Biography
Educated initially in archaeology and geology I have come to focus on the Holocene palaeoecology of invertebrates and human impacts on Indo-Pacific ecosystems. I am especially interested in how we can use the palaeo-archive of island histories to reconstruct prehuman island diversity and the changes that took place when humans colonised islands across the planet's oceans.
Additionally, I have a interest in Australian invertebrate ecology and biogeography, especially in relation to Australia's largely endemic beetle fauna.
Read more on Nicholas's profileResearch interests
At present I am studying the recent fossil record (the last several thousand years) to characterise the nature and extent of human impacts on the ecosystems of Indo-Pacific islands.
My research focusses and the role of human colonistation in driving species extinctions and invasions and changes in the nature of the ecosystems more generally. I'm interested in how the fossil record can contribute to island ecology, biogeography and evolution by providing novel insights that are only available through the prism of the fossil record.
Affiliations
Centre for Integrated Ecology (Member)
Associate in Science (Bishop Museum, Honolulu)
Teaching interests
Landscape Evolution and Physical Geography; Invertebrate Ecology and Diversity
Knowledge areas
Quaternary Palaeoecology; Island Biogeography; Indo-Pacific and Australia Beetles (Coleoptera); Biological Invasions; Invertebrate Extinctions
Projects
Australian Research Council DECRA (DE130101453 - 2013-2016): Developing predictions of extinction risk for tropical arthropods in the face of global environmental change.
Australian Academy of Science (German-Australian Mobility Call for Collaboration in Science and Technology (2013-2014): Predicting global change impacts on Australian aquatic biodiversity.
US National Science Foundation (as funded collaborator) (2014-2016): CNH: Socio-Ecosystem Dynamics of Natural-Human Networks on Model Islands.
Publications
New Pycnomerus Erichson (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Pycnomerini) from Rimatara, French Polynesia
N Porch, T Smith
(2017), Vol. 4237, pp. 154-166, Zootaxa, Auckland, New Zealand, C1
T Schlacher, B Hutton, B Gilby, N Porch, G Maguire, B Maslo, R Connolly, A Olds, M Weston
(2017), Vol. 191, pp. 28-38, Estuarine, coastal and shelf science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Pliocene reversal of late Neogene aridification.
J Sniderman, J Woodhead, J Hellstrom, G Jordan, R Drysdale, J Tyler, N Porch
(2016), Vol. 113, pp. 1999-2004, Proceedings of the national academy of sciences of USA, Washington D.C., Wash., C1
E Toussaint, L Hendrich, H Escalona, N Porch, M Balke
(2016), Vol. 41, pp. 650-657, Systematic entomology, Chichester, Eng., C1
Abrupt late Pleistocene ecological and climate change on Tahiti (French Polynesia)
M Prebble, R Whitau, J Meyer, L Sibley-Punnett, S Fallon, N Porch
(2016), Vol. 43, pp. 2438-2453, Journal of biogeography, Chichester, Eng., C1
The early shorebird will catch fewer invertebrates on trampled sandy beaches
T Schlacher, L Carracher, N Porch, R Connolly, A Olds, B Gilby, K Ekanayake, B Maslo, M Weston
(2016), Vol. 11, pp. 1-13, PLoS One, San Francisco, Calif., C1
Unveiling the diversification dynamics of Australasian predaceous diving beetles in the Cenozoic
E Toussaint, F Condamine, O Hawlitschek, C Watts, N Porch, L Hendrich, M Balke
(2015), Vol. 64, pp. 3-24, Systematic biology, London, Eng., C1
J Kahn, C Nickelsen, J Stevenson, N Porch, E Dotte-Sarout, C Christensen, L May, J Athens, P Kirch
(2015), Vol. 25, pp. 333-347, The holocene: a major interdisciplinary journal focusing on recent environmental change, Thousand Oaks, Calif., C1
N Sweaney, D Driscoll, D Lindenmayer, N Porch
(2015), Vol. 186, pp. 1-11, Biological conservation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Stratigraphy and chronology of karst features on rodrigues island, southwestern Indian ocean
D Burney, J Hume, G Middleton, L Steel, L Burney, N Porch
(2015), Vol. 77, pp. 37-51, Journal of cave and karst studies, Huntsville, Ala., C1
Reassembling a lost lowland carabid beetle assemblage (Coleoptera) from Kauai, Hawaiian Islands
J Liebherr, N Porch
(2015), Vol. 29, pp. 191-213, Invertebrate systematics, Melbourne, Vic., C1
K Rijsdijk, J Hume, P De Louw, H Meijer, A Janoo, E De Boer, L Steel, J De Vos, L Van Der Sluis, H Hooghiemstra, F Florens, C Baider, T Vernimmen, P Baas, A Van Heteren, V Rupear, G Beebeejaun, A Grihault, J Van Der Plicht, M Besselink, J Lubeek, M Jansen, S Kluiving, H Hollund, B Shapiro, M Collins, M Buckley, R Jayasena, N Porch, R Floore, F Bunnik, A Biedlingmaier, J Leavitt, G Monfette, A Kimelblatt, A Randall, P Floore, L Claessens
(2015), Vol. 35, pp. 3-20, Journal of vertebrate paleontology, Abingdon, Eng., C1
N Porch
(2013), pp. 191-199, Encyclopedia of quaternary science, Edinburgh, Scotland, B1
D Craig, N Porch
(2013), Vol. 3641, pp. 448-462, Zootaxa, Auckland, N. Z., C1
M Byrne, D Steane, L Joseph, D Yeates, G Jordan, D Crayn, K Aplin, D Cantrill, L Cook, M Crisp, J Keogh, J Melville, C Moritz, N Porch, J Sniderman, P Sunnucks, P Weston
(2011), Vol. 38, pp. 1635-1656, Journal of biogeography, Oxford, U. K., C1
O Hawlitschek, N Porch, L Hendrich, M Balke
(2011), Vol. 6, pp. 1-14, PLoS ONE, San Francisco, Ca., C1
K Rijsdijk, J Zinke, P de Louw, J Hume, H van der Plicht, H Hooghiemstra, H Meijer, H Vonhof, N Porch, F Florens, C Baider, B van Geel, J Brinkkemper, T Vernimmen, A Janoo
(2011), Vol. 21, pp. 1-16, Holocene, London, U. K., C1
N Porch
(2010), Vol. 29, pp. 633-647, Quaternary science reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
N Porch, A Kershaw
(2010), pp. 395-404, Altered ecologies : fire, climate and human influence on terrestrial landscapes, Canberra, A.C.T., B1-1
N Porch
(2009), Vol. 36, pp. 29-32, Australian entomologist, Brisbane, Qld., C1-1
N Porch, G Jordan, D Price, R Barnes, M Macphail, M Pemberton
(2009), Vol. 28, pp. 3197-3210, Quaternary science reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
K Rijsdijk, J Hume, F Bunnik, F Florens, C Baider, B Shapiro, J van der Plicht, A Janoo, O Griffiths, L van den Hoek Ostende, H Cremer, T Vernimmen, P De Louw, A Bholah, S Saumtally, N Porch, J Haile, M Buckley, M Collins, E Gittenberger
(2009), Vol. 28, pp. 14-24, Quaternary science reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
J Sniderman, N Porch, A Kershaw
(2009), Vol. 28, pp. 3185-3196, Quaternary science reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Birth of a biome : insights into the assembly and maintenance of the Australian arid zone biota
M Byrne, D Yeates, L Joseph, M Kearney, J Bowler, M Williams, S Cooper, S Donnellan, J Keogh, R Leys, J Melville, D Murphy, N Porch, K Wyrwoll
(2008), Vol. 17, pp. 4398-4417, Molecular ecology, Oxford, England, C1-1
First record of Stenus Latreille (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Steninae) from Tasmania, Australia
N Porch
(2008), Vol. 62, pp. 62-62, Coleopterists bulletin, Washington, D.C., C1-1
Terrestrial invertebrates in landscape archaeology
N Porch
(2008), pp. 457-467, Handbook of landscape archaeology, Walnut Creek, Calif., B1-1
A Kershaw, G McKenzie, N Porch, R Roberts, J Brown, J Heijnis, M Orr, G Jacobsen, P Newall
(2007), Vol. 22, pp. 481-500, Journal of quaternary science, Oxford, England, C1-1
The OZPACS database : a resource for understanding recent impacts on Australian ecosystems
K Fitzsimmons, P Gell, S Bickford, T Barrows, S Mooney, T Denham, S Gale, S Garcia, S Haberle, G Hancock, J Harrison, T Lewis, N Porch
(2007), Vol. 24, pp. 2-6, Quaternary Australasia, Sydney, N. S. W., C1-1
Origins of agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the highlands of New Guinea
T Denham, S Haberle, C Lentfer, R Fullagar, J Field, M Therin, N Porch, B Winsborough
(2003), Vol. 301, pp. 189-193, Science, Washington, D.C., C1-1
N Stern, N Porch, I McDougall
(2002), Vol. 17, pp. 349-392, Geoarchaeology, New York, N. Y., C1-1
Quaternary beetles : a review and issues for Australian studies
N Porch, S Elias
(2000), Vol. 39, pp. 1-9, Australian journal of entomology, Carlton, Vic., C1-1
Tasmania : archaeological and palaeo-ecological perspectives
N Porch, J Allen
(1995), Vol. 69, pp. 714-732, Antiquity, Gloucester, England, C1-1
Cyclical patterns in the pleistocene human occupation of Southwest Tasmania
S Holdaway, N Porch
(1995), Vol. 30, pp. 74-82, Archaeology in oceania, Sydney, N. S. W., C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
Developing predictions of extinction risk for tropical arthropods in the face of global environmental change
Dr Nicholas Porch
ARC DECRA - Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
- 2015: $130,955
- 2014: $137,005
- 2013: $130,566
Industry and Other Funding
Predicting Global Change impacts on Australian Aquatic Biodiversity
Dr Nicholas Porch
- 2014: $11,000
Supervisions
Yang Zhang
Thesis entitled: Permian¿¿¿Triassic brachiopod fauna and the end-Permian mass extinction
Doctor of Philosophy (Life & Env), School of Life and Environmental Sciences