Griffith University

BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University/University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Senior Research Fellow, International Centre for Ecotourism Research

Contact details for Dr Guy Castley 

Research Expertise

Guy’s research draws extensively from his conservation biology and park/wildlife management background.  The primary focus of Guy’s research is the investigation of the conservation benefits accruing from various forms of tourism (i.e. ecotourism, nature-based tourism, responsible tourism etc.) at a global level.  This research forms part of Griffith University's Area of Strategic Investment in Sustainable Tourism and is being coordinated within the International Centre for Ecotourism Research.  Specific projects within this larger initiative include assessments of the ecotourism industry in sub-Saharan Africa, and the contribution of tourism to threatened species conservation amongst others.  The context underpinning these studies is that tourism continues to escalate globally.  The demand for access to natural landscapes and wildlife viewing opportunities is therefore high.  This demand has also seen the proliferation of many tourism industries but these can have both positive and negative effects on our environment.  We hope to review the linkages between tourism and conservation to enhance our knowledge about sustainable tourism practices that bring about positive conservation outcomes.  In addition to this primary research Guy also collaborates with colleagues on a variety of other topics with an applied conservation biology focus including:  

• Conservation and ecotourism
• Protected area planning and management
• Conservation on private land 
• Landscape Ecology, disturbance and heterogeneity, patterns and process
• Large mammal ecology and management, (previously worked with rhino, elephant, lion, and other large mammals),
• Plant/herbivore and Predator/prey interactions – using foraging experiments to assess habitat preferences
• Threatened species management
• Determinants of biodiversity patterns
• Long-term ecological research and monitoring
• Recreation Ecology

Current Teaching    

Prior to his current role Guy convened courses in Ecology (2603ENV) and Wildlife Management (3604ENV) and taught extensively into Conservation Biology (3606ENV).  He was also involved with providing students with work related experiences and actively supervised students in Industry Placement and Industrial Affiliates programs and projects.  Guy currently contributes invited lectures to various courses within the School of Environment ecology and conservation biology study programs.  Guy continues to supervise Honours and postgraduate students in a wide variety of ecological fields of interest.

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

• Pickering, C., Castley, J.G., Hill, W. & Newsome, D. 2010. Environmental, safety and management issues of unauthorised trail technical features for mountain bicycling. Landscape and Urban Planning 97: 58-67.
• Pickering, C., Castley, J.G. and Burtt, M. 2010. Skiing less often in a warmer world: change in attitudes of tourists to climate change in an Australian ski resort. Geographical Research 48: 137-147.
• Hero, J-M., Castley, J.G., Malone, M., Lawson, B. & Magnusson, W.E. 2010. Long-term ecological research in Australia: innovative approaches for future benefits.  Australian Zoologist 35: 90-102.
• Haughland, D.L., Hero, J-M., Schieck, J., Castley, J.G., Boutin, S., Sólymos, P., Lawson, B.E., Holloway, G. & Magnusson, W.E. 2010. Planning forwards: biodiversity research and monitoring systems for better management. TREE 25: 199-200.
• Castley, J.G., Hill, W. & Pickering, C.M. 2009. Developing ecological indicators of visitor use of protected areas: a new integrated framework from Australia.  Australasian Journal of Environmental Management 16: 196-207.
• Druce, D., Brown, J.S., Castley, J.G., Kerley, G.I.H., Kotler, B.P., Slotow, R., Van der Merwe, M., and Knight, M.H.  2006. Habitat use by rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) determined using giving up densities. Oikos 115: 513-525.
• Knight, A.T., Driver, A., Cowling, R.M., Maze, K., Desmet, P.G., Lombard, A.T., Rouget, M., Botha, M.A., Boshoff, A.F., Castley, J.G., Goodman, P.S., MacKinnon, K., Pierce, S.M., Sims-Castley, R., Stewart, W. & Von Hase, A. 2006. Designing systematic conservation assessments that promote effective implementation: best practice from South Africa. Conservation Biology 20(3): 739-750.
• Castley, J.G. & Hall-Martin, A.J. 2003.  The status of the southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) on private land in South Africa in 2001.  Pachyderm 34: 33-44.
• Castley, J.G., Knight, M.H, Mills, M.G.L., & Thouless, C. 2002.  Estimation of the lion, Panthera leo, population in the south-western Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park using a capture-recapture survey.  African Zoology 37(1): 27-34.
• Castley, J.G. Boshoff, A.F., & Kerley, G.I.H. 2001.  Compromising South Africa’s natural biodiversity - inappropriate herbivore introductions. South African Journal of Science 97: 344-348.
• Castley, J.G., Bruton, J-S, Kerley, G.I.H., & McLachlan, A. 2001.  The importance of seed dispersal in the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa. Journal of Coastal Conservation 7: 57-70.
• Castley, J.G., Kerley, G.I.H. & McLachlan, A. 2001.  Biotic processes in a coastal dunefield: An assessment of seed removal, with non-native seed removal experiments. Journal of Coastal Conservation 7: 49-56.
• Castley, J.G. & Kerley, G.I.H.  1996.  The paradox of forest conservation in South Africa.  Forest Ecology & Management 85: 35 46.
• Kerley, G.I.H., McLachlan, A. & Castley, J.G.  1996.  Diversity and dynamics of bushpockets in the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa. Landscape and Urban Planning 34: 255 266.
  

Book Chapters

• Castley, J.G. (2010). Southern and East Africa. In: Conservation Tourism (Ed.) R. Buckley, CAB International, Wallingford, United Kingdom.
• Castley, J.G., Lloyd, P. (in press).  Raphicerus melanotis, Cape Grysbok. In: Mammals of Africa. Vol 6 (Eds.) J.S. Kingdon and M. Hoffman.
• Castley, J.G., Knight, M.H. & Gordon, J. 2009. Making conservation work: innovative approaches to meeting conservation and socio-economic objectives, an example from the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. In: Evolution and Innovation in Wildlife Conservation: Parks and Game Ranches to Transfrontier Conservation Areas. (Eds.) H. Suich & B.Child with A. Spenceley. SASUSG, IUCN. Earthscan, London. 307-322.
• Castley, J.G., Patton, C. & Magome, H. 2009. Parks for people: the performance of South African National Parks In: Evolution and Innovation in Wildlife Conservation: Parks and Game Ranches to Transfrontier Conservation Areas. (Eds.) H. Suich & B.Child with A. Spenceley. SASUSG, IUCN. Earthscan, London. 393-407.
• Bertschinger, H., Delsink, A., van Altena, J.J., Kirkpatrick, J., Killian, H., Ganswindt, A., Slotow, R & Castley, G. 2008. Reproductive control of elephants. In: Elephant Management: A Scientific Assessment for South Africa. (eds.) R.J. Scholes & K.G. Mennell.  Wits University Press, Johannesburg. 257-328.
• Knight, M.H. & Castley, J.G. 2003.  Conservation management and ecosystem manipulation in national parks.  In: South African National Parks: A Celebration. (Eds.) A.J. Hall-Martin & E.J. Carruthers.  98-110.

Conference publications

• Gurung, H.B., Buckley, R., Castley, G. & Jennings, G. 2008. Tourism and local communities in the Annapurna region, Nepal. In: Re-creating Tourism, New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference 2008 (Eds.) J. Fountain & K. Moore. Tourism Group, Lincoln University, Canterbury. 24pp.
• Buckley, R., Pickering, C., Castley, G. & Growcock, A. 2006.  Recent recreation ecology research in Australia. In: Exploring the Nature of Management. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Monitoring and Management of Visitor Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas. (eds.) Siegrist, D., Clivaz, C, Hunziker, M. & Iten, S.  University of Applied Sciences, Rapperswil, Switzerland. 84-88.
• Castley, J.G., Knight, M.H., & Gordon, J.B. 2006. Implementing the Greater Addo Elephant National Park through partnerships. In: Proceedings of the 2004 Thicket Forum.  (Ed.) Wilson, S.L. Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Report No. 54. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa. 70-75.
• Castley, J.G. 2006.  Scientific Research Then and Now: Implications for management of the Addo Elephant National Park.  In: Proceedings of the 2004 Thicket Forum.  (Ed.) Wilson, S.L. Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Report No. 54. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa. 79-84.
• Castley, J.G., Kerley, G.I.H., & Simelane, T.S. 2000.  Forest vertebrate biodiversity: status, threats and priorities in the Eastern Cape.  In: Towards Sustainable Management Based on Scientific Understanding of Natural Forests and Woodlands. Proceedings: Natural Forests and Woodlands Symposium II, (Eds.) A.H.W. Seydack, W.J. Vermeulen, C. Vermeulen. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Knysna. pp 124-136.
• Castley, J.G. & Kerley, G.I.H.  1996.  Afromontane forests in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: the effects of grazing.  In: Supporting Capacity Building in Forestry Research in Africa, Proceedings of the First International Symposium. (Ed.) A. Ng'eny  Mengech.  International Foundation for Science (IFS) 267 275.

  Full Publication List

Current Supervised PhD Projects

Rochelle Steven (Principal Supervisor)

Donna Treby (Principal supervisor)

Diana Virkki (Principal supervisor)

Alexa Mossaz (Principal supervisor)

Andrew Cuttriss (Principal supervisor)

Katrin Lowe (Associate supervisor)

Danial Stratford (Associate supervisor)

Clay Simpkins (Associate supervisor)

Jonas Mortenson (Associate supervisor)

Michelle Murdoch (Associate supervisor)