Karen Mustin

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The University of Queensland, January 2011 – current

E-Mail: k.mustin@uq.edu.au

I have particular interests in conservation and spatial population ecology, and my research focuses on the interactions between anthropogenic activities and biodiversity conservation.  Much of my work to date has been concerned with theoretical and empirical investigations of biogeographic range shifts under climate change.  The impact of climate change on the distribution and ultimately persistence of species is arguably one of the most pressing issues in ecology.  However, assessments of such impacts are typically made using climate envelope models, which lack information on spatial population dynamics, dispersal, habitat suitability and inter-specific interactions.

The aim of my PhD thesis was to explore how some of these other factors, particularly spatial population dynamics and the potentially synergistic effects of climate change and habitat degradation and fragmentation might alter projections of future distributions and persistence.  I am also interested in the sustainability of land uses from a socio-ecological perspective, and have been involved in research on the economic and ecological sustainability of “sport shooting” (deer stalking and game bird hunting) in the Scottish uplands.

I am currently working on the science team of the Gondwana Link project, where I will be helping to inform on the ground conservation decisions in relation to major threats to biodiversity in south-western Western Australia, including climate change, fire, invasive species and habitat fragmentation.

Publications

Travis, J.M.J., Mustin, K., Barton, K.A., Benton, T.G., Bonte, D. Delgado, M.M., Dytham, C.  Hovestadt, T., Meier, C., Palmer, S.C.F., Turlure, C., & Clobert, J., (accepted) Modelling dispersal: an eco-evolutionary framework incorporating emigration, movement, settlement behaviour and the multiple costs involved. Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Bonte, D., Van Dyck, H., Bullock, J.M., Coulon, A., Delgado, M., Gibbs, M., Lehouck, V., Matthysen, E., Mustin, K., Saastamoinen, M., Schtickzelle, N., Stevens, V.M., Vandewoestijne, S., Baguette, M., Barton, K., Benton, T.G., Chaput-Bardy, A., Clobert, J., Dytham, C., Hovestadt, T., Meier, C.M., Palmer, S.C.F., Turlure, C. And Travis, J.M.J. (online early) Costs of dispersal. Biological Reviews doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2011.00201.x

Mustin,K., Newey, S. and Slee, W. (2010) The local and regional economic impacts of sport shooting in the Highlands of Scotland.  In “The economic role of hunting tourism – examples from Northern areas”, Matilainen, A. and Keskinarkaus, S. (eds), Ruralia Institute Reports 64, University of Helsinki.  http://www.helsinki.fi/ruralia/julkaisut/pdf/Reports64.pdf

Mustin, K., Benton, T.G., Dytham, C. & Travis, J.M.J. (2009) The dynamics of climate-induced range shifting; perspectives from simulation modelling.  Oikos 118, 131-137.

Travis, J.M.J, Mustin, K., Benton, T.G. & Dytham, C. (2009)  Accelerating invasion rates result from the evolution of density-dependent dispersal.  Journal of Theoretical Biology 259, 151-158.

Mustin, K., Sutherland, W.J., & Gill, J.A. (2007) The complexity of predicting climate-induced ecological impacts.  Climate Research 35, 165-175.