PhD (pending) University of Auckland, New Zealand.
1995: MSc (Hons.) University of Auckland, New Zealand.
1992: BSc (Zoology) University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Grants:

New Zealand Department of Conservation 1996 to 2001
Auckland University Graduate Research Fund 1999 & 2000

Research Interests:

My work in applied ecology, in particular on issues related to invasive species impacting on New Zealand native birds, has led to an interest in avian disease, specifically avian malaria. I am interested in the dynamics between the avian host and the malarial parasite: The nature of this relationship (e.g. co-evolution, host-switching, malaria as an invasive species) and how host/parasite dynamics maybe affected by ecological stressors such as the fragmentation of habitat.

Other interests include strategies for managing endangered species, sustainable management of natural resources, restoration ecology, and ecological sampling and survey techniques.

Current Research:

My current research, with the Field Museum and Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, is addressing the relationship between Malagasy birds and avian malaria. I will be exploring the nature and age of this relationship through the development of a phylogeny for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. This will firstly enable me to investigate patterns and levels of genetic diversification for these taxa within Madagascar. This parasite phylogeny would then be compared with that for Malagasy bird hosts (available largely through the work of Field Museum researchers) to determine presence of host specificity, signs of co-speciation, or indications of host-switching (frequently associated with virulence). Special focus would be on avian taxa that exhibit unusual genetic structure within Madagascar, e.g., genera Foudia and Bernieria.

Furthermore, the collection of these parasites/blood samples will be structured to both increase epidemiological information for avian malaria and to allow comparison of prevalence in fragmented and non-fragmented forested habitats. As opportunity provides, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus will be screened from sister taxa of the Madagascan hosts, in Africa.

Training workshops conducted:

2002: Distance sampling application and analysis for New Zealand forest birds. A one-day training-workshop for NZ Department of Conservation staff.

2001: Distance sampling application and analysis: Adapting these techniques to New Zealand situations. A two-day workshop on applying Distance Sampling survey techniques on New Zealand species.

Publications:

Barraclough, R.K. (2000). Distance Sampling: A discussion document produced for the Department of Conservation 2000. Science & Research Internal Report 175, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.

Barraclough, R.K. and Craig, J.L. (in review). Conservation benefits of integrating people and wildlife management: Tiritiri Matangi a case study. Submitted to Pacific Conservation Biology.

Cassey, P., Craig, J.L., McArdle, B.H., Barraclough, R.K. (final review) Comparison of distance sampling techniques for estimating a passerine species density. Submitted to the New Zealand Journal of Ecology.

Barraclough, R.K. (in prep.) The effect of temporal and spatial scales on conservation outcome-monitoring.

Conference seminars, poster presentations, and other scientific contributions:

2000 - Invited speaker in symposium: Communities and ecosystems. Talk entitled: Goals, time and spatial scales in ecosystem monitoring: A northern Te Urewera example. New Zealand Ecological Society Conference, Hamilton, New Zealand.

1999 - Invited speaker in symposium: Mainland Islands in theory and practice. Talk entitled: Performance measures for mainland restoration. New Zealand Ecological Society Conference, Blenheim, New Zealand.

1997 – 2000: Three poster presentations at New Zealand and Australian ornithological, ecological and conservation biology conferences, e.g. Society for Conservation Biology Conference, Sydney, Australia.

1996 – 2000: Two poster and three oral presentations at New Zealand Department of Conservation national mainland restoration (“Mainland Island”) conferences.

1996 - Provided invited criticism on the draft management plan for the Tiritiri Matangi Island Scientific Reserve, Hauraki Gulf. For the Auckland Conservancy of the NZ Department of Conservation.

1998 – 2000: Five reports published by New Zealand Department of Conservation.