About

I am interested in the intersection of animal behavior and ecology: how does ecology affect the behavior of animals and how can the behavior of animals affect their ecosystems? To this end, I’ve studied a variety of mammal species such as: ring-tailed and white-nosed coatis, beach mice, agoutis, raccoons, and capuchin monkeys. My work has focused on social behavior, predator-prey interactions, seed dispersal, urban ecology, movement ecology, and disease ecology. My current research seeks to understand basic and applied behavioral ecology questions in the Queensland wet tropics region.

Interests
Research
  • Behavioral ecology Seed dispersal Predator-prey interactions Social behavior Urban ecology Movement ecology Disease ecology
Experience
  • 2014 to 2015 - Post-doctoral researcher, University of Florida (Pensacola, FL)
  • 2011 to 2014 - Post-doctoral researcher, The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
  • 2008 to 2011 - Post-doctoral researcher, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama)
  • 2007 to 2008 - Post-doctoral fellow, Smithsonian Institute (Washington DC)
  • 2007 - Resident professor, Organization for Tropical Studies (Costa Rica)
Research Disciplines
Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles
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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 46+ research outputs authored by Dr Ben Hirsch from 2002 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Ecological Society of Australia - Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment

Demographic, genetic and dietary analysis of introduced chital deer (Axis axis) in the dry tropics.

Indicative Funding
$5,300 over 1 year
Summary
This project aims to detail the dietary richness of chital deer diet, and explore the association between individual dietary quality and body condition. This will be achieved utilising faecal sample DNA metabarcoding techniques to sequence and analyse the dietary items consumed by chital deer, in combination with faecal chromatography techniques to estimate dietary quality, and exploration of animal morphometric data to investigate the variance in body condition among individuals. My results will detail the dietary items that are associated with chital deer of higher body condition, and more importantly, the dominant vegetation communities that chital deer may utilise to facilitate further range expansion.
Investigators
Matthew Quin, Ben Hirsch, Lin Schwarzkopf and Jan Strugnell (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords
Chital deer (Axis axis); Habitat preference; Invasive species; DNA metabarcoding; Faecal analysis; Dietary analysis

Australian Research Council - Linkage - Projects

Understanding population growth time lags in invasive species: Chital deer as a model system.

Indicative Funding
$394,015 over 5 years, in partnership with QLD Department of Agriculture and Fisheries ($80,000)
Summary
Lags in population growth of introduced species are common, but poorly understood. Chital deer (Axis axis) are an invasive species introduced to Australia over 130 years ago, but their numbers have only increased dramatically in the past 30-40 years. We will use data collected from wild animals, landholder surveys, and computer simulation models to clarify causes of sudden population expansion in more detail. Understanding lags will allow us to understand their causes, and better control populations of invasive species. By predicting drivers of rapid population growth, we can better mitigate the associated economic and environmental costs of invasive species.
Investigators
Ben Hirsch, Lin Schwarzkopf and Jan Strugnell in collaboration with Tony Pople (College of Science & Engineering and DAF)
Keywords
chital (Axis axis); Invasive Species; landscape geneticfs; beef production demography; deer

Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grant

Communication and coordination of collective behaviour across spatial scales in animal societies

Indicative Funding
$324,302 over 5 years (administered by University of Konstanz)
Summary
We will test commonalities and differences in group coordination tasks using spatial movement and active communication in three species of social mammals.
Investigators
Ari Standburg-Peshkin, Ben Hirsch, Kay Holekamp, Marta Manser and Marie Roch (Universitat Konstanz, College of Science & Engineering, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Universitat Zurich and San Diego State University)
Keywords
Coati (Nasua narica); animal tracking; group coordination; computer models; Communication; animal vocalizations

Australasian Wildlife Management Society - Postgraduate student research award

Predicting habitat vulnerable to invasion: Diet and body condition of introduced chital deer (Axis axis) in the Australian dry tropics

Indicative Funding
$2,000 over 1 year
Summary
This project aims to detail the dietary richness of chital deer diet, and explore the association between individual dietary quality and body condition. This will be achieved utilising faecal sample DNA metabarcoding techniques to sequence and analyse the dietary items consumed by chital deer, in combination with faecal chromatography techniques to estimate dietary quality, and exploration of animal morphometric data to investigate the variance in body condition among individuals. My results will detail the dietary items that are associated with chital deer of higher body condition, and more importantly, the dominant vegetation communities that chital deer may utilise to facilitate further range expansion.
Investigators
Matthew Quin, Ben Hirsch, Lin Schwarzkopf and Jan Strugnell (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords
Chital deer (Axis axis); Habitat preference; Invasive species; DNA metabarcoding; Faecal analysis; Dietary analysis

Skyrail Rainforest Foundation - Rainforest Protection Grant

Determinants of spatial variation in population density in a tropical folivore community: conservation implications in a changing environment

Indicative Funding
$10,000 over 2 years
Summary
Climate change is the greatest threat to the preservation of global biodiversity. Our capacity to predict species? vulnerability and make informed conservation management decisions relies on understanding processes that control species population size. However, the factors that limit species populations are generally unknown due to the intrinsic difficulties of studying species across their entire range. This project will study the factors that limit the populations of ringtail possums in the Australian Wet Tropics at a landscape scale. The empirical knowledge gained will be used to forecast species response to a changing thermal, nutritional, and toxicological environment using mechanistic niche modelling.
Investigators
Alejandro de la Fuente Pinero, Stephen Williams and Ben Hirsch (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords
Climate Change; Macroecology; Animal-plant interaction; Pseudocheiridae; conservatiion biology; Landscape ecology
Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current
  • Demographic, genetic and dietary analysis of introduced chital deer (axis axis) in the North Queensland dry tropics (PhD , Primary Advisor)
  • Determinants of spatial variation in population density in a tropical folivore community: Conservation implications in a changing environment (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Completed
Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.

  • 5+ collaborations
  • 4 collaborations
  • 3 collaborations
  • 2 collaborations
  • 1 collaboration
  • Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)

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