Ben KEFFORD

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

The effects of chemical stressors (e.g. salinity, pesticides or metals) on freshwater ecological systems:
• The effect of chemicals on individuals, populations and/or community in real streams
• Ecosystems functions/processes and services
• Comparing the effects of chemicals in the laboratory, mesocosms and real streams
• The importance of indirect effects

Improved ecological realistic methods of assessing the risk of environmental stressors/contaminants
• Obtaining representative samples of species sensitivity to toxicants
• New statistical methods

How do environmental stressors affect the traits of freshwater organisms?
• Stream invertebrates
• Diatoms sensitivity to herbicides
• Trait based diagnostic biomonitoring

The ecology of streams in the Australian Alps along an altitude gradient
• Population and community dynamics
• Ecosystem functions/processes