biological sciences HONOURs 2014 - The University of Sydney

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50 CARNIVORE ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND BEHAVIOUR Research Interests Carnivores can have large effects on the structure and function of food webs and ecological communities. Yet, the mechanisms through which carnivores have these effects are often poorly understood. My research uses an integrative approach to understand how the physiology of carnivores influences their behavioural choices and, ultimately, determines their role in food webs. I am especially interested in how nutrition can be used as a unifying framework to scale from molecules to food webs. Recent work in my group has shown that lipid is an important nutrient for carnivores, that lipid content varies widely among prey, and that regulation of dietary lipid by carnivores could be an important factor regulating food chain length in arthropod communities. More about my research interests can be found at my website: sites.google.com/site/shawnmwilder Honours projects 1. Why don’t spiders eat caterpillars more often? Caterpillars are ecologically abundant prey. Yet, they account for less than 5 % of the prey fed upon by spiders in the field. This project will test several hypotheses for why spiders seem to rarely feed on caterpillars in nature. There is also the potential to examine Dr Shawn Wilder Room 323, Heydon- Laurence Building A08 T: (02) 9036 6262 E: shawn.wilder@sydney. edu.au how spider avoidance of caterpillars affects levels of herbivory on plants either in a natural setting or for agricultural crops. 2. What are the nutritional requirements of carnivores for growth and reproduction? Much less is known about the nutritional requirements of carnivores relative to herbivores and omnivores. Projects are available to examine the nutritional requirements of a range of different carnivores and how these carnivores meet these requirements in nature. Studies can also be done to compare the nutritional requirements of carnivores and herbivores. 3. How do marsupial carnivores regulate their diet? Several marsupial carnivores are maintained in captivity for education and captive breeding programs. Projects are available to examine the nutrient regulation of captive marsupial carnivores to test if they balance their diet among macronutrients and to compare their dietary preferences with standard diets in captivity. Projects can be done on several marsupial carnivores including dunnarts, quolls, or Tasmanian devils, in collaboration with the Medical School, Secret Creek Sanctuary, or the Taronga Zoo.
Checklist 51 LOCAL STUDENTS ƞƞ Read about the available projects and arrange to meet with potential supervisors ƞƞ ƞƞ Submit your online HONOURS AND GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROJECTS APPLICATION FORM with your choice of three supervisors by the closing dates listed on page 9. Submit your online FACULTY OF SCIENCE HONOURS APPLICATION FORM to the Faculty of Science by the closing date listed on page 9. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ƞƞ Read about the available projects and arrange to meet with potential supervisors ƞƞ ƞƞ ƞƞ Submit your online HONOURS AND GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROJECTS APPLICATION FORM with your choice of three supervisors by the closing dates listed on page 9. Submit an INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT APPLICATION FORM to the International Student Office for visa processing. Submit your online FACULTY OF SCIENCE HONOURS APPLICATION FORM to the Faculty of Science by the closing date listed on page 9. FORMS Biological Sciences online application form: sydney.edu.au/science/biology/studying_ biology/future_honours/apply.php Faculty of Science online application form: sydney.edu.au/science/fstudent/undergrad/ course/honours/apply.shtml Honours Coordinator Associate Professor Dieter Hochuli School of Biological Sciences Room 401, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08) The University of Sydney E dieter.hochuli@sydney.edu.au T (02) 9351 3992 Postgraduate and Honours Student Services Coordinator Joanna Malyon School of Biological Sciences Room 518, Level 5, Carslaw Building (F07) The University of Sydney E honsadmin@bio.usyd.edu.au T (02) 9351 2369
Page 1 and 2: iological sciences HONOURs 2014 sci
Page 3 and 4: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Honours Coordin
Page 5 and 6: Why do Honours? 5 Flesh fly by Jess
Page 7 and 8: When does Honours begin? 7 You can
Page 9 and 10: 9 How do I apply? Photo courtesy Di
Page 11 and 12: 11 27 Eddie Holmes Evolutionary gen
Page 13 and 14: BEHAVIOUR AND GENETICS OF SOCIAL IN
Page 15 and 16: REGULATION OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT 15
Page 17 and 18: NUTRIENT BALANCING AND LOCUST PHYSI
Page 19 and 20: TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY 19 Research Int
Page 21 and 22: MOLECULAR GENETICS 21 Research Inte
Page 23 and 24: PLANT SYSTEMATICS 23 Research Inter
Page 25: ECOLOGY OF TERRESTRIAL ARTHROPODS 2
Page 28 and 29: 28 GROUP BEHAVIOUR AND SWARM INTELL
Page 30 and 31: 30 MICROBIAL ECOLOGY Research Inter
Page 32 and 33: 32 ANIMAL-PLANT INTERACTIONS Resear
Page 34: 34 REPTILE EVOLUTION AND BEHAVIOURA
Page 37 and 38: NUTRITION, INFECTION AND HOST-FITNE
Page 39: EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL PHYSIOL
Page 42 and 43: 42 PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Research
Page 44 and 45: 44 URBAN ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY E
Page 46 and 47: 46 ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT AND STRESS Re
Page 48 and 49: 48 PLANT AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIon Res
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