Charlotte Raven is a Research Fellow within the Forest Research Institute, where she applies her expertise in invertebrate ecology to support nature-positive forestry across Australia’s plantation estate. Her research explores how forest structure and biodiversity can be managed to deliver measurable ecological and economic benefits, helping transform low-value plantation landscapes into thriving habitats that support both timber production and ecosystem services.
Charlotte’s early research focused on tropical rainforest invertebrates, investigating how disturbance and liana proliferation affect ground-dwelling arthropod species, as well as key ecosystem processes such as predation and leaf litter decomposition. Her fieldwork has taken her deep into the remote rainforests of Far North Queensland, where she has spent over a year collecting invertebrates and monitoring forest processes. She has also ventured internationally, conducting field research in Borneo and Brunei. Charlotte completed a Bachelor of Animal Ecology and an Honours degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). Her honours research involved extensive rainforest fieldwork and collaboration with the Forest Restoration and Climate Experiment (FoRCE). While completing her honours degree, she also worked at “Bugs for Bugs,” managing the production of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a predatory mite used in biological control.
Her PhD investigated how disturbance and liana proliferation influence arthropod diversity and ecosystem functioning in tropical rainforests, combining field ecology, species identification, and community-level analyses. Charlotte continues to blend applied and fundamental research, aiming to better understand rainforest recovery, biodiversity conservation, and the often-overlooked roles of invertebrates in these vital ecosystems.
Outside of the forest, Charlotte enjoys sharing her fascination with insects with students, colleagues, and the public, inspiring curiosity about the small creatures that play big roles in our forests.
Media commentary
Professional Social media