CDU Researcher Profile

• Research interests
• Publications
• Current projects
• Recent completions supervised

Research Interests

Samantha's main area of research is plant ecology. More specifically she is interested in:

• The effects of fire on savanna vegetation
• Restoration ecology
• Reproductive ecology of savanna vegetation
• Environmental weeds

Recent Publications

Book chapters

1. Hutley, LB. and Setterfield, S. A. (2008). Savannas. In Jorgensen, SE and Faith, BD(Ed.), Encyclopedia of Ecology. Oxford, U.K.: Elsevier B.V.. (pp. 3143-3154).
2. Setterfield, S. A. (2007). Darwin Woollybutt. In Woinarski, J, Mackey, B, Nix, H and Traill, B(Ed.), The Nature of Northern Australia: Natural Values, Ecological Processes and Future Prospects. Canberra: ANU EPress. (pp. 17-17).
3. Williams, R.J., Muller, W.J., Wahren, C., Setterfield, S. A. and Cusack, J. (2003). Vegetation. In Andersen, A. N., Cook, G.D. and Williams, R.J. (Eds.), Fire in the Tropical Savannas: The Kapalga Experiment (pp. 79-106). New York, USA: Springer-Verlag.

Journal articles

1. Scott, K., Setterfield S. A., Douglas, M., and Andersen, A. (2010). Soil seed banks confer resilience to savanna grass-layer plants during seasonal disturbance. Acta Oecologica 36(2): 202-210.
2. Scott, K. A., Setterfield S. A., Douglas, M.M., Parr, C., Schatz, J. and Andersen, A. N. (submitted). Does long-term fire exclusion in an Australian tropical savanna result in a biome shift? A test using the re-introduction of fire. Ecological Applications
   
3. Scott, K. A., Setterfield S. A., Douglas, M.M. and Andersen, A. N. (in review). Fire tolerance of perennial grass tussocks in a savanna woodland. Austral Ecology.
4. Setterfield, S. A., K. Ferdinands, Rossiter-Rachor, N. A. and Douglas, M.M. (2010). The Northern Territory’s Weed Risk Management system: an application of the national post-border WRM protocol. Plant Protection Quarterly 25(2): 71-74.
5. Setterfield, S. A., L. B. Hutley, and Douglas, M.M. (Submitted). Turning up the heat: The impacts of Andropogon gayanus (gamba grass) invasion on fire behaviour in northern Australian savannas. Diversity and Distributions
6. Setterfield, S. A., M. Douglas, Rossiter, N. A., Hutley, L. B., Petty, A. M., Brooks, K.J., Ferdinands, K., Barrow, P. and Lamb, S. (2009). Invasive grasses & fire: The changing landscape in Australia’s wet/dry tropics. Managing Weeds: Maximising Knowledge of Recent Research. Land & Water, Darwin, Northern Territory, 21 September.
7. Setterfield, S. A. (2009). Counting the Costs: The Impact of Invasion of Australia’s Tropical Savannas by an Introduced Grass. AARES Annual Symposium. 10-11 Canberra, September 2009.
   
8. Scott, K. A., Setterfield S. A., Andersen, A. N. and Douglas, M. M. (2009). Correlates of grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 57(1): 10-17.
9. Rossiter-Rachor, N. A., Setterfield S. A., Hutley, L. B., Douglas, M. M. and Schmidt, S. (2009). African grass invasion alters carbon cycling in an Australian tropical savanna. The 10th international congress of Ecology. Brisbane, Australia 16-21 August
   
10. Rossiter-Rachor, N. A., Setterfield S. A., Douglas, M. M., Hutley, L. B., Cook, G. D. and Schmidt, S. (2009). Invasive Andropogon gayanus (gamba grass) is an ecosystem transformer of nitrogen relations in Australian savanna. Ecological Applications 19(6): 1546-1560.
11. Setterfield, S. A., M. Douglas, Hutley, L. B., Ferdinands, K., Ens, E., Brooks, K.J. and Rossiter, N. A. (2008). Ecosystem impacts of an exotic grass in northern Australia: effects on structure and carbon stocks. In: G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson, Proc of the 16th Australian Weeds Conference, Cairns, 18-22 May.
12. Brooks, KJ, Setterfield, S. A. and Douglas, MM (2008). Exotic Grass Invasions: Applying a Conceptual Framework to the Dynamics of Degradation and Restoration in Australia's Tropical Savannas. Restoration Ecology, Early View(4 December 2008):1-10.
13. Rossiter-Rachor, NA., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM., Hutley, LB. and Cook, GD. (2008). Andropogon gayanus (Gamba Grass) Invasion Increases Fire-mediated Nitrogen Losses in the Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia. Ecosystems, 11(1):77-88.
14. Lahoreau, G., Barot, S., Gignoux, J., Hoffmann, WA., Setterfield, S. A. and Williams, PR. (2006). Positive effect of seed size on seedling survival in fire-prone savannas of Australia, Brazil and West Africa. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 22(6):719-722.
15. Andersen, A., Parr, K., McKaige, B. and Setterfield, S. A. (2006). Burning for Biodiversity in the Top End. Australasian Plant Conservation, 14(4):3-3.
16. Scott, K. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M.M. and Andersen, A. N. (2006). Changes to the grass layer after fire in a tropical savanna. Bushfires CRC Annual Meeting. Melbourne, Victoria, 10 - 13 August.
17. Russell-Smith, J. and Setterfield, S. A. (2006). Monsoon rain forest seedling dynamics, northern Australia: contrasts with regeneration in eucalypt-dominated savannas. Journal of Biogeography, 33(9):1597-1614.
18. Scott, K. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M.M. and Andersen, A. N. (2005). Effect of fire on the population dynamics of native grasses in northern Australia. Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium. Brisbane, Queensland, 28. November–2 December.
19. Flores, TA., Setterfield, S. A. and Douglas, MM. (2005). Seedling recruitment of the exotic grass Andropogon gayanus (Poaceae) in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany, 53(3):243-249.
20. Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM., Hutley, LB. and Welch, MA. (2005). Effects of canopy cover and ground disturbance on establishment of an invasive grass in an Australia savanna. Biotropica, 37(1):25-31.
21. Andersen, AN., Cook, GD., Corbett, LK., Douglas, MM., Eager, RW., Russell-Smith, J., Setterfield, SA., Williams, RJ. and Woinarski, JCZ. (2005). Fire frequency and biodiversity conservation in Australian tropical savannas: implications from the Kapalga fire experiment. Austral Ecology, 30(2):155-167.
22. Townsend, S.A., Douglas, M. M., and Setterfield, S. A. (2004) Catchment cover and stream water quality in an Australian tropical savanna:  rapid recovery after a change to a less intense fire regime.  Ecological Management and Restoration, 5 (2), pp147.
23. Setterfield, S. A., M. M. Douglas, Ferdinands, K., Rossiter, N. A., Hutley, L. B., Liedloff, A. and Cook, G. D. (2004). Understanding changes in fire processes in Australia’s tropical savannas. Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium. Adelaide, S.A.
24. Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield S. A., Douglas, M. And Hutley, L. B. (2004). The grass-fire cycle in the Southern Hemisphere. Southern Connections 2004 conference. Cape Town, South Africa, 19-23 January.
25. Rossiter, N.A., Setterfield, S.A., Douglas, M.M. and Hutley, L. B. (2003). Testing the grass-fire cycle: alien invasion in the tropical savannas of northern Australia. Biodiversity and Distribution, 9(3), 169-176.
26. Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M. and Hutley, L. B. (2003). Ecosystem impacts of exotic grass invasion in the Tropical Savanna of northern Australia. 6th International Association for Landscape Ecology World Congress. Darwin, Northern Territory 13–17 July.
27. Setterfield, S. A. (2002). Seedling establishment in an Australian tropical savanna: effects of seed supply, soil disturbance and fire. Journal of Applied Ecology, 39 (6), pp 949-959.
28. Setterfield, S. A., M. Douglas, and Hutley, L. B. (2002). The effect of canopy and ground layer disturbance on Andropogon gayanus establishment. Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium. Cairns, Qld.
29. Setterfield, S. A., Cook, G., Williams, R. J. and Duff, G. (Submitted). The Rehabilitation of Gravel Pits in Kakadu National Park, Northern Australia. Restoration Ecology.
30. Setterfield, S. A. (Submitted). Seed production of the tropical savanna shrub Acacia oncinocarpa Benth. in northern Australia: effects of fire and pre-dispersal predation. Journal of Tropical Ecology.
31. Brooks, K. J., Setterfield, S. A., and Douglas, M. M. (Submitted). Restoration or degradation: exotic grass management and ecosystem dynamics in Australia’s tropical savannas, Austral Ecology.
32. Andersen, A. N., R. W. Braithwaite, Cook, G.D., Corbett, L.K., Williams, R.J., Douglas, M.M., Gill, A.M., Setterfield, S.A. and Muller, W.J. (1998). Fire research for conservation management in tropical savannas: Introducing the Kapalga fire experiment. Australian Journal of Ecology, 23: 95-110.
33. Setterfield, S. A. (1997). The impact of experimental fire regimes on seed production in two tropical eucalypt species in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology, 22, pp 279 - 287.
34. Setterfield, S. A. and Williams, R. (1996). Annual variation in flowering and seed production of Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonta in a tropical savanna, northern Australia. Australia Journal of Botany, 44, pp 107-122.
35. Cook, G. D., Setterfield, S. A. and Maddison, J. P. (1996). Shrub invasion of a tropical wetland: Implications for weed managment. Ecological Applications, 6 (2), pp 531-537.
36. Cook, G. D. and Setterfield, S. A. (1996). State-and-transition modelling and the management of environmental weeds of wetlands. Proceedings of the Wetland Management in the Wet-Dry Tropics Workshop. ERISS, Jabiru.
37. Setterfield, S. A., Cook, G., Williams, R. and Duff, G. (1995). Rehabilitation of gravel pits in tropical savannas of the Northern Territory. Proceedings of the International Symposium on The Future of Tropical Savannas. CSIRO Press, Melbourne.

Conference papers

1. Petty, A. M., Setterfield S. A., and Ferdinands, K. (2010). History matters: divergent ecological correlates of abundance of the exotic African grass Andropogon gayanus in early- and late- stages of invasion, northern Australia. Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC). Bali 19-23 July.
2. Ferdinands, K., J. Virtue, Johnson, S.B., and Setterfield, S.A. (2009). Bio-insecurities: managing demand for the 'next big thing' in exotic plant production. Bio-insecurity in the new bioeconomy: Threats and opportunities-OECD Co-operative Research Programme International Forum, Dep Natural Resources, environment, the arts and sport. Canberra, Australia, 18-21 November, 2009.
3. Petty, A. M., K. Ferdinands, Danger, A., Boyden, J., Dongwook, K., Douglas, M. and Setterfield, S. A. (2009). Factors influencing the distribution and spread of para grass (Urochloa mutica) along two major floodplains of the Northern Territory, Australia. The 10th international congress of Ecology. Brisbane, Australia, 16-21 August 2009.
4. Ferdinands, K and Setterfield, S. A., (2008). ‘Green bulldozers’ and ‘flammable triffids’: responding to the threats posed by invasive grasses in tropical northern Australia. In: Van Klinken, R, Osten, VA, Panetta, FD and Scanlan, JC 16th Australian Weeds Conference, Cairns, 18-22 May, 2008.
5. Scott, K, Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM and Andersen, A (2007). Influence of fire on the emergence of Sarga intrans seedlings in a north Australian tropical savanna. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Wildland Fire Conference, Sevilla, Spain, 13 -17 May 2007.
   Ferdinands, K, Douglas, MM, Setterfield, S. A. and Barratt, J (2006). Africanising the tropical woodlands: Canopy loss and tree death following gamba grass Andropogon gayanus invasion. In: Sindel, BM and Johnson, SB 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September 2006.
6. Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM, Barratt, J and Brooks, K (2006). Reproductive phenology of Pennisetum pedicellatum. In: Preston, C, Watts, JH and Crossman, ND 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September 2006.
7. Brooks, K, Setterfield, S. A., and Douglas, MM (2006). Seasonal timing of glyphosate application: impacts on native plant communities in a north Australian tropical savanna. In: Preston, C, Watts, JH and Crossman, ND 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September 2006.
8. Douglas, MM, Setterfield, S. A., O'Connor, RA, Ferdinands, KB, Rossiter, NA, Brooks, KJ, Ryan, B and Parr, CL (2006). Different weeds, different habitats, same effects: exotic grass invasion in tropical woodlands and wetlands. In: Preston, C, Watts, JH and Crossman, ND 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September 2006.
9. Rossiter, NA, Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM, Hutley, LB and Cook, G (2006). The impact of exotic grass invasions on nitrogen cycling: a mini-review. In: Preston, C, Watts, JH and Crossman, ND 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September, 2006.
10. Setterfield, S. A., Beilby, A, Douglas, MM, Clarkson, J, Barratt, JL, Ferdinands, KB, Grace, B and Wirf, L (2006). A weed risk management system for the Northern Territory. In: Preston, C, Watts, JH and Crossman, ND 15th Australian Weeds Conference: Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, Adelaide, 24-28 September 2006.
11. Hutley, LB, Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM, Rossiter, N and Barrett, J (2005). Ecohydrological impacts of invasive grasses on tropical savanna in north Australia. In: Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia, Brisbane, 28 November - 2 December 2005.
12. Douglas, MM. and Setterfield, S. A., (2005). Impacts of exotic tropical grasses: Lessons from gamba grass in the Northern Territory. In: Vogler, W 8th Queensland Weed Symposium, Townsville, 19-22 June 2005.
13. Setterfield, S. A., Bellairs, S, Douglas, MM and Calnan, T (2004). Seed bank dynamics of two exotic grass species in Australia's northern savanna. In: Sindel, BM and Johnson, SB 14th Australian Weeds Conference, Wagga Wagga, 6-9 September, 2004.
14. Rossiter, N., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, MM., Hutley, LB. and Cook, G. (2004). Exotic grass invasion in the tropical savannas of northern Australia: Ecosystem consequences. In: Sindel, BM and Johnson, SB 14th Australian Weeds Conference, Wagga Wagga, 6-9 September, 2004.
15. Douglas, MM., Setterfield, S. A., Rossiter, NA., Barratt, JL. and Hutley, LB. (2004). Effects of mission grass (Pennisetum polystachion L.Schult.) invasion on fuel loads and nitrogen availability in a northern Australia tropical savanna. In: Sindel, BM and Johnson, SB 14th Australian Weeds Conference, Wagga Wagga, 6-9 September 2004.
16. Douglas, M.M., Setterfield, S. A., Rossiter, N., Barratt, J. and Hutley, L.B.  (2004) Effects of mission grass (Pennisetum polystachion (L.) Schult.) invasion on fuel loads and nitrogen availability in a northern Australia tropical savanna.14th Australian Weeds Conference, September 2004, Sydney, NSW Australia
17. Rossiter, N., Setterfield, S. A, Douglas, M., Hutley, L., and Cook, G. (2004) Exotic grass invasion in the tropical savannas of northern Australia:  Ecosystem consequences. 14th Australian Weeds Conference, September 2004, Sydney, Australia
18. Setterfield, S. A., Bellairs, S., Douglas, M.M. (2004) Seed bank dynamics of two exotic grass species in Australia's northern savanna.14th Australian Weeds Conference, September 2004, Sydney
19. Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield S. A., and Douglas, M. M. (2002). Exotic grass invasion alters fire regimes in the tropical savanna of northern Australia. Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium. Cairns, Qld.
20. Douglas, M., C. R. Carroll, Beresford, S. and Setterfield, S. A. (1999). Why are grasses such successful invasive species? Lessons from Australia, Ecuador and Georgia. Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Symposium, Athens, Georgia.

Current Projects

Recent Completions Supervised