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Ana Carvalho

Overview of thesis

The current focus of my research is to on understand the fire regime in the Jarrah Forest, through the analyses of the relationship between fire history and fire severity. This study examines data from 340 historical fires mapped within the Mundaring Drinking Water Catchment from 1990 to 2021. Fire records were obtained from the Landgate database and validated using Landsat and Modis imagery. The analysis focused on various metrics, including the severity of previous fires, the number of preceding fires, fire return intervals, and the season of the fire, to understand changes in the severity of subsequent fire events. Fire severity was calculated using seven spectral indices (dNBR, dNDVI, dNDWI, dVARI, dMSAVI, MIRBI, and CSI) and classified as low, moderate, high, very high severity, and unburned areas. The findings provide valuable insights into the fire regime within this critical water catchment area.

Qualifications

  • 2024: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Environmental Science. Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Environmental Science, Edith Cowan University
  • 2019: Certificate IV and Diploma in Project Management, Business Administration and Management, Keystone College of Business & Technology
  • 2015: Bachelor's degree and Teaching degree, Geography, Universidade Estadual Paulista JĂșlio de Mesquita Filho

Research

Research Interests

  • Geospatial Science
  • Remote Sensing
  • Mediterranean type-forest

Past Research employment history

  • 2020 - present: Research assistant, ECU School of Science 
    • Predicting Impacts of Fire, Water Quality and the Yanchep Wetland Fire Investigation
    • Wetland Vegetation Monitoring Survey of Gnangara and Jandakot Wetlands.
    • OzFlux - Australian and New Zealand research and monitoring

Other work

  • 2020: Field Officer, Green Skills Inc.  - Ecojobs

Past Teaching

  • ECU School ofScience
    • Tutor: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - 2024
    • Tutor: Professional Science Essentials - since 2022
    • Demonstrator: Geography and Environment - 2021
    Unit coordinator, lecturer and tutor for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (master’s course) – Current
  • Teacher: Geography to secondary school students (2015) - Brazil.

Scholarships and Awards

  • 2020 - Higher Degree by Research scholarship through the Australian government’s Research Training Program (RTP)
    • Project title: Studies of fire regimes in the Jarrah Forest ecosystem in South-western
      Australia using geospatial techniques.
  • 2014 - Undergraduate research scholarship - FAPESP - Sao Paulo Research Foundation
    • Project title: “Analysis of erosivity and extreme rainfall events”
  • 2012- Undergraduate research scholarship - FAPESP - Sao Paulo Research Foundation.
    • Project title: “Study of rainfall erosivity on the management unit for water resources of mid-sector Paranapanema Basin”

Supervisors

  • Dr. David Blake
  • Emeritus Professor Pierre Horwitz
  • Dr Eddie Van Etten

Contact

Ana Carvalho
PhD Student
School of Science
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