Melissa Dawson

I am currently based in South Africa working on a private game reserve. This has allowed me the opportunity to work with a wide range of leading scientists in the field and experience a range of research directions. My current research focus is on the Southern White Rhino, with particular interest in modelling their habitat utilisation and behaviour using an agent based model.

I am also an avid ornithologist and have worked with game birds and waders in northern England monitoring fledging and chick survival in particular looking at the black grouse, capercaillie, northern lapwing and the curlew. My passion for bird lead me to research the effect of burning on invertebrates in order to assess how this may affect the avian population within the savanna. 

Being based in the South African bush means currently my research interests are focussed on South African fauna and flora with heavy focus on the effects on management practises such as the effect of dehorning rhino, burning and bush encroachment, but I have previously focussed on heather moorland and red grouse management.