Research interests

• Wildlife management
• Population ecology
• Cost-benefits of pest animal control
• Biological control
• Animal welfare and pest animal control

Background

Glen Saunders has over 30 years experience in pest animal management and research. He has conducted a variety of long-term, field based projects and has particularly focused on improving management strategies for vertebrate pests in line with best practice principles and with an ongoing theme of providing information appropriate for decision making on the basis of costs and benefits. In many situations this has required the development of new and innovative research tools with which to address various hypotheses. He has also contributed to the understanding of vertebrate pest impact on agricultural production as well as population ecology and demographics: pre-requisites for the effective design of more cost effective management strategies.

At a more applied level, he has targeted individual control practices with the intent of improving their efficacy. For high risk species such as the feral pig and fox, he has played a nationally important role in research and contingency planning for their control during exotic disease outbreaks (principally foot and mouth disease and rabies). Most of his research has been based on continuous themes. Through a combination of published research, policy intervention and information transfer he has made a significant impact on the science and implementation of wildlife management in Australia.

Qualifications

• BSc.  (External Student) Macquarie University, NSW (1981)
• MSc. Macquarie University, NSW (1989)
• PhD. Bristol University, England (1992)

Current projects

• Improved implementation of broad-scale fox control programs
• Humane pest animal control
• Liaison with CMA/NRM groups on pest animal control
• Biological control of rabbits

Recent Publications

Saunders GR, Cooke B, McColl K, Shine R, and Peacock A (In Press). Modern approaches for the biological control of vertebrate pests: an update on Australian research. Biological Control.

Saunders GR, Dickman C, and Gentle M (In press). The management of foxes and their impacts in Australia. Mammal Review.

McLeod L, and Saunders GR (2008) Do control interventions effectively reduce the impact of European red foxes on conservation values and agricultural production in Australia? CEBC Systematic Review, 24. (www.environmentalevidence.org)

Sharp T and Saunders G (2008) Humaneness and pest control: a model for assessing the relative humaneness of pest animal control methods. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. 157 pp.

Webley L and Saunders G (2008) An evaluation of feral pig control, management and impacts. Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Bureau of Rural Sciences. 120 pp.

West P, and Saunders G (2007) Pest Animal Survey: A review of the distribution, impacts and control of invasive animals throughout NSW and the ACT. NSW Department Primary Industries, Orange. 81 pp.

Saunders GR, Lapidge S, Fulton W, Murphy E,  Sarre S, Buller C and Peacock T (2007) The Invasive Animals CRC: a new research initiative for managing some old problems. In ‘Pest or guest: the zoology of over-abundance, pp 88-93. (Eds. D. Lunney, P. Eby, P. Hutchings and S. Burgin). Royal Zoological Society, NSW.

Saunders GR, and Mcleod L (2007) Improving Fox Management Strategies in Australia. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra. 200 pp.

Saunders GR, Lane C, Harris S, and Dickman C (2006) Foxes in Tasmania: a report of an incursion by an invasive species. Invasive Animals CRC, Canberra. 84 pp.

Sharp T and Saunders GR (2005) Humane pest animal control: codes of practice and standard operating procedures. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange. 537 pp.

Braysher M and Saunders GR (2003) PESTPLAN – A guide to setting priorities and developing management plans for pest animals. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra. 36 pp.

Saunders GR (Ed.) (2003) AUSVETPLAN Wild Animal Response Strategy, Version 3.0. Primary Industries Ministerial Council of Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, ACT. 86pp.

Saunders GR,  McIlroy JC, Kay B, Gifford E, Berghout M, and van de Ven R (2002). The demography of foxes in central-western New South Wales, Australia. Mammalia 66, 247-257.

Saunders GR, McIlroy JC, Berghout M, Kay B, Gifford Perry R, and van de Ven R  (2002) The effect of induced sterility on the territorial behaviour and survival of foxes. Journal of Applied Ecology 39, 56-66.

Greentree C, Saunders GR, McLeod L, and Hone J (2000) Lamb predation and control of foxes in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 37, 935-943.

Saunders GR (1999) Wildlife and Exotic Disease Preparedness in Australia: Rabies. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra. 117pp.

Saunders GR, Choquenot D, McIlroy J, and Packwood R (1999) Initial Effects of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease on Free Living Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Populations in Central-Western New South Wales. Wildlife Research. 26: 69-74

Professional associations and activities

• Past president of Australasian Wildlife Management Society (2003-2004)
• Program leader Invasive Animals CRC

Fields of Research

• 060208 Terrestrial Ecology
• 070205 Animal Protection (Pests and Pathogens)
• 050211 Wildlife and Habitat Management
• 070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Wildlife management
• pest animal control