Dr HIAS Melville

Expertise

• Decomposition Ecology
• Mesopredators
• Population Dynamics
• Predator prey interactions
• Small Mammals
• Systems / Community Ecology

Qualifications

• PhD in Wildlife Management and Ecology

Fields of academic interests

• Terrestrial mammal ecology

Field of Specialisation

• Mesopredator ecology
• Predator ecology
• Human wildlife conflict
• Population dynamics
• Small mammal bioacoustics
• Decomposition ecology

Journal articles

• Dr H Melville - ResearchGate
• Managing predators on livestock producing properties in South Africa and Western Australia – producer perspectives. Animal Production Science 2025: In production. Kreplins, T. & Melville, H.
• The functional and structural succession of mesic-grassland soil microbes beneath decomposing large herbivore carcasses. Environmental Microbiology 2025: 27(1) e70022. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.70022. Fouche, J., Lebre, P.H., Melville, H. & Cowan, D.A.
• The insectivorous bat assemblage in Telperion Nature Reserve, South Africa: species inventory and call library. Acta Chiropterologica 2024: 26(2): 315 – 327. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2024.26.2.012. de Jong, G., Melville, H. & Richards, L.
• The influence of Connochaetes taurinus carcass decomposition on soil nutrient composition in grasslands. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 2024: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2024.2386162. Kullander, E.A., Deutschlander, M.S., Ngole-Jeme, V.M. & Melville, H.
• Predator movements are impacted by anthropogenic disturbance in a managed, forested landscape of East Texas. Acta Oecologica 2024: 124: 104013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.104013, Marneweck, C., Slater, K., Strauss, WM. & Melville, H.
• Bacteriomic profiles of rock-dwelling lichens from the Venezuelan Guiana Shield and the South African highveld plateau. Microorganisms 2024: 12: 290. He, Z., Naganuma, T. & Melville, H.
• Faunal and floral population intactness estimates across sub-Saharan African land uses: The bii4africa dataset. Scientific Data. 2024: 11(1): 191. Clements, H., Do Lihn San, E., Hempson, G, Melville, H. et al.
• Getting a Grip on Jackals: Net-gunning an Efficient and Cost-Effective Approach to Capturing Black-Backed Jackals. Indago. 2023. 39: 1-14. Green, A., Avenant, N. & Melville, H.
• Ecological gatekeeping: Black-backed jackals are left to crave carrion in absence of large facultative scavengers. Foodwebs. 2023. org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00310. Melville, H. Gaines, M, Slater, K. & Strauss, W.M.
• Camera Trap Inventory of Wild Mammals in the Hinda District, Republic of Congo. African Journal of Ecology. 2023, DOI: 10.1111/aje.13116. Orban, B., Mottram, P., Melville, H., Vasicek-Gaugris, C., Thomas, A., Drescher, K., Kabafouako, G. & Gaugris, J.
• Short recce transects or camera trap surveys – short recce transects highlighted as a useful supplement for rapid biodiversity assessments in the Republic of Congo. African Journal of Ecology. 2022, DOI: 10.1111/aje.13047. Gaugris, J., Orban, B., Niemand, L., Walsh, G., Burger, M., Morley, R., Melville, H., Drescher, K., Kabafouako, G., & Vasicek-Gaugris, C.
• Trialling a simple camera-trap based method to estimate black-backed jackal population density. Indago 2021, 37: 76-85. DOI: 10.38140/00679208/INDAGO.V37.A6. Melville, H & Strauss, W.M.
• Ranging behaviour of a territorial male Black-Backed Jackal in a small stock farming area in the Southern Free State. Indago 2021, 37: 66-75. DOI: 10.38140/00679208/INDAGO.V37.A5. Green, A.W., Avenant, N.J. & Melville, H.
• Is climate change a concern for the ownership of game within fenced wildlife areas? 2021, DOI: https:// doi.org/10.4102/koedoe. Melville, H., Hetem, R. & Strauss, W.M.
• A snapshot camera trap assessment of mammals in Congo’s Massif du Chaillu with a noteworthy record of grey-necked rockfowl Picathartes oreas. African Journal of Ecology. 2021, DOI: 1111/aje.12883. Gaugris, J., Niemand, L., Thomas, A., Orban, B., Morley, R., Melville, H., Drescher, K., & Vasicek-Gaugris, C.
• Abiotic variables influencing the nocturnal movements of bobcats and coyotes. Wildlife Biology. 2020, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00601. Melville, H., Conway, W., Hardin, J., Comer, C. & Morrison, M.
• The Shortcomings if Short-term Biodiversity Studies in Assessing Mammalian Diversity, a Case Study in the Niari Province, Republic of Congo. African Journal of Ecology. 2019, DOI: 10.1111/aje.12712. Melville, H. & Gaugris, J.
• Live Trapping of Small-Mammals in the Kouilou Departement, Republic of Congo. African Journal of Ecology. 2019, DOI: 10.1111/aje.12672. Orban, B., Gaugris, J., Kabafouako, G., Morley, R., Vasicek-Gaugris, C. & Melville, H.
• Chapter 8: The Role of Mesopredators in Ecosystems: Potential Effects of Managing Their Populations on Ecosystem Processes and Biodiversity. Livestock Predation and its Management in South Africa: A Scientific Assessment. Tambling, C.J., Avenant, N.L., Drouilly, M. & Melville, H.I.A.S.
• Common Mammal Species Inventory Utilising Camera Trapping in the Forests of Kouilou Departement, Republic of Congo. African Journal of Ecology. 2018, 56(4):750-754.Orban, B., Kabafouako, G., Morley, R., Vasicek Gaugris, C., Melville, H. & Gaugris, J.
• Altitudinal Variation in the Diversity and Structure of the Desert Rodent Community from Jebel Al Jais, United Arab Emirates. Zoology in the Middle East. 2016, 62(3): 200-205. Melville, H. & Chaber, A.L.
• Note Sur les Siphonaptères de l’Émirat de Ras Al Khaimah: description de Nosopsyllus (Gerbillophilus) jabeljaisensis n. sp. (Siphonaptera, Ceratophyllidae, Ceratophyllinae). International Journal of Entomology. Annales de la Société entomologique de France (N.S.). 2016, 52(2): 102-106. Chaber A.L., Lignereux L., Cardenas E., Melville H., Beaucournu J.C. 
• Prey Selection by Three Mesopredators That are Thought to Prey on Eastern Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris) in the Pineywoods of East Texas. South Eastern Naturalist. 2015, 14(3): 447-472. Melville, H.I.A.S., Conway, W.C., Morrison, M.L.M., Comer, C.E.C., & Hardin, J.B.
• Home Range Interactions of Three Sympatric Mesopredators in East Texas. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 2015, 93(7): 547-557. Melville, H.I.A.S., Conway, W.C., Morrison, M.L.M., Comer, C.E.C., & Hardin, J.B.
• Artificial Nests Identify Possible Nest Predators of Eastern Wild Turkeys. South Eastern Naturalist., 2014, 13(1): 80-91. Melville, H.I.A.S., Conway, W.C., Morrison, M.L.M., Comer, C.E.C., & Hardin, J.B.
• Possible Optimal Foraging for Brant's Whistling Rats by the Caracal in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. African Zoology. 2006, 41(1): 134-136. Melville, H.I.A.S. & Bothma, J.du P.
• Using Spoor Counts to Determine the Effects of Small Stock Farming in Namibia on Caracal Density in the Neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Journal of Arid Environments. 2006, 64(3): 436-447. Melville, H.I.A.S. & Bothma, J. du P.
• Prey Selection by Caracal in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. South African Journal of Wildlife Research. 2004, 34(1): 67-75. Melville, H.I.A.S., Bothma, J. du P. & Mills, M.G.L.
• Comparing Two Methods of Calculating Tree Canopy Volume. South African Journal of Wildlife Research. 1999, 29(4): 113-117. Melville, H.I.A.S., Cauldwell, A.E. & Bothma, J. du P.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

Professional Affiliations

• American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) – lifetime member
• Southern African Wildlife Management Association – member
• Zoological Society of South Africa - member

Projects

• Small mammal bioacoustics on Telperion Nature Reserve,
• Black-backed jackal impact on springboks on Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
• Ecology of Black-backed jackal and caracal on small stock farming enterprises in the eastern Cape
• Aardwolf ecology on Telperion Nature Reserve
• Yellow mongoose ecology on Telperion Nature Reserve
• Lion behavioural ecology on Qwabi Private Game Reserve
• Ecological implications of termitaria on Teperion Nature Reserve
• Small mammal population dynamics in urban conservation areas in Durban
• Impact of wildebeest carcass decomposition on the ecology of Telperion Nature Reserve