About

I am a PhD student at Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology, Melbourne, Australia. Previously, I have done research on different aspects of herpetofauna in Pakistan. Nowadays, I’m enjoying my incredible journey of exploring Australia’s wildlife. My current research projects in Australia include:

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  • Consequences of Keystone Plant Decline for Reptiles
  • Impact of Agriculture Land Management on Reptile Assemblages in Chakwal Pakistan
  • Revealing the long-term impacts of habitat loss on nobbi dragon Diporiphora nobbi genetic diversity in fragmented landscapes of south-central New South Whales

Stay tuned to see amazing reptile adventures.

 

Career

Education

2021 Doctor of Philosophy (Life and Environmental Sciences)
Deakin University
Project: Diversity, threats and conservation of reptiles in fragmented agricultural landscapes

2014 Masters of Philosophy (Wildlife Management)
PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

2011 Masters of Science
PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Graduated with High Distinction

Employment

Project Officer-casual (February 2021 – ongoing)                                   Centre of Integrative Ecology-Deakin University

Data Support Officer-contractor (August-October 2021)                 World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia

Ecologist (November 2020 – July 2021)                                                       Treetec Consulting

Wildlife Biologist (March 2014 – January 2016)                                       Barari Forest Management, United Arab Emirates

Research Experience

  • Conducted research on how reptiles in agricultural landscapes in Australia and Pakistan respond to habitat degradation and fragmentation, using both population and behavioural studies
  • Conducted study on habitat degradation in Potohar and its impact upon reptiles life (Pakistan).
  • Survey on baseline data of mammals, birds and reptiles of Salt Range (Pakistan).

Publications

1. S. Balouch, M. Rais, I. Hussain & A. Akram (2016). Squamate diversity in different croplands of district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of King Saud University-Science (2016). Pp. 6.

2. Doherty, T. S., Balouch, S., Bell, K., Burns, T. J., Feldman, A., Fist, C., Driscoll, D. A. (2020). Reptile responses to anthropogenic habitat modification: A global meta‐analysis. Global Ecology and Biogeography.

3. Driscoll, D. A., Balouch, S., Burns, T. J., T. F. Garvey, T. Wevill, K. Yokochi, & T. S. Doherty (2019). A critique of countryside biogeography as a guide to research in human‐dominated landscapes. Journal of Biogeography.

4. M. Rais, S. Balouch, J. Rehman, M. Anwer, I. Hussain & T. Mehmood (2012). Diversity and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in North Punjab, Pakistan. Herpetological Bulletin (2012): 16-25.

5. M. Rais, J. Rehman, S. Balouch, S. M. Ali & I. Hussain (2014). Short communication on the Herpetofauna in Loi Bher Wildlife Park, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Taprobanica 6 (1): 56-58.

6. A. Akram, M. Rais, M. A. Assadi, M. J. Jillani, S. Balouch, M. Anwer & A. Saleem (2015). Do habitat variables correlate anuran abundance in arid terrain of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Areas, Pakistan. Journal of King Saud University-Science (2015) 27: 278-283.

7. M. Rais, S. Abbassi, T. Batool, M. J. Jillani, M. A. Assadi, H. Mubarak & S. Balouch (2014). A note on recapture of Nanorana vicina (anura: Amphibia) from Murree, Pakistan. The Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 24 (2): 2014. 455-458

Contact

Sara Balouch

PhD student

School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment

sbalouch@deakin.edu.au