Dr Britta Denise Hardesty studies species distributions and movements across landscapes.

Dr Britta Denise Hardesty: working to understand species distributions and movements

With a background in ecology and genetics, Dr Britta Denise Hardesty uses a combination of field, molecular and modelling techniques to understand movement processes from ecological and evolutionary perspectives.

• 22 June 2011 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Britta Denise Hardesty is a Research Scientist with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Division.

She combines molecular genetic, modelling and field approaches to understanding movement related questions at contemporary and evolutionary time scales.

The goal of her work is to understand present species distributions and movements across landscapes.

Her interests focus on:

• genetic-based seed dispersal and seedling recruitment models in tropical plants
• the importance of frugivore (fruit-eating animals) resource tracking and the subsequent impact on forest structure
• Understanding and ameliorating the impacts of marine debris on wildlife.

Her current projects include:

• Cassowary population assessment
• frugivory and dispersal in native plant communities
• geographic assignment in seabirds
• impacts of marine debris on threatened ecosystems
• weed dispersal in tropical forests.

Background

Dr Hardesty came to CSIRO from a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Reading University in the United Kingdom (UK) where she applied DNA forensic approaches to protect threatened and endangered species involved in illegal trade.

Dr Hardesty's research experience spans:

• dispersal ecology
• avian ecology and dynamics
• frugivore abundance and impacts on forest structure in Central America, South America, Africa and Australia
• breeding biology and foraging strategies of seabirds.

  The goal of Dr Hardesty's work is to understand present species distributions and movements across landscapes.

Academic qualifications

Dr Hardesty has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Science in Biology, from the George Washington University, USA 1990
• Master of Science in Biology, with concentration in Ecology and Systematics, from San Francisco State University, USA 1999
• Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Biology, from the University of Georgia, USA 2005.

Achievements

Dr Hardesty's has:

• participated in the Women in Science and Engineering and Scientists in Schools programs
• served as an instructor for field courses in China, Mexico, Panama and the US
• received a Center for Tropical Forest Science Postdoctoral Research Fellow Award, 2005
• received a Center for Tropical Forest Science Predoctoral Research award, 2002-03
• received the David Snow Award for best student speaker, International Frugivory and Seed dispersal conference, 2005
• received a Garden Club of America Tropical Botany Award, 2003
• received a Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science Award, 2002.

Find out more about the work of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences.