Profile
Andy Marshall joined the Tropical Forests and People Research Centre at USC in March, 2017 as a Senior Research Fellow, continuing as ARC Future Fellow from January 2018.
Andy is a conservation scientist aiming to measure and improve the management of threatened ecosystems. His primary interests are the quantification of human and environmental influences on species and ecosystem health; and the implications of these for people and conservation. Andy's research has assessed the impacts of tropical forest damage on plant and animal biodiversity, population density, and biomass. He mainly works in tropical forests with a focus on Tanzania (East Africa), but his data have contributed to continental, tropical and worldwide assessments of species, biomass and productivity.
His current Forest Restoration and Climate Experiment (FoRCE) is investigating patterns in natural and managed recovery of forests across the tropics, including the influence of vines. He is also developing new methods for forest restoration, landscape planning, and selecting conservation indicators. Andy's broader research also assesses the impacts of protected areas and forest health on people in developing countries and also the worldwide conservation and educational role of zoos.
Andy is dedicated to achieving practical results from his research findings. His work has contributed information for the improved management of forest health, natural resources in African villages, and conservation planning/monitoring. He established and directed Reforest Africa, a not-for-profit company registered in East Africa. He has also directed the management of a tropical forests, and has developed and implemented a biodiversity action planning approach for zoos.
Professional Memberships
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British Ecological Society |
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Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation |
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Society for Ecological Restoration |
Awards/Fellowships
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2016: BIAZA Education Award for public understanding of wildlife and conservation |
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2013: PraxisUnico Impact Award for achievement in African biodiversity conservation |
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2013: University of York Vice Chancellor Gold Award for Outstanding Achievement |
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2011–16: David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award |
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2011: BIAZA Best Field Conservation Project Award |
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2007: Katherine Stott Prize for best Ph.D. thesis in academic year |
Professional Social Media
Research Grants
| Grant/Project name | Investigator(s) | A$ value | Year(s) |
| Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management | PI* | A$1,686,166.02 | 2018-2022 |
| Establishment of Reforest Africa as a New NGO | PI* | A$14,750 | 2017–ongoing |
| Developing a New Forest Nature Reserve and Management / Monitoring plan in Tanzania | PI* | A$1,004,450 | 2016–ongoing |
| FoRCE, Forest Restoration and Climate Experiment | PI* | A$108,912 | 2015–ongoing |
| Assessing Tropical Forest Protection for Wildlife and People | PI*/Co-I* | A$302,601 | 2011–2016 |
| CIRCLE, Centre for Integrated Research, Conservation and Learning | PI* | A$465,347 | 2010–2016 |
| Measurement and Management of Tropical Forest Conservation | PI* | A$624,921 | 2007–2016 |
| Measuring and Modelling Plant Biodiversity and Biomass in Africa | Co-I*/named postdoc | A$224,065 | 2008–2011 |
| Investigating Human Impacts on Threatened Monkeys | Co-I*/Ph.D. | A$150,133 | 2001–2007 |
PI* = Principal Investigator
Co-I* = Co-Investigator
Acknowledging the support of donors: Australian Research Council, UK Research Councils, Rainforest Trust, Flamingo Land Ltd., World Land Trust, IUCN, Conservation International, United Bank of Carbon, Leverhulme Trust, Liz Claiborne Art Ortenburg Foundation, National Geographic, Innovate UK, Greenpop, University of York, University of the Sunshine Coast, and 25 corporate donors.
Potential Research Projects for HDR & Honours Students
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Part-funded Ph.D. available to investigate methods for restoring forest on degraded land in Africa |
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Various honours projects available in the fields of forest restoration, vine ecology and measurement of conservation success, both desk- or field-based. I am particularly keen to hear from students who are interested in developing a project to assist conservation measurement or planning in a particular nature reserve, anywhere in Australia or beyond |
Research areas
- conservation science
- forest restoration
- tropical forest ecology
Selected Research Publications
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Latham, Sallu, Loveridge, Marshall (2017) Examining the impact of forest protection status on firewood sufficiency in rural Africa. Environmental Conservation doi:10.1017/S0376892917000066. |
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Sullivan et al. (2017) Diversity and carbon storage across the tropical forest biome. Nature Scientific Reports. |
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Little, Gilbert, Athorn, Marshall (2017) Evaluating Conservation Breeding Success for an Extinct-in-the-Wild Antelope. PLoS One doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166912. |
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Marshall et al. (2016) Liana cutting for restoring tropical forests: a rare palaeotropical trial. African Journal of Ecology 54 doi: 10.1111/aje.12349. |
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Liang et al. (2016) Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests. Science 354 doi: 10.1126/science.AAF8957. |
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Marshall et al. (2016) A new species in the tree genus Polyceratocarpus (Annonaceae) from the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. PhytoKeys 63 63–76. |
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Willcock et al. (2014) Quantifying and understanding carbon storage and sequestration within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Carbon Balance and Management 9(2). |
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Laurance et al. (2012) Averting biodiversity collapse in tropical forest protected areas. Nature 489 290–294. |
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Marshall et al. (2012) Measuring and modelling above-ground carbon and tree allometry along a tropical elevation gradient. Biological Conservation 154 20–33. |
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Marshall et al. (2012) The genus Acacia (Fabaceae) in East Africa: distribution, biodiversity and the protected area network. Plant Ecology and Evolution 145(3) 289–301. |
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Feldpausch et al. (2012) Tree height integrated into pantropical forest biomass estimates. Biogeosciences 9 3381–3403. |
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Ahrends et al. (2011) Conservation and the botanist effect. Biological Conservation 144 131–140. |
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Marshall et al. (2010) The species-area relationship and confounding variables in a threatened monkey community. American Journal of Primatology 72 325–336. |
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Rovero & Marshall (2009) Camera trapping photographic rate as an index of density in forest ungulates. Journal of Applied Ecology 46 1011–1017. |
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Marshall et al. (2008) Selection of line-transect methods for estimating the density of group-living animals: lessons from the primates. American Journal of Primatology 70, 452–462. |
Dr Andy Marshall’s specialist area of knowledge is conservation science, particularly forest ecology and management. He is seeking industry, NGO and government partners to help develop simple sets of conservation indicators for monitoring the success of conservation and management for both wildlife and local people.