existing diversity measures to develop robust spatial measures of biological diversity suitable for wider application.  For each taxon group I will map an estimate of phylogenetic diversity across Australia.  I will look for patterns in phylogenetic diversity and endemism within and between taxonomic groups, and seek to quantify and minimise sources of uncertainty in the spatial measurement of phylogenetic diversity.

Work is currently in progress on the following flora and fauna groups: Daviesia (Fabaceae), Pomaderreae (Rhamnaceae) and Pelodryadinae (Hylidae).

My research is supported by an ARC Linkage Grant titled: What is the spatial and environmental distribution of phylogenetic diversity in the Australian biota?  The industry partner is the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts.

Australian Natural Heritage Assessment Tool - used in the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts to map patterns of endemism and species richness in the Australian biota, and to produce regional biodiversity reports

Biodiversity Analysis Tool - a web-based tool for biogeographic analysis of online specimen collections

Biodiverse - a web based research tool for biogeographic analysis of specimen collections, developed in BEES

Cameron Slatyer, Dan Rosauer, & Frank Lemckert (2007) An assessment of endemism and species richness patterns in the Australian Anura. Journal of Biogeography, 34, 583-596.

Cameron Slatyer, Winston Ponder, Dan Rosauer & Lyndell Davis (2007) Between a rock and a dry place: land snails in arid Australia. In Animals of arid Australia : out on their own? Eds. Chris Dickman, Daniel Lunney & Shelley Burgin. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Mossman, New South Wales.