Professor Ross Alford is broadly interested in ecology, animal behaviour, conservation biology, and evolution. Most of his research is focused on the ecology, behaviour, and conservation biology of frogs and their larvae, although he and his postgraduate students and research associates also work on a variety of reptiles and on freshwater and marine invertebrates.

Since the early 1990s, he has been strongly involved in research aimed at understanding the problem of global amphibian declines and how to prevent and reverse them. This has included collaborative research in North and Central America, and extensive collaborations with many researchers throughout the world.

Much of his present research is focused on understanding the complex host-pathogen relationships between frogs and the amphibian chytrid fungus, and how it is modified by individual behaviour, immune responses, and the assemblage of other microbes inhabiting frog skin.

Interests

Research

• Ecology
• Animal Behaviour
• Conservation Biology
• Evolution

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

• Eterovick P, Sloss B, Scalzo J and Alford R (2016) Isolated frogs in a crowded world: effects of human-caused habitat loss on frog heterozygosity and fluctuating asymmetry. Biological Conservation, 195. pp. 52-59
• Greenspan S, Roznik E, Schwarzkopf L, Alford R and Pike D (2016) Robust calling performance in frogs infected by a deadly fungal pathogen. Ecology and Evolution, 6 (16). pp. 5964-5972
• Greenspan S, Morris W, Warburton R, Edwards L, Duffy R, Pike D, Schwarzkopf L and Alford R (2016) Low-cost fluctuating-temperature chamber for experimental ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7. pp. 1567-1574
• Trumbo D, Epstein B, Hohenlohe P, Alford R, Schwarzkopf L and Storfer A (2016) Mixed population genomics support for the central marginal hypothesis across the invasive range of the cane toad (Rhinella marina) in Australia. Molecular Ecology, 25 (17). pp. 4161-4176
• Yasumiba K, Duffy R, Parsons S, Alford R and Schwarzkopf L (2016) Rapid differentiation of sexual signals in invasive toads: call variation among populations. Scientific Reports, 6. pp. 1-7
• Yasumiba K, Alford R and Schwarzkopf L (2016) Seasonal reproductive cycles of cane toads and their implications for control. Herpetologica, 72 (4). pp. 288-292
• Yasumiba K, Bell S and Alford R (2016) Cell density effects of frog skin bacteria on their capacity to inhibit growth of the Chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Microbial Ecology, 71 (1). pp. 124-130
• Davis J, Alford R and Schwarzkopf L (2015) Some lights repel amphibians: implications for improving trap lures for invasive species. International Journal of Pest Management, 61 (4). pp. 305-311
• Eterovick P, Bar L, Souza J, Castro J, Leite F and Alford R (2015) Testing the relationship between human occupancy in the landscape and tadpole developmental stress. PLoS One, 10 (3). pp. 1-15
• Hagman M and Alford R (2015) Patterns of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis transmission between tadpoles in a high-elevation rainforest stream in tropical Australia. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 115 (3). pp. 213-221
• Roznik E, Sapsford S, Pike D, Schwarzkopf L and Alford R (2015) Natural disturbance reduces disease risk in endangered rainforest frog populations. Scientific Reports, 5. pp. 1-11

Book Chapters

• Dell A, Zhao L, Brose U, Pearson R and Alford R (2015) Population and community body size structure across a complex environmental gradient. In: Trait-Based Ecology: from structure to function. Advances in Ecological Research. Elsevier, Waltham, MA, USA, pp. 115-167

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 122+ research outputs authored by Empro Ross Alford from 1989 onwards.

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

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

• The Effects of Grazing on Arboreal Reptiles (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Thermal thresholds in the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Life Finds a Way: The Recovery of Frog Populations From a Chytridiomycosis Outbreak (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• A functional approach to understanding how temperature and habitat dimensionality drive universality and variation in ecological systems (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Thermoregulation in tropical lizards (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Effects of individual behaviour on host-pathogen interactions: Australian rainforest frogs and the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The role of cutaneous bacteria in resistance of Australian tropical rainforest frogs to the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Population and disease dynamics of the amphibian chytrid fungus in the stream-associated frog Litoria rheocola (2013, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Acoustic Behaviour and Mating System of Cane Toads (Rhinella marina): Understanding and Exploiting Vocal Communication for Application to Control (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The ecological role of tadpoles in streams of the Australian Wet Tropics (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Dynamics of the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in Isolated Patches of Lowland Rainforest. (2015, Masters , Associate Advisor)

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.