Profiles

Catherine Butler

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Catherine Butler

Postgraduate

Life Science Building , Sandy Bay Campus

Catherine.Butler@utas.edu.au

View more on Mrs Catherine Butler in WARP

Fields of Research

  • Population ecology (310307)
  • Biosecurity science and invasive species ecology (410202)

Research Objectives

  • Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments (180602)
  • Terrestrial biodiversity (180606)

Grants & Funding

Funding Summary

Number of grants

1

Total funding

$11,500

Projects

Quantitative assessment of feral horse abundance, movement patterns, and reproduction in the Australian Alps (2017 - 2018)$11,500
Description
Feral horses are considered a serious threat to Australian alpine ecosystems due to their large size and selective grazing. Monitoring impacts and managing feral horses requires knowledge of local density, and population estimations must be accurate and cost-effective.In 2014 aerial surveys estimated there were 9,455 feral horses in the Australian Alps. While helicopter counts are useful for broad estimates, they are costly, making extensive use impractical, and are less accurate in smaller areas. This project aims to develop a local population estimation technique by censusing 3 feral horse populations and determining the accuracy of various population density estimation methods.
Funding
Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment ($11,500)
Scheme
Grant
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Cameron EZ; Butler CD
Period
2017 - 2018