Prof Andersen’s primary research interests are in the global ecology of ant communities, where he integrates community ecology, historical and contemporary biogeography, and systematics to gain a predictive understanding of ant diversity, behavioural dominance and functional composition in relation to environmental stress and disturbance throughout the world. He applies this understanding to the use of ants as bioindicators of ecological change. He also has broad research interests in the ecology of tropical savannas, and the ecology and management of fire.
Prof Andersen is the author of five books and >250 scientific publications, with an h-index of 76 and >20,000 career citations. He received the 2000 Far East Economic Review Asian Innovation Award for his work on using ants as bio-indicators in land management, and the inaugural (2007) Charles Darwin Medal for Research and Innovation in the NT for his contributions to science and science leadership. In 2018 he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and in 2022 was elected to the Academy’s governing Council. He is Chair of the Academy’s National Committee for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. He is also inaugural Chair of the Territory Science Forum, whose mission to promote an effective enabling environment for science-based innovation in the NT.
Research Interests:
- Ant ecology
- Invertebrate bio-indicators
- Fire ecology and management
- Ecology and management of tropical savannas
- Biogeography