Dr Michael Douglas

BSc (Hons), PhD

• Research Interests
• Current Projects
• Students
• Publications
  • Papers
  • Books
  • Reports
  • Other

Research interests

Michael’s research focuses on understanding how catchment management practices, such as fire, weed and grazing management affect the ecology of freshwater ecosystems including tropical rivers, streams, wetlands and riparian zones. Most of his research is focused on aquatic animal (invertebrate and fish) and plant communities and aquatic ecosystem processes. He also has a strong interest in weed management in tropical savannas, particularly in understanding the ecological consequences of exotic grass invasion.

Current projects

• Water regime dependence of fish in the wet-dry tropics (Land and Water Australia)
• Understanding ecosystem process in tropical rivers (Land and Water Australia)
• Monitoring and managing nutrients in the Daly River (National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality)
• Resource condition of rivers and streams in the Darwin region (National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality)
• The importance of top-down control in tropical stream communities
• Assessing riparian condition and evaluating riparian management practices (Tropical Savannas CRC)
• Ecosystem impacts and management of exotic grasses in tropical rivers and wetlands
• Ecosystem impacts and management of exotic grasses in tropical savannas (Tropical Savannas CRC)

Students

Co-supervisor for Kristine Brooks, PhD, CDU, Management of exotic pasture grasses in tropical savannas.

Co-supervisor for Nicole Cranston, PhD, CDU, Evaluating the effectiveness of riparian zone management on savanna biodiversity.

Co-supervisor for Paul DeLestang, PhD, CDU, The impacts of catch-and release fishing on Barramundi.

Co-supervisor for Kasper Johansen, PhD, University of Queensland, A Framework for Riparian Zone Monitoring over Local to Regional Scales in Australian Tropical Savannas.

Co-supervisor for Gilian McCLoskey, PhD, CDU, Erosion in riparian zones in the Victoria River District.

Co-supervisor for Clinton McCullough, PhD, CDU, Ecological effects of magnesium sulphate in Magela Creek, N.T.

Co-supervisor for Aaron Petty, PhD, UC Davis, Indigenous management of riparian zones in Kakadu National Park.

Co-supervisor for Natalie Rossiter, PhD, CDU, The impacts of invasive grasses on ecosystem processes.

Co-supervisor for Kenneth Scott, PhD, CDU, Fire and the ground flora in Australia’s tropical savannas.

Publications

Peer-reviewed papers

Johansen, K., Phinn, S., Lowry, J. and Douglas, M. 2008. Quantifying indicators of riparian condition in Australian tropical savannas: integrating high spatial resolution imagery and field survey data. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 29 (23): 7003–7028.

Johansen, K., Phinn, S., Dixon, I., Douglas, M.M. and Lowry, J (2007) Comparison of Image and Rapid Field Assessments of Riparian Zone Condition in Australian Tropical Savannas. Forest Ecology and Management, 240:1-3 Pp 42-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2006.12.015

Johansen, K., Phinn, S., Lowry, J. and Douglas, M.M. (submitted) A Framework for Riparian Zone Condition Monitoring in Australian Tropical Savannas Based on Field Survey Data and High Spatial Resolution Imagery, Remote Sensing of Environment.

Douglas, M. M., Setterfield, S. A, O’Connor, R.A., Ferdinands, K., Rossiter, N.A., Brooks, K., Ryan, B., Parr, C. (2006) NT Different weeds, different habitats, same effects: Exotic grass invasion in tropical woodlands and wetlands. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. Eds. R.G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson. Weed Management Society of South Australia, Adelaide. Pp 000-000.

Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M. M., Hutley, L. B. and Cook, G (2006) The impact of exotic grass invasions of nitrogen cycling: A mini-review. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. Eds. R.G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson. Weed Management Society of South Australia, Adelaide. Pp 000-000.

Setterfield, S. A and Douglas, M. M, Barratt, J. and Brooks, K. (2006) Reproductive phenology of Pennisetum pedicellatum In: Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. Eds. R.G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson. Weed Management Society of South Australia, Adelaide. Pp 000-000.

Ferdinands, K. Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M. M. and Barratt, J. (2006) Africanising the tropical woodlands: Canopy loss and tree death following gamba grass Andropogon gayanus invasion. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. Eds. R.G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson. Weed Management Society of South Australia, Adelaide. Pp 000-000.

Brooks, K., Setterfield, S. A and Douglas, M. M (2006) Seasonal timing of glyphosate application: impacts on native plant communities in a north Australian tropical savanna. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. Eds. R.G. Richardson and F.J. Richardson. Weed Management Society of South Australia, Adelaide. Pp 000-000.

Ramirez, A., Pringle, C.P. and Douglas, M.M (2006) Temporal and spatial patterns in stream physicochemistry and insect assemblages in tropical lowland streams Journal of the North American Benthological Society 25: 108-125. DOI: 10.1899/0887-3593(2006)25[108:TASPIS]2.0.CO;2

Douglas, M.M., Bunn, S.E., and Davies, P.M (2005) River and wetland food webs in Australia’s wet-dry tropics: general principles and implications for management. Marine and Freshwater Research. 56:3 Pp 329-342. DOI: 10.1071/MF04084

Flores, T., Setterfield, S.A., Douglas, M.M. (2005) Seedling recruitment of the exotic grass Andropogon gayanus (Poaceae) in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany. 53: 3 Pp 243-249.

Dixon, I.H., Douglas, M.M., Dowe, J.L., Burrows, D.W. and Townsend, S.A. (2005) A Rapid Method for Assessing the Condition of Riparian Zones in the Wet/Dry Tropics of Northern Australia, In Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference; linking rivers to landscapes, (Eds, Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M.A. and Glazik, R.), Launceston, Tasmania, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, pp. 173-178.

Townsend, S.A., Dostine, P., Dixon, I., Karfs, R. and Douglas, M.M. (2005) The response of steam macro-invertebrate communities to catchment clearing and riparian conition in the Darwin region (tropical Australia). In 4th Australian Stream Management Conference; linking rivers to Landscapes, (Eds, Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M.A. and Glazik, R.), Launceston, Tasmania, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, pp. 618-622.

Andersen, A.N., Cook, G.D., Corbett, L.K., Douglas, M.M., Eager, R.W., Russell-Smith, J., Setterfield, S.A., Williams, R.J., Woinarski, J.C. Z. (2005) Fire frequency and biodiversity conservation in Australian tropical savannas: implications from the Kapalga fire experiment Austral Ecology 30: 155-167.

Setterfield, S.A., M.M. Douglas and L.B. Hutley (2005) Establishment of the invasive tropical grass Andropogon gayanus in an Australia savanna: the effect of canopy cover and ground layer disturbance. Biotropica 37: 25-31.

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: 144-147.

Douglas, M.M. and O’Connor, R.A. (2004) Weed invasion changes fuel characteristics: Para grass (Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) T.Q. Nguyen) on a tropical floodplain. Ecological Management and Restoration 5: 147-48.

Setterfield, S.A., Bellairs, S. Douglas M.M., and Calnan, T. (2004) Seed bank dynamics of two exotic grass species in northern Australia’s savannas In: Proceedings of the 14th Australian Weeds Conference, eds. B. M Sindel and S. B. Johnson, Weeds Society of New South Wales. pp. 555-557.

Douglas M.M., Setterfield, S.A. Rossiter, N.A., Barratt, J. and Hutley, L.B. (2004) Effects of Mission grass (Pennisetum polystachion) invasion on fuel loads and nitrogen availability in a northern Australia tropical savanna. In: Proceedings of the 14th Australian Weeds Conference, eds. B. M Sindel and S. B. Johnson, Weeds Society of New South Wales. pp. 153-156.

Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M. M., Hutley, L. B. and Cook, G. (2004). Exotic grass invasion in the tropical savannas of northern Australia: Ecosystem consequences. In: Proceedings of the 14th Australian Weeds Conference, eds. B. M Sindel and S. B. Johnson, Weeds Society of New South Wales. pp. 168-171.

Townsend, S. A. and Douglas, M.M. (2004) The effect of an early dry season fire on sediment and nutrient fluvial exports from a tropical savanna after a 10-year period of fire exclusion (Kakadu National Park, North Australia). Water Research 28: 3051-3058.

Barrett, J., Douglas, M., Paynter, Q. and Ashley, M. (2004) Examining the impact of control over time on the seed bank of Mimosa pigra on Top End floodplains Proceedings of the Second International Mimosa Management Symposium. pp 149-153.

Benstead, J.P., Douglas, M.M. and Pringle, C.M. (2003) Responses of stream communities to deforestation in eastern Madagascar. Ecological Applications 13:1473-1490.

Rossiter, N. A., Setterfield, S. A., Douglas, M. M. and Hutley, L. B. (2003) Testing the grass-fire cycle: exotic grass invasion in the tropical savannas of northern Australia. Diversity and Distributions, 9: 169-176.

Douglas, M.M. and O’Connor, R.A. (2003) Effects of the exotic macrophyte, para grass (Urochloa mutica), on benthic and epiphytic macroinvertebrates of a tropical floodplain. Freshwater Biology, 48: 962-971.

Townsend, S.A. and Douglas, M.M. (2000) The effects of fire management on stream sediment and nutrient loads in the tropical savanna woodlands of northern Australia. Journal of Hydrology, 229: 118-137.

Andersen, A.N., Braithwaite, R.W., 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.

Townsend, S and Douglas, M.M. (1997) The effects of fire on the water quality of two small tropical streams. Verhanlungen Intenationale Vereinigung Limnologie. 26: 887-889.

Williams, R.J. and Douglas, M.M. (1996) Windthrow in a tropical savanna in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 11: 547-558.

Douglas, M. and Lake, P.S. (1994) Species richness of stream stones: an investigation of the mechanisms generating the species-area relationship. Oikos, 69: 387-396.

Doeg, T., Marchant, R., Douglas, M. and Lake, P.S. (1989) Experimental colonisation of sand, gravel and stones by macroinvertebrates in the Acheron River, southeast Australia. Freshwater Biology, 22:57-64.

Books

Book chapters

Douglas, M.M., Townsend, S.A. and Lake, P.S. (2003) Streams In Fire in Tropical Savannas: The Kapalga Experiment. Edited by A. N. Andersen, G.D. Cook, R.J. WIlliams. Springer-Verlag, New York. pp. 59-78.

Douglas, M.M., Finlayson, C.M. and Storrs, M.J. (1998) Weed management in tropical wetlands of the Northern Territory, Australia. In Wetlands in a Dry Land: Understanding for Management. Edited by W.D. Williams. Environment Australia, Canberra. pp 238-251.

Douglas, M.M., Townsend, S. and Lake, P.S. (1996) The role of fire in the management of tropical savanna streams. In The future of tropical savannas: an Australian perspective. Edited by J. H. Brown. CSIRO Press, Melbourne.

Douglas, M.M., Lake, P.S, and McGuinness, K.A. (1995) Fire management in tropical savanna: the effects on stream biota. In Wetland research in the wet-dry tropics of Australia. Edited by C.M. Finlayson. Supervising Scientist, Canberra. pp. 69-73.

Major reports, working papers

Myers, B., McKaige, M., Kennett, R. Whitehead, P and Douglas, M. (eds) (2003) Wise Use of Wetlands in Northern Australia: Grazing Management in Wetlands and Riparian Habitats, Proceedings of a Workshop held in Darwin, NT. Centre for Tropical Wetlands Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin.

Whitehead, P., Storrs, M., McKaige, M., Kennett, R. and Douglas, M. (eds) (1999) Wise Use of Wetlands in Northern Australia: Indigenous Use, Proceedings of a Workshop held at Batchelor, NT. Centre for Tropical Wetlands Management and Centre for Indigenous and Cultural Resource Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin.

Gehrke, P., Bristow, K., Bunn, S.E., Douglas, M.M., Edgar, B., Finlayson, C.M., Hamilton, S., Loneragan, N., Lund, M., Pearson, R., Prosser, I., and Robson, C. (2004) Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers: A strategy for developing research directions for Australia’s tropical river systems. CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report No. 17/04, CSIRO, Canberra.

Douglas, M.M., Bunn, S.E., Pidgeon, R. J.W., Davies, P.M., Barrow, P., O’Connor, R. A., Winning, M. (2002) Weed management and the biodiversity and ecological processes of tropical wetlands. Final report to Environment Australia and Land and Water Australia.

Douglas, M. and Pouliot, A. (1998) The impacts of the northern Australian grazing industry on the wetlands and riparian habitats. In The North Australia Program: Catchment management, water quality and nutrient flows and the northern Australian beef industry. NAP Occasional Paper no 3. Edited by R. Hook, Meat and Livestock Australia, Canberra. pp R2.1 – 2.22.

Book reviews, abstracts, popular articles, policy briefs, interviews, letters, posters

Dixon, I., Dowe, J. and Douglas, M.M. (2005) Assessing riparian health in tropical savannas, Australian Landcare, March 2005, p. 30.

Dixon, I. and Douglas, M.M. (2004) Expedition checks out river health, Savanna Links 30: 10-11.

Dixon, I. and Douglas, M.M. (2004) Riverbank health: a rapid assessment. Savanna Links 28: 4-6.

Gerhke, P. and Douglas, M.M. (2004) Forum on Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers RipRap 26.

Dowe, J., Dixon, I., and Douglas, M.M. (2004) Trialling of the Tropical Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition (TRARC) method in the Burdekin River catchment, northeast Queensland RipRap 26: 8-11.

Townsend, S.A. and Douglas, M.M. (2000) Fire, erosion and water quality of streams. Caring for Catchments 6: 1.

Setterfield, S.A., Douglas, M.M., Ferdinands, K., Rossiter, N., Hutley, L.B. , Liedloff, A. Cook, G. D.(2004). Understanding changes in fire processes in Australia’s tropical savannas. Presented at the Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium, Adelaide, S.A.

Douglas, M.M. and Bunn, S.E., Davies, P.M.(2004) Food webs in Australia’s wet-dry tropical rivers. Presented at the Ecological Society of Australia Annual Symposium, Adelaide, S.A.

McCullough. C., Douglas, M.M., Humphrey, C., van Dam, R., Hogan, A., (2004) Single-species laboratory bioassays and community field mesocosm experiments; a complementary approach to an aquatic risk assessment for a tropical river. Presented at the Australian Society for Limnology Annual Symposium, Adelaide, S.A.

Douglas, M.M. (1999) Fire management in tropical savannas: links between streams and riparian zones RipRap 14: 18-20.