<http://arcue.botany.unimelb.edu.au/amy_hahs.html>
Dr Amy Hahs
GIS Ecologist- Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology (ARCUE)
Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology (ARCUE)
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
c/- School of Botany, The University of Melbourne
Victoria, 3010, Australia
T: +613 8344 0116
F: +613 9347 9123
E: hahsa@unimelb.edu.au
Research Interests
I am a plant ecologist by training, and have also developed a keen interest in the use of GIS and remote sensing imagery as tools for addressing research questions related to the ecology of urban environments. In 2006 I was awarded a PhD from The University of Melbourne for investigating “Measures of Urbanisation and the Ecology of Remnant Woodlands along an Urban-Rural Gradient”. During my PhD I focused on remnant patches of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) woodlands across an urbanisation gradient in inner and northern Melbourne. I have also worked in heathlands in the Little Desert National Park and Grampians National Park (Gariwerd), as well as undertaking an extensive survey of the planted and natural trees and shrubs across Melbourne.
My current research interest is developing a stronger understanding of how the measures we use to characterise the urbanisation gradient influence the results of our ecological research efforts. I am particularly interested in investigating which measures are most relevant for predicting the ecological impacts of urbanisation; and also which measures facilitate better collaboration and comparisons between individual studies.
After many years of work, I am very excited to have recently published a book with Cambridge University Press on “Ecology of Cities and Towns: A Comparative Approach” that I co-edited with Mark McDonnell and Jürgen Breuste.
As the number and size of cities and towns around the world continues to grow, it is important to develop a better understanding of how urban development impacts upon the biodiversity and ecosystem functions of these novel environments. “Ecology of Cities and Towns: A Comparative Approach” provides an overview of the current state of knowledge for many different components of urban ecology research, and demonstrates how this ecological understanding has been used to inform the planning, management and design of urban areas. Current knowledge gaps and opportunities for new research directions are identified. The opportunities to expand and enhance our understanding of the ecology of cities and towns using a comparative research approach are also repeatedly explored.
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Hahs A.K., McDonnell M.J., McCarthy M.A., Vesk P.A., Corlett R.T., Norton B.A., Clemants S.E., Duncan R.P., Schwartz M.W., Thompson K. & Williams N.S.G. (in press) A global analysis of plant extinction rates in urban areas. Ecology Letters. DOI 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01372.x
Williams N.S.G., Schwartz M.W., Vesk P.A., McCarthy M.A., Hahs A.K., Clemants S.E., Corlett R.T., Duncan R.P., Norton B.A., Thompson K. & McDonnell M.J. (2009) A conceptual framework for predicting the effects of urban environments on floras. Journal of Ecology 97, 4-9.
McDonnell, M.J. and Hahs, A.K. (2008) The use of gradient analysis studies in advancing our understanding of the ecology of urbanizing landscapes: current status and future directions. Landscape Ecology 23, 1143-1155. DOI 10.1007/s10980-008-9253-4
Williams, N.S.G., Hahs, A.K. and Morgan, J.W. (2008) A dispersal-constrained habitat suitability model for predicting invasion of alpine vegetation. Ecological Applications 18, 347-359. DOI 10.1890/07-0868.1
Hahs, A.K. and McDonnell, M.J. (2007) Composition of the plant community in remnant patches along an urban-rural gradient in Melbourne, Australia. Urban Ecosystems 10, 355-377. DOI 10.1007/s11252-007-0034-7
Hahs, A.K. and McDonnell, M.J. (2006) Selecting independent measures to quantify Melbourne's urban- rural gradient. Landscape and Urban Planning 78, 435-448.
Hahs, A. and McDonnell, M.J. (2003) Conference Review: Maintaining biodiversity of cities and towns- An international perspective. Ecological Management and Restoration 4, 16-17.
McCarthy, M.A., Parris, K.M., van der Ree, R., McDonnell, M.J., Burgman, M.A., Williams, N.S.G., McLean, N., Harper, M.J., Meyer, R., Hahs, A. and Coates, T. (2004) The habitat hectares approach to vegetation assessment: An evaluation and suggestions for improvement. Ecological Management and Restoration 5, 24-27.
Hahs, A., Enright, N.J. and Thomas, I. (1999) Plant communities, species richness and their ecological correlates in the sandy heaths of Little Desert National Park, Victoria. Australian Journal of Ecology 24, 249-257.
Additional Publications
McDonnell M.J., Hahs A.K. & Breuste J.H. (eds.) (2009) Ecology of Cities and Towns: A comparative approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hahs A.K., McDonnell M.J. & Breuste J.H. (2009) A comparative ecology of cities and towns: synthesis of opportunities and limitations. In: Ecology of Cities and Towns: A comparative approach (eds. McDonnell MJ, Hahs AK & Breuste JH). Cambridge University Press Cambridge, pp. 574-596.
McDonnell M.J. & Hahs A.K. (2009) Comparative ecology of cities and towns: past, present and future. In: Ecology of Cities and Towns: A comparative approach (eds. McDonnell MJ, Hahs AK & Breuste JH). Cambridge University Press Cambridge, pp. 71-89.
McDonnell M.J., Hahs A.K. & Breuste J.H. (2009) Introduction: Scope of the book and need for developing a comparative approach to the ecological study of cities and towns. In: Ecology of Cities and Towns: A comparative approach (eds. McDonnell MJ, Hahs AK & Breuste JH). Cambridge University Press Cambridge, pp. 1-5.
Holland, K.D., van der Ree, R., McDonnell, M.J., Hahs, A. and Keim, L. (2008) Street tree phenology in greater Melbourne. Report prepared for Department of Sustainability and Environment. Prepared by The Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
Williams, N.S.G., Hahs, A.K., Morgan, J.W. and Holland, K.D. (2007) A dispersal-constrained habitat suitability model for Orange Hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) on the Bogong High Plains, Victoria. Parks Victoria Technical Report No. 38. Parks Victoria, Melbourne.
Hahs, A.K. (2006) Measures of urbanisation and the ecology of remnant woodlands along an urban- rural gradient. PhD Thesis, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne.
van der Ree, R., Keim, L., Holland, K.D., McDonnell, M.J. and Hahs, A. (2005) The availability of food resources for the Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus in the Greater Melbourne Area. Report prepared for Department of Sustainability and Environment. Prepared by The Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
Hahs, A.K. (2001) Long-term ecological research in Australia. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia 31, 11-14.
McDonnell, M.J., Williams, N.S.G. and Hahs, A.K. (1999) 'A Reference Guide to the Ecology and Natural Resources of the Melbourne Region: A Bibliography of the Biodiversity Literature for Scientists, Teachers, Policy Makers, Planners and Natural Resource Managers.' Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology Occasional Publication Number 1.
Hahs, A.K. (1996) The influence of environmental and historical factors on the composition of plant communities in mediterranean regions. Honours Thesis, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, The University of Melbourne.
Professional Associations
Ecological Society of Australia (1999 - present)
International Association of Landscape Ecology- Australasian Chapter (2000 - 2006)
American Meteorological Society (2000 - 2001)
Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (1994 - 2000)