Olson, Ashley R. (Dr)

Ashley R. Olson

Position: Scholarly Teaching Fellow
Discipline: Science
Phone: 03 5327 6355
Email: a.olson@federation.edu.au

Biography

Ashley Olson is an ecologist and early career researcher. His interests include biogeography, species interactions, movement ecology, human-wildlife conflict, and the use of emergent technologies in ecological research. He also serves as the Early Career Researcher representative on the Federation University Research Committee.

He has contributed to a wide range of projects across arid, tropical, and temperate biomes. For his PhD research, he studied the island biogeography of bird communities in Melanesia and investigated how functional traits, phylogenetic history, and species pool composition shape community structure. His current work expands on his interests in community assembly and biogeography through various studies that investigate the effects of environmental conditions on animal interactions using automated image tracking, as well as research into the drivers of movement and habitat use across landscape mosaics, and the biogeography of Himalayan herpetofauna.

Ashley is available for undergraduate and postgraduate supervision, peer review, and research consultancy.

Automated image tracking used to quantify predator-prey interactionsAutomated image tracking used to quantify predator-prey interactions.

Qualifications

  • PhD – Island Biogeography (Federation University, Australia), thesis entitled “Species Pool Effects on
  • Niche-Based Island Biogeography: Insights from the Bird Communities in Melanesian Archipelagos”
  • Honours – Applied Science (Federation University, Australia)
  • Bachelor of Biological Sciences (LaTrobe University, Australia

Teaching areas

Coordinated units

  • SCENV2600: Geographic Information Systems
  • SCENV3802: Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation

Teaching units

  • SCENV2200: Population and Community Ecology
  • SCENV3402: Arid-Zone Ecology

I also lead an international study tour to Nepal each year that gives students first-hand experience in Human-Wildlife conflict, community conservation programs and the management of protected areas and endangered species.

Exploring the Annapurna Conservation Area as part of the international study tourExploring the Annapurna Conservation Area as part of the international study tour.

Research areas

  • Island biogeography
  • Community ecology
  • Animal movement
  • Fire ecology
  • Functional traits
  • Human-wildlife conflict
  • Spatial ecology

Extended research profile

Radio-tracking wildlife at Wilson’s Promontory National Park, Victoria, AustraliaRadio-tracking wildlife at Wilson’s Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia.