ANBG Theatrette,
Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601
Canberra, 2601 Australia
Canberra, 2601 Australia
Karen will talk about Koalas’ dietary habits and how they influence where they live.
Abstract
Koalas are famous for being fussy eaters, but what makes one Eucalyptus leaf more appealing than another? In this talk, Dr Karen Marsh will explore the hidden world of koala nutrition and food choice. Drawing on research into the feeding ecology of koalas, she will explain how the nutritional quality of eucalypt leaves influences where koalas live, what they eat, and how they cope with landscape disturbance, such as fire. The talk will reveal how understanding food quality can help scientists identify high-quality habitat and improve conservation strategies for one of Australia’s most iconic marsupials.
Biography
Dr Karen Marsh is head of the Animal-Plant Interactions and Nutritional Ecology group at the Research School of Biology, ANU. Her research predominantly focuses on the feeding ecology and nutritional physiology of possums, gliders and koalas. This includes why captive koalas are picky eaters, what defines high quality habitat, and how hot weather affects food quality and diet selection. She is particularly interested in how nutritional knowledge can be used to inform the conservation of marsupials that eat eucalypt leaves and the management of their forest habitats.
Booking Link
One-hour talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations to support Gardens’ programs and development and thank all those who have donated.
Please note: unless otherwise indicated, talks are in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; several talks are booked out very quickly. The booking link for each talk is on the www.friendsanbg.org.au/calendar entry for the talk. Bookings can be made about 30 days in advance until Wednesday night before the talk.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Some summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG Library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au