Caragh G Threlfall

Dr Caragh G Threlfall is a Senior Lecturer in Pure and Applied Plant Biology at Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences and a key researcher at the Pollinator Futures Research Centre. With 69 research outputs and an h-index of 33, her work centers on urban biodiversity conservation, particularly focusing on pollinators and insectivorous bats across Australian and global urban landscapes.

Her research spans biodiversity dynamics in urban forests, Apoidea (bees), Syrphidae (hover flies), and threatened bat species, emphasizing functional traits, habitat restoration, and decision-making frameworks. Current projects include conservation of the large-eared pied bat, benchmarking urban habitat restoration networks, and analyzing SMB sustainable practices through urban ecology lenses. Her fingerprint reveals dominant expertise in Biodiversity (100%), Urban Forest (41%), and Apoidea (28%), with significant contributions to understanding how land use change affects pollinator communities.

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a cohesive trajectory examining urban infrastructure impacts on insect and bat ecology, with recurring themes in functional trait analysis, cross-continental patterns, and sex-specific behavioral responses. This body of work consistently bridges ecological theory with urban planning applications, highlighting trade-offs between habitat restoration efficacy and biodiversity outcomes in human-dominated landscapes.

Dr Threlfall actively leads five major research projects including the ARC-funded 'Success and the city: biodiversity responses in urban environments' and serves as Early Career Director for The Ecological Society of Australia Limited since 2020. Her collaborative approach is evident in multi-institutional grants addressing threatened species conservation and sustainable urban development, with significant funding for bat habitat restoration in critically endangered woodlands.

As a core member of Macquarie University's Pollinator Futures Research Centre, she integrates field ecology with policy-relevant outcomes through national research networks. Her external leadership role in the Ecological Society of Australia amplifies her impact on conservation strategy development and early-career researcher support across the Australian ecological community.