PhD students

Frank Van Der Sommen
PhD student
Email: frans.vandersommen@bigpond.com

Thesis: A spatio-temporal synthesis of climatic and edaphic ecological drivers and regulators, contributing to cyclone risk in natural and anthropogenic, monsoonal landscapes of the NT

Some notes from Frank on the direction of his thesis…

"Cyclone Tracy, 1974, the focus of my research, has been used as a case study to investigate the complex interaction between such cyclones debris transport, trees and houses and how these interacted with the physical and social context of the Darwin urban landscape.

"Comparative analysis of post-cyclone Tracy tree damage data, in both natural and urban situations has identified genetic, morphological, and landscape related differences in damage.

"To examine the role of the landscape on cyclone affected vegetation and the feedback consequences for houses in close proximity an integrated spatial data base of Darwin has been developed including information on cadastre, topography, tree cover, housing damage and cyclone path and characteristics."