Dr Thomas Prowse

• Biography/ Background

  I am a mathematical ecologist who focuses on the impacts of humans in multi-species systems and on developing evidence-based strategies to optimise multiple objectives in mixed human-wildlife systems. Specifically, I use empirical analyses and computational modelling to address applied ecological questions in the fields of wildlife management, fisheries, conservation biology, invasion ecology and disease ecology. I have also contributed mathematical models to guide the management of native and feral species, including giant cuttlefish, koalas and feral goats. I am an Associate Editor for two journals - Wildlife Research and Management of Biological Invasions.

• Qualifications

  PhD, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

  BSc (Hons), Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

• Teaching Interests

  Enquiries are welcome from students wishing to pursue PhD, Masters or Honours degrees.

  Current students

  • Jack Tatler (PhD commenced 2015). Biodiversity responses to the management of top predators and mesopredators.
  • Antonia Dalziel (PhD commenced 2014). Surveillance and modelling of avian influenza in Australia.
    
  • Wayne Boardman (PhD commenced 2014). Eco-epidemiological models of bat-vectored diseases.
  • Kym Wilkins (Honours commenced 2017). Ordinary differential equation models to predict the efficacy of gene-drive technology for controlling pest vertebrate populations on islands.
    

  Past students

  • Rachel Correll (PhD, 2016, Flinders University). Environmental determinants of geographic body size variation within Australian mammals.
  • Danielle Pedler (Masters completed 2014). Modelling the spread of marine invasive species under climate change.
  • Melanie Crossley (1^st Class Honours, 2015). The efficacy of wild dog control in South Australia’s sheep rangelands.
  • Calum Cunningham (1^st Class Honours, 2013). Modelling cost-effective eradication strategies for invasive peacocks on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

• Research Interests

  Some current projects:

  • Spatial optimisation of integrated control strategies for native and feral species
  • Conservation actions for responding to the live pet-bird trade in southeast Asia
  • Multi-strain modelling of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) dynamics
  • Using models to inform the development of new genome-editing technologies for controlling invasive species populations
  • New mathematical methods for estimating the impact of intervention measures on the prevalence of endemic diseases
  • Molecular surveillance and latent-class analysis for detecting emerging marine pest species
  • Evidence-based adaptive-management models for the Mount Lofty Ranges biodiversity hotspot
  • Modelling the evolutionary impacts of past climate change and human hunting on Australian mammals

• Publications

  Book chapters

  Delean S, Prowse TAA, Ross JV & Tuke J (in press) Analyzing time-series data: single-species population modelling. In: Murray D, Sandercock B (eds) Population ecology in practice. Wiley-Blackwell, NY

  Refereed Journal Articles

  Prowse TAA, Cassey P, Ross JV, Pfitzner C, Wittmann T, Thomas P (in review) Dodging silver bullets: good gene-drive design is critical for eradicating exotic vertebrates. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

  Prowse TAA, Collard SJ, Blackwood A, O’Connor PJ, Delean S, Barnes M, Cassey P, Possingham HP (in review) Prescribed burning impacts woodland bird diversity unless long-unburnt habitat is retained. Journal of Appled Ecology.

  Correll RA, Prowse TAA, Prideaux GJ (in review) Environmental and human-induced body-size responses in Macropus robustus and M. rufus, two widespread kangaroo species with largely overlapping distributions. Austral Ecology.

  Doubleday ZA, Prowse TAA [co-senior author], Arkhipkin A, Pierce GJ, Semmens J, Steer M, Leporati SC, Lourenço S, Quetglas A, Sauer W & Gillanders BM (2016) Global proliferation of cephalopods. Current Biology 26: R406-R407

  Prowse TAA, Bradshaw CJA, Delean S, Cassey P, Lacy RC, Wells K, Aiello-Lammens Matthew, Akçakaya HR & Brook BW (2016) An efficient protocol for the global sensitivity analysis of stochastic ecological models. Ecosphere 7: e01238

  Heinrich S, Wittmann TA, Prowse TAA, Ross JV, Delean S, Shepherd CR & Cassey P (2016) Where did all the pangolins go? International CITES trade in pangolin species. Global Ecology and Conservation 8: 241-253

  Cope RC, Ross JV, Wittmann TA, Prowse TAA & Cassey P (2016) Integrative analysis of the physical transport network into Australia. PLoS ONE 11: e0148831

  Cunningham CX, Prowse TAA, Masters P & Cassey P (2016) Home range, habitat suitability and population modelling of feral Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 64: 107-116

  Wells K, O'Hara RB, Cooke BD, Mutze GJ, Prowse TAA & Fordham DA (2016) Environmental effects and individual body condition drive seasonal fecundity of rabbits: identifying acute and lagged processes. Oecologia 181: 853-864

  Correll RA, Prowse TAA, Prideaux GJ (2016) Lean-season primary productivity and heat dissipation as key drivers of geographic body-size variation in a widespread marsupial. Ecography 39: 77-86

  Prowse TAA, Johnson CN, Cassey P, Bradshaw CJA, Brook BW (2015) Ecological and economic benefits to cattle rangelands of restoring an apex predator. Journal of Applied Ecology 52: 455-466

  Prowse TAA, Correll RA, Johnson CN, Prideaux GJ, Brook BW (2015) Empirical tests of harvest-induced body-size evolution along a geographic gradient in Australian macropods. Journal of Animal Ecology 84: 299-309

  Prowse TAA, Gillanders BM, Brook BW, Fowler AJ, Hall KC, Steer MA, Mellin C, Clisby N, Tanner JE, Ward TM, Fordham DA (2015) Evidence for a broad-scale decline in giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) abundance from non-targeted survey data. Marine and Freshwater Research 66: 692-700

  Cope RC, Prowse TAA, Ross JV, Wittman TA, Cassey P (2015) Temporal modelling of ballast water discharge and ship-mediated invasion risk to Australia. Royal Society Open Science 2: 150039

  Cassey P, Prowse TAA, Blackburn TM (2014) A population model for predicting the successful establishment of introduced bird species. Oecologia 175: 417-428

  Prowse TAA, Johnson CN, Bradshaw CJA, Brook BW (2014) An ecological regime shift resulting from disrupted predator-prey interactions in Holocene Australia. Ecology 95: 693-702

  Blackburn TM, Prowse TAA, Lockwood JL, Cassey P (2013) Propagule pressure as a driver of establishment success in deliberately introduced exotic species: fact or artefact? Biological Invasions 15: 1459-1469

  Haby NA, Prowse TAA, Gregory SD, Watts MJ, Delean S, Fordham DA, Foulkes J, Brook BW (2013) Scale dependency of metapopulation models used to predict climate change impacts on small mammals. Ecography 36: 832-841

  Prowse TAA, Johnson CN, Lacy RC, Bradshaw CJ, Pollak JP, Watts MJ, Brook BW (2013) No need for disease: testing extinction hypotheses for the thylacine using multi-species metamodels. Journal of Animal Ecology 82: 355–364

  Prowse TAA, Byrne M (2012) Evolution of yolk protein genes in the Echinodermata. Evolution & Development 14: 139-151

  Bradshaw CJA, McMahon CR, Miller PS, Lacy RC, Watts MJ, Verant ML, Pollak JP, Fordham DA, Prowse TAA, Brook BW (2012) Novel coupling of individual-based epidemiological and demographic models predicts realistic dynamics of tuberculosis in alien buffalo. Journal of Applied Ecology 49: 268-277

  Swanson RL, Byrne M, Prowse TAA, Mos B, Dworjanyn SA, Steinberg PD (2012) Dissolved histamine: a potential habitat marker promoting settlement and metamorphosis in sea urchin larvae. Marine Biology 159: 915-925

  Blackburn TM, Prowse TAA, Lockwood JL, Cassey P (2011) Passerine introductions to New Zealand support a positive effect of propagule pressure on establishment success. Biodiversity and Conservation 20: 2189-2199

  Prowse TAA, Brook BW (2011) Climate change, variability and management impacts in Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology 17: 168-178

  Prowse TAA, Falkner I, Sewell MA, Byrne M (2009) Long-term storage lipids and developmental evolution in echinoderms. Evolutionary Ecology Research 11: 1069-1083

  Soars NA, Prowse TAA, Byrne M (2009) Overview of phenotypic plasticity in echinoid larvae, 'Echinopluteus transversus' type vs. typical echinoplutei. Marine Ecology Progress Series 383: 113-125

  Byrne M, Prowse TAA, Sewell MA, Dworjanyn S, Williamson JE, Vaitilingon D (2008) Maternal provisioning for larvae and larval provisioning for juveniles in the toxopneustid sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla. Marine Biology 155: 473-482

  Byrne M, Sewell MA, Prowse TAA (2008) Nutritional ecology of sea urchin larvae: influence of endogenous and exogenous nutrition on echinopluteal growth and phenotypic plasticity in Tripneustes gratilla. Functional Ecology 22: 643-648

  Prowse TAA, Sewell MA, Byrne M (2008) Fuels for development: evolution of maternal provisioning in asterinid sea stars. Marine Biology 153: 337-349

  Byrne M, Sewell MA, Selvakumaraswamy P, Prowse TAA (2006) The larval apical organ in the holothuroid Chiridota gigas (Apodida): Inferences on evolution of the ambulacrarian larval nervous system. The Biological Bulletin 211: 95-100

  Prowse TAA, Pile AJ (2005) Phenotypic homogeneity of two intertidal snails across a wave exposure gradient in South Australia. Marine Biology Research 1: 176-185

  Reports

  Gillanders BM, Ward T, Bailleul F, Cassey P, Deveney MR, Doubleday ZA, Goldsworthy S, Huveneers C, Jones AR, Mackay AI, Möller L, O’Connell L, Parra G, Prowse TAA, Robbins WD, Scrivens S, Wiltshire KH (2016) Spencer Gulf Ecosystem and Development Initiative. Developing knowledge and tools to inform integrated management of Spencer Gulf: case study on shipping and ports. Report for Spencer Gulf Ecosystem and Development Initiative. The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 117 pages.

  Gillanders BM, Donnellan SC, Prowse TAA, Fordham DA, Izzo C, Myers S, Rowling K, Steer M, Woodcock SH (2016) Giant Australian cuttlefish in South Australian waters. Final Report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, FRDC Project No 2013/010, 79 pages.

  Delean S, Prowse TAA, Cassey P (2014) Goat population trends in South Australia’s rangelands. Report for the Australian Landscape Trust, 54 pages.

  Delean S, Prowse TAA, Cassey P (2014) Kangaroo Island koala management model. Report for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia, 30 pages.

  Woodcock SH, Johansen JL, Steer MA, Gaylard SG, Prowse TAA, Gillanders BM (2014) Regional sustainability planning in upper Spencer Gulf. Investigating potential impacts of shipping on giant Australian cuttlefish. Final Report to the Department of the Environment. 54 pages.

  Gillanders BM, Goldsworthy S, Prowse TAA, Doubell M, Middleton J, Rogers P, Tanner JE, Clisby NA, James C, Luick J, van Ruth P, Bradshaw CJA, Ward TM (2014). Spencer Gulf Research Iniative: Development of an ecosystem model for fisheries and aquaculture. Final Report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, FRDC Project No 2011/205, 74 pages.

  Gillanders BM, Doubleday Z, Cassey P, Clarke S, Connell SD, Deveney M, Dittmann S, Divecha S, Doubell M, Goldsworthy S, Hayden B, Huveneers C, James C, Leterme S, Li X, Loo M, Luick J, Meyer W, Middleton J, Miller D, Moller L, Prowse TAA, Rogers P, Russell BD, van Ruth P, Tanner JE, Ward T, Woodcock SH, Young M (2013) Spencer Gulf Ecosystem & Development Initiative. Report on scenario development, stakeholder workshops, existing knowledge and information gaps. Report for Spencer Gulf Ecosystem and Development Initiative. The University of Adelaide, Adelaide. 94 pages.

  Prowse TAA, Brook BW (2010) Climate variability and the impacts of climate change in South Australia. Report commissioned by the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation (South Australia), 20 pages.

   

• Professional Associations

  Editorial Boards

  Associate Editor for Wildlife Research (http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/aid/445.htm)
  

  Associate Editor for Management of Biological Invasions (http://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi)

   

Entry last updated: Thursday, 2 Feb 2023

To link to this page, please use the following URL:  https://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/thomas.prowse