Rate My Professor Richard Harris

Dr. Richard Harris serves as a Lecturer in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He earned his PhD in Zoology from the University of Canterbury. Prior to his appointment in Australia, he was employed as a researcher at Landcare Research in New Zealand. At Curtin, his career has progressed from the Department of Environmental Biology at Curtin University of Technology to his current role, where he contributes to the ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration. Harris coordinates the Environmental Unit Major and teaches key units including ENST1000 Global Environmental Challenges and ERTH3000 Habitat and Landform Mapping, focusing on environmental science and landform analysis.

His research centers on restoration ecology, with emphasis on mine site rehabilitation, fire management impacts, and invasive species dynamics in Western Australian ecosystems. Utilizing DNA metabarcoding, he investigates invertebrate community succession in restoration chronosequences. Key publications include 'Invertebrate DNA metabarcoding reveals changes in communities across mine site restoration chronosequences' (Restoration Ecology, 2019), highlighting biodiversity recovery patterns post-mining; 'Impact of fire suppressant on seed germination and seedling emergence of native and introduced flora from a Western Australian eucalypt woodland' (International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2023), assessing Phos-Chek WD881A effects on plant regeneration; and 'Quantifying uncertainty in the potential distribution of an invasive grass' (Ecology Letters, 2006), which addresses predictive modeling limitations for species like Nassella trichotoma. Harris has authored refereed journal articles and management-focused reports to support land managers in implementing effective environmental strategies, advancing sustainable practices in disturbed landscapes.