Dr Geoffrey Heard

Geoff Heard is an applied ecologist specialising in the spatial ecology and conservation biology of Australian reptiles and amphibians. Geoff has worked extensively on the population dynamics of species in fragmented landscapes, seeking to build statistical and simulation models that describe the role of the landscape in driving population trajectories: from factors such as variation in habitat quality, to connectivity and even subtle variation in disease risk arising from microclimatic variation. Geoff’s research seeks to inform conservation planning through the use of these models to identify components of the landscape that can be managed to improve population trajectories and minimise extinction risk. Geoff has a PhD in Biological Sciences from La Trobe University, completed two post-doctoral fellowships at The University of Melbourne, held a lectureship at Charles Sturt University and was a Senior Scientist with the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research. He has published 34 peer-reviewed papers and produced 16 major research reports.