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Dr Melissa Neave, BA (Hons), PhD

Senior Lecturer

Madsen Building (F09), Rm 460
Phone: +61 2 9351 6463
Fax: +61 2 9351 3644
Email:

Research Interests

Mel's main area of interest is in the field of biophysical interactions in fluvial systems with a focus on arid/semiarid hillslope processes. She has worked on the biogeomorphic influences of small mammals in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem in the American southwest and is currently using rainfall simulation to model the effect of surface crust formation and soil salinity levels on runoff and sediment generation in western NSW, Australia.

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Selected Publications

  • Neave, M., Rayburg S., Swann, A., 2009. River channel change following dam removal in an ephemeral stream. Australian Geographer, 40: 235-246.
  • Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Neave, M., 2009. A comparison of digital elevation models generated from different data sources. Geomorphology, 106: 261-270.
  • Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2008. Assessing morphologic complexity and diversity in river systems using three-dimensional asymmetry indices for bed elements, bedforms and bar units. River Research and Applications, 24: 1343-1361.
  • Neave, M., Matthews, S., 2008. Modelling hillslope soil erosion at ANZAC Cove. Sediment Dynamics in Changing Environments. IAHS Publ. 325, pp. 616-619.
  • Neave, M., Rayburg, S., McQuire, L., 2008. Spatial and temporal trends in the water quality of the Namoi River catchment. Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008. Engineers Australia, Adelaide, pp. 1364-1374.
  • Thornton, E., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2008. Bed element, bedform and bar unit asymmetry in river channel networks: an investigation into morphologic complexity and diversity at multiple spatial scales. Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008. Engineers Australia, Adelaide, pp. 2508-2518.
  • Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2008. Morphologic complexity and diversity in natural and channelized streams. Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008. Engineers Australia, Adelaide, pp. 1902-1911.
  • Thoms, M., Rayburg, S., Neave, M., 2007. The diversity and assessment of a large river system: The Murray-Darling, Australia. A. Gupta (ed.) Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management. Wiley, N.Y., pp 587-607.
  • Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. Nonlinear biofluvial responses to vegetation change in a semiarid environment. Geomorphology, 89: 217-239.
  • Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. A field investigation into the effects of progressive rainfall-induced soil seal and crust development on runoff and erosion rates: The impact of surface cover. Geomorphology, 87: 378-390.
  • Waugh, J., Neave, M., Bruce, E., 2007. The impact of varying rainfall conditions on the quality of runoff entering Wamberal Lagoon, NSW. Physical Geography, 28: 1-13.
  • Thornton, E., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2007. Hydraulic geometry in river channel networks as a method for the assessment of river condition. In: Wilson, A.L., Dehaan, R.L., Watts R.J., Page, K.J., Bowmer, K.H., and Curtis, A (eds). Proceedings of the 5th Australian Stream Management Conference: Australian Rivers: Making a Difference. Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, New South Wales, pp. 401-406.
  • Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Neave, M., 2007. Using LiDAR and Differential GPS Surveys to Determine the Physical Character of a Terminal Wetland System. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on the use of GIS/RS in Hydrology, Water Resources and Environment.
  • Rayburg, S.C., Nanson, R.A., Thoms, M.C., Neave, M., Breen, T.P., Lenon, E., 2007. A review of geomorphic classification schemes for rivers and floodplains. Report for the Sustainable Rivers Audit, physical form theme. Murrary-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra, Australia, 45 pp.
  • Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2006. Salinity and erosion: a preliminary investigation of soil erosion on a salinised hillslope. International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 306: 531-539.
  • Abrahams, A.D., Neave, M., Schlesinger, W., Wainwright, J., Howes, D.A., Parsons, A.J., 2006. Biogeochemical fluxes across piedmont slopes of the Jornada Basin. In: K.M. Havstad, Huenneke, L. F., and Schlesinger, W. H. (Eds.), Structure and Function of a Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem: The Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research site. Oxford, London, pp. 150-175.
  • McQuire, L., Neave, M., Rayburg, S., 2005. Assessing agrochemical trends in the Namoi River Catchment using an index model. I.D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey-Doren and R. Glazik (eds), Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: Linking Rivers to Landscapes. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, pp. 432-438.
  • Rayburg, S., Neave, M., Thoms, M., 2005. A preliminary investigation into the influence of changing stream network patterns on the distribution of water in the Narran Lakes Ecosystem. I.D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey-Doren and R. Glazik (eds), Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: Linking Rivers to Landscapes. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, pp. 509-515.
  • Murray, O., Rayburg, S., Thoms, M., Neave., M., 2005. Preliminary results on a study on variations of wetland patch characteristics under different inundation levels using remotely sensed data. I.D. Rutherford, I. Wiszniewski, M. Askey-Doren and R. Glazik (eds), Proceedings of the 4th Australian Stream Management Conference: Linking Rivers to Landscapes. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, pp. 439-444.
  • Neave, M., Abrahams, A.D., 2002. Vegetation influences on water yields from grassland and shrubland ecosystems in the Chihuahuan Desert. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 27: 1011-1020.
  • Neave, M., Abrahams, A.D., 2001. Impact of small mammal disturbances on sediment yield from grassland and shrubland ecosystems in the Chihuahuan Desert. Catena, 44: 285-303.
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