Schultz, Nicholas (Dr) - Research

Current Research Project/Students

  • Investigating causes of tree die-back and death in the Coorong and Tatiara Districts, South Australia (with Megan Good, Rob Milne and Birgita Hansen)
  • Victoria's Northern Plains Grasslands: response of flora and fauna to disturbance
  • Plant species distributions in agricultural landscapes

PhD Students

  • Shakir Bahaddin – Investigating the barriers to restoration of the Victorian Volcanic Plains (with Singarayer Florentine)
  • Corrine Duncan – Seed dormancy, germination and restoration of keystone arid plant species under water stress thresholds (with Simon Cook and Ian Sluiter)
  • Samantha Barron – An investigation of the ecology and invasion impacts of a native Australian shrub Acacia longifolia ssp. longifolia in southeastern Australia (with Singarayer Florentine)
  • Daniel Flaim (La Trobe University) – Grassland mapping by remote sensing, and development of a vegetation model for the Northern Plains Grasslands of Victoria (with John Morgan and Nathan Wong)

Honours Students

  • Jared McGuiness - Effects of high-intensity fire on regeneration of woody species in River Red Gum/Black Box Woodland and Mallee woodland (with Grant Palmer)
  • Emily Mathews - Effects of fire on faunal species assemblages following a high severity fire in Wyperfeld National Park (with Grant Palmer)
  • Josh Howard – Influence of management regime on faunal habitat suitability in Victoria’s Northern Riverine Plains grasslands

Consulting and Other Activities

  • NSW Office of Environment and Heritage – Survey of Darling Floodplain vegetation, western NSW
  • Cristal Mining
    • Effect of soil stockpiling on soil seed bank and biological soil crust re-establishment
    • Comparison of tree species establishment using different methods of hand-planting after mining in the arid zone
    • Evaluating of revegetation success after direct seeding after mining in the arid zone
    • Use of psyllium husk powder and slurry inoculation to stabilise rehabilitation top-soils in an arid mining environment

Publications/Conferences

  • Schultz, N. L, Reid, N, Lodge, G and Hunter, J. T (2016) Habitat specificity analyses reveal the importance of grazing refugia for plant diversity conservation in a warm‐temperate grassy ecosystem. Applied Vegetation Science 19, 578-588.
  • Schultz N. L, Reid N, Lodge G & Hunter J. T (2014) Seasonal and interannual variation in vegetation composition: Implications for survey design and data interpretation. Austral Ecology, early view online
  • Schultz N. L, Reid N, Lodge G & Hunter J. T (2014) Broad-scale patterns in plant diversity vary between land uses in a variegated temperate Australian agricultural landscape. Austral Ecology, early view online
  • Schultz, N. L and Good, M. K (2015) Tree decline in the Coorong and Tatiara, South Australia: Literature review and statement of research priorities. A report by Federation University Australia to the Coorong and Tatiara District Councils, South Australia.
  • Schultz N. L, Morgan J. W & Lunt I. D (2011) Effects of grazing exclusion on plant species richness and phytomass accumulation vary across a regional productivity gradient. Journal of Vegetation Science 22, 130-42
  • Good M. K, Schultz N. L, Tighe M, Reid N, Briggs S. V (2013) Herbaceous vegetation response to grazing exclusion in patches and inter-patches in semi-arid pasture and woody encroachment. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 179, 125-132
  • Schultz, N. L, Gowans, S. A and Westbrooke, M. E (2014) Survey and mapping of Darling floodplain vegetation between Tilpa and Brewarrina. Report prepared for the NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage by Centre for Environmental Management, Federation University Australia, Ballarat.
  • Schultz N. L, Reid N & Lodge G. M (2008) Studies of plant biodiversity on properties grazing sheep on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Grassland Society of NSW Inc. (eds S. P Boschma, L. M Serafin and J. F Ayres) pp. 135-6. The Grassland Society of NSW, Orange NSW.
  • Schultz N. L, Reid N, Lodge G. M & Hunter J. T (2010) Conservation of plant diversity in native pastures on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the 25th annual conference of the Grasslands Society of NSW (eds C. Waters and D. Garden) pp. 114-5. The Grasslands Society of NSW Inc., Orange NSW Schultz NL, Reid N, Lodge G, Murphy S (2012) Assessing conservation value of native vegetation on farm in northern NSW. Evergraze, Tamworth NSW
  • Schultz N. L, Reid N & Lodge G. M (2008) Studies of plant biodiversity on properties grazing sheep on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Grassland Society of NSW Inc. (eds S. P Boschma, L. M Serafin and J. F Ayres) pp. 135-6. The Grassland Society of NSW, Orange NSW.
  • Schultz N. L (2012) Contribution of native pastures and grassy woodlands to regional plant diversity on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. PhD thesis, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale NSW
  • Schultz N. L (2007) The effects of grazing exclusion on grassy ecosystems in Victoria, Australia. Honours thesis, La Trobe University, Bundoora VIC

Professional Memberships and Associations

Ecological Society of Australia

Research Interests

  • Vegetation Ecology
  • Human-modified landscapes
  • Ecological restoration
  • Invasive plant species
  • Plant-herbivore interactions
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Seed ecology