Contacts
Kiarrah is an ecologist dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of Australia's unique native wildlife and ecosystems. Before embarking on her PhD at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, Kiarrah volunteered on wildlife projects throughout Australia and worked as a fauna ecologist for an ecological consultancy. Her Honours project investigated the ecology of the ash-grey mouse (Pseudomys albocinereus); an endearing species endemic to south-west Western Australia.
Research interests
Thesis title:
Reintroduction biology through the lens of the refugee species concept.
Thesis description:
Kiarrah’s PhD is part of the Australian Research Council-funded Bringing Back Biodiversity project and the Mulligans Flat - Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment. Her research focuses on:
- Developing new approaches to re-building depauperate mammal communities in the context of multi-trophic species reintroductions.
- Breaking down shifting baseline syndrome around the perception and conservation of potential refugee species.
Smith K. J., Evans M. J., Gordon I. J., Pierson J. C., Newport J., Manning A. D. (in press). Analyzing captive breeding outcomes to inform reintroduction practice: lessons from the pookila (Pseudomys novaehollandiae). Journal of Mammalogy.
Evans M.J., Pierson J.C., Neaves L.E., Gordon I.J., Ross C.E., Brockett B., Rapley S., Wilson B.A., Smith K.J., Andrewartha T., et al. 2023. Trends in animal translocation research. Ecography 2023:e06528. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06528
Smith K.J., Evans M.J., Gordon I.J., Pierson J.C., Stratford S., Manning A.D. 2023. Mini Safe Havens for population recovery and reintroductions ‘beyond-the-fence’. Biodiversity and Conservation 32:203-225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02495-6
Evans M.J., Gordon I.J., Pierson J.C., Neaves L.E., Wilson B.A., Brockett B., Ross C.E., Smith K.J., Rapley S., Andrewartha T.A., et al. 2022. Reintroduction biology and the IUCN Red List: The dominance of species of Least Concern in the peer-reviewed literature. Global Ecology and Conservation 38:e02242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02242
Evans M.J., Weeks A.R., Scheele B.C., Gordon I.J., Neaves L.E., Andrewartha T.A., Brockett B., Rapley S., Smith K.J., Wilson B.A., et al. 2022. Coexistence conservation: reconciling threatened species and invasive predators through adaptive ecological and evolutionary approaches. Conservation Science and Practice 4:e12742. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12742
Smith K.J., Fleming P.A., Kreplins T.L., Wilson B.A. 2018. Population monitoring and habitat utilisation of the ash-grey mouse (Pseudomys albocinereus) in Western Australia. Australian Mammalogy 41:170-178. https://doi.org/10.1071/AM17061
Schmidt-Lebuhn A.N., Smith K.J. 2016. From the desert it came: evolution of the Australian paper daisy genus Leucochrysum (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae). Australian Systematic Botany 29:176-184. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB16012