Miss Natarsha McPherson
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Biological Sciences
College of Science
My PhD research focuses on the development of a modelling and detection framework for semi-fossorial mammals in semi-arid rangeland habitats, using the southern hairy-nosed wombat and European rabbit as native and non-native case studies. The project combines field validation, remote sensing, and ecological modelling to determine optimum scales, procedures, and indicators that provide essential population knowledge of spatiotemporal trends, niche interactions, and densities at a fine scale. This work aims to address critical data gaps that have hindered effective conservation and pest management in remote arid and semi-arid landscapes.
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Award | Undergraduate Student Award (National) | Geospatial Council of Australia | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Award | Undergraduate Student Award (SA) | Geospatial Council of Australia | Australia | - |
| 2023 | Award | Michael Smyth Memorial Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Scholarship | Summer Research Scholarship | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Award | Ena Orrock Lewcock Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Award | Stan Edmonds Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Doctor of Philosophy |
| 2020 - 2024 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science (Advanced) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | McPherson, N., & Ostendorf, B. (2025). Detection of rabbit and wombat warrens in broad-scale satellite imagery. Australian Mammalogy, 47(1), 11 pages. WoS1 |
2025 Lyn Ballard Grant, Nature Foundation
2024/25 Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, Ecological Society of Australia
2023 University Research Grant, Australian Wildlife Society
EART 3023: Earth Observation, demonstrator and marker (2024-2026)
ENVI 3006: GIS for Agriculture & Natural Resource, demonstrator (2024-2026)
ECON 3024: GIS for Environmental Management, demonstrator (2024-2026)
ECOL 3010: Concepts in Ecology, marker (2026)
BIOL 2051: Principles in Ecology, demonstrator and marker (2024-2026)
SOCI 2301: Introductory Geographic Information Systems (GIS), demonstrator and marker (2024)