1
1. BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
2. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
3. RFCD CODES:
SEO CODES:
4. RESEARCHERS
2707—60%;
3008—40%
7707—50%;
7708—50%
LEVEL
M/F
FTE
ECR
RFCD
SEO
GARY W LUCK
B
M
1
Y
3008
7708
IAN D LUNT
C
M
1
N
3008
7707
DAVID A ROSHIER
C
M
1
N
2707
7708
PETER G SPOONER
B
M
1
Y
2707
7708
DAVID M WATSON
D
M
1
N
2707
7707
SUMMARY OF CAREER OUTPUTS:
LUCK
LUNT
PHD AWARDED
2001
1997
TOTAL GRANT $
$592,000
PEER REVIEWED
27
53
321
436
ROSHIER SPOONER WATSON
2000
TOTAL
2005
1999
—
$109,000
$772,000
$4,554,000
17
11
34
135
106
62
268
1,154
$1,796,000 $1,541,000
PAPERS
CITATIONS (ISI)
5. FOUR BEST OUTPUTS FOR EACH MEMBER:
Liu J, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR & Luck GW. 2003. The effect of household dynamics on resource
consumption and biodiversity. Nature 421: 530–3. Impact factor (IF): 32.18; ISI Citation rate
(ISI): 65; Google Scholar citation rate (GS): 114 (20% contribution)
This was the first paper to examine the global implications of household dynamics on biodiversity
conservation. It highlighted the substantial growth in households worldwide beyond the number expected
from population growth alone and outlined the major challenges faced by societies aiming to conserve
biodiversity within human settlements and surrounding landscapes. The work underpins my research
theme of developing biodiversity conservation strategies in landscapes within high human populations.
Luck GW, Ricketts TH, Daily GC & Imhoff M. 2004. Alleviating spatial conflict between
people and biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101: 182–6. IF: 10.27; ISI:
34; GS: 38 (60% contribution)
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
2
This was the first paper to identify broad-scale positive correlations between human population density and
species richness across Australia and North America. It used systematic conservation planning techniques
to identify landscapes where spatial conflict was inevitable and required the implementation of careful
management strategies to reduce human impact on the environment while promoting the interaction
between people and nature.
Luck GW, Daily GC & Ehrlich PR. 2003. Population diversity and ecosystem services. Trends in
Ecology and Evolution 18: 331–6. IF: 12.45; ISI: 43; GS: 60 (60% contribution)
This paper introduced a novel approach to studying the contribution that species populations make to
ecosystem services—those services that promote human wellbeing. It is related to the contributions above
in that many ecosystem services are in most demand near dense human settlements—yet this is also where
they are under the most threat. The paper explored ways to document the contribution of species to
service provision and develop strategies to ensure the persistence of these services in human dominated
landscapes.
Luck GW & Daily GC. 2003. Bird assemblages in a tropical countryside: richness, composition
and foraging behavior differ with landscape context. Ecological Applications 13: 235–47. IF: 2.85;
ISI: 28; GS: 31 (70% contribution)
This paper focuses primarily on the ecology of native species inhabiting production landscapes, and how
landscape change may impact on a crucial ecosystem service: seed dispersal. The paper examined the
community dynamics and foraging behaviour of native avian frugivores in agricultural landscapes. It
determined how the intensity and type of land use impacted on species communities and the ability of birds
to access fruit resources and subsequently disperse seeds. The results of the work have implications for the
interplay between land-use intensity and native vegetation regeneration.
Lunt ID, Jones N, Spooner PG & Petrow M. 2006. Effects of European colonization on
indigenous ecosystems: post-settlement changes in tree stand structures in Eucalyptus-Callitris
woodlands in central New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Biogeography 33: 1102–15. IF: 2.878;
ISI: 1; GS: 0 (75% contribution)
In this ARC-funded study, we developed the first quantitative estimates of regional patterns of tree density,
basal area and crown cover at the time of European settlement of Australia. By studying remnant forests
across central NSW, we found that woodlands were well-stocked originally with large trees before
widespread ringbarking. However, tree densities have since increased beyond pre-European levels. This
study provides a firm foundation for policies based on historical benchmarks, such as vegetation clearance
legislation, and has been eagerly sought by land management agencies, with over 2,000 copies being
downloaded from my personal web page (CSU DIT records, Aug 2007).
Prober SM, Thiele KR, Lunt ID & Koen TB. 2005. Restoring ecological function in temperate
grassy woodlands: manipulating soil nutrients, exotic annuals and native perennial grasses through
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
3
carbon supplements and spring burns. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 1073–85. IF: 4.527; ISI: 2;
GS: 3 (25% contribution)
In this project we demonstrated that elevated soil nutrient levels in degraded remnant woodlands promoted
exotic weeds and prevented the re-introduction of native ground plants. By experimentally reducing
available nutrient levels (by adding sugar), we reduced weeds and promoted native grass establishment.
Importantly, we found that re-established native grass swards reduced nutrient levels over the longer-term,
providing a sustainable approach for restoring nutrient cycles and controlling weeds. This innovative
project highlights that nutrient management is a critical component of restoration projects, and
demonstrates the potential to achieve sustainable long-term outcomes by re-introducing keystone species of
dominant native grasses.
Lunt ID. 2002. Grazed, burnt and cleared: how ecologists have studied century-scale vegetation
changes in Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 50: 391–407. IF: 0.940; ISI: 17, GS: 14
By analysing the methods used in over 100 papers, I provided the first comprehensive review of how
Australian ecologists have studied long-term vegetation changes. I identified major research genres,
documented the depth of study in major ecosystems, and highlighted how different approaches have led to
partial understandings of long-term changes in many ‘well studied’ systems. The 4th most frequently
downloaded paper from the journal’s website (CSIRO Web Site, August 2007), this paper was reviewed in
the international J. Biogeography as being ‘invaluable for gaining an understanding of where data are lacking
and where future studies should be directed’ (Clarke 2004).
Lunt ID & Morgan JW. 2002. The role of fire regimes in temperate lowland grasslands of southeastern Australia. In Flammable Australia: The Fire Regimes and Biodiversity of a Continent, Eds. R
Bradstock, J Williams & AM Gill, pp. 177–96. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. IF:
N/A; ISI: 17, GS: 28 (80% contribution)
Published in the seminal text on fire ecology in Australia, this invited review summarises earlier research by
myself and others on how fire regimes influence ecosystem processes and biodiversity in endangered native
grasslands. By comparing grasslands against other ecosystems, we highlighted a pivotal ‘weak-link’ in the
resilience of native grasslands to inappropriate disturbances, and developed an ecological model of
grassland fire responses to guide future studies and conservation management. Our review provides the
most succinct overview of the ecology and conservation management of these endangered ecosystems,
resulting in frequent citations in the national and international literature.
Roshier DA, Whetton PH, Allan RJ & Robertson AI. 2001. Distribution and persistence of
temporary wetland habitats in arid Australia and climatic influences. Austral Ecology 26: 371–84.
IF: 1.771; ISI: 24; GS: 26 (75% contribution)
This project was the first attempt to map the distribution of temporary wetlands at a continental scale and
to model the responses of waterbirds to changes in wetland distribution (Landscape Ecology 2001, Biological
Conservation 2002). This paper related changes in wetland extent in each of the major drainage basins of
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
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inland Australia to changes in rainfall. It has been cited by those interested in waterbirds as well as those
interested in the responses of various taxa to changes in the distribution of temporary resources and climate
change.
Roshier DA, Robertson AI, Kingsford RT & Green DG. 2001. Continental-scale interactions
with temporary resources may explain the paradox of large populations of desert waterbirds in
Australia. Landscape Ecology 16: 547–56. IF: 2.558; ISI: 16; GS: 17 (80% contribution)
This paper analysed the spatial distribution of wetlands across inland Australia and showed that inland
basins such as the Lake Eyre Basin had an abundance of habitat even though most wetlands were
temporary. Further, this paper used graph theory to analyse the spatial distribution of wetlands and
pathways for movement by waterbirds. This paper showed that contrary to previous suggestions there was
an abundance of wetland habitat in arid Australia and further suggested that the desert wetlands were core
feeding and breeding habitat for waterbirds.
Roshier DA, Robertson AI & Kingsford RT. 2002. Responses of waterbirds to flooding in an
arid region of Australia and implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 106: 399–411. IF:
2.854; ISI: 18; GS: 18 (80% contribution)
This paper investigated changes in abundances of waterbirds with changes in wetland distribution at local,
catchment and broad scales. The abundance of most functional groups changed in response to broad scale
changes in wetland distribution, while local abundance remained highly variable. Patterns of abundance
varied among functional groups of waterbirds, with some immediately responding to changes in wetland
distribution and area flooded at broad scales. This paper highlighted that in Australia the main conservation
issue for waterbirds is water and its use across the landscape and not the spatial arrangement of any fixed
array of reserves established to protect them.
Roshier DA & Reid JRW. (2003). On animal distributions in dynamic landscapes. Ecography 26:
539–44. IF: 3.34; ISI: 4; GS: 5 (50% contribution)
This conceptual paper synthesised earlier work on patterns of distribution and abundance in waterbirds.
The paper developed a framework for understanding patterns of movement and dispersal in dynamic
landscapes. It challenged existing paradigms for understanding animal distributions that mostly assume that
animals exist on a spatially fixed landscape in which patterns of resource distribution vary only with the
seasons.
Spooner PG, Lunt ID, Briggs SV & Freudenberger D. 2004. Effects of soil disturbance from
roadworks on roadside shrubs in a fragmented agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 117:
393–406. IF: 2.854; ISI: 9; GS: 11 (85% contribution)
Roadside environments provide vital refugia for native ecosystems and species in many fragmented
agricultural landscapes, and changed disturbance regimes are considered a key threat to their future viability.
In one of the first studies of this kind, we investigated the age structure of roadside acacia populations and,
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
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in conjunction with road management data, showed that soil disturbance by past and present roadworks is a
novel disturbance regime in maintaining acacia populations. The results highlight that present roadside
conservation management efforts may be fruitless without due consideration of historic human disturbance
regimes.
Lunt ID & Spooner PG. 2005. Special Paper: Using historical ecology to understand patterns of
biodiversity in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Journal of Biogeography 32: 1859–73. IF: 2.878;
ISI: 8; GS: 8 (50% contribution)
In a recent review of fragmentation studies, many results were contradictory and often failed to explain
variability in species patterns. To address this issue, we developed a novel conceptual framework for
studying species patterns, by presenting a series of postulates which highlight the important role of
historical, anthropogenic disturbance regimes. Using Australian case studies, this review highlights how the
incorporation of spatially and temporally explicit historical attributes into ecological studies can prove
extremely useful in helping to understand why different species and ecosystem states occur where they do,
and enhance future research and conservation management activities.
Spooner PG, Lunt ID, Okabe A & Shiode S. 2004. Spatial analysis of roadside Acacia populations
on a road network using the network K-function. Landscape Ecology, 19: 491–9. IF: 2.558; ISI: 5;
GS: 9 (70% contribution)
This paper presents the first application of the Network K-function in ecology, which is a recently
developed technique for analysing distributions of points on a road or stream network. Here we
investigated its ecological applicability using location data for roadside acacia populations in a fragmented
agricultural landscape. The method is likely to become a useful statistical tool for the analyses of ecological
data along roads, streams and other landscape networks. As one reviewer stated “the need for spatial
analysis of networks systems is great, and these techniques should find wide use in the field of ecology”.
Spooner PG, Lunt ID & Robinson W. 2002. Is fencing enough? The short-term effects of stock
exclusion in remnant grassy woodlands in southern NSW. Ecological Management and Restoration 3:
117–26. IF: N/A; ISI: N/A; GS: 31 (80% contribution)
This is one of the first papers to report on vegetation condition of fenced woodlands on private land.
Fencing programs are widely used to assist landholders to improve the condition of remnant native
vegetation, and government programs have directed millions of dollars towards fencing of remnant
vegetation; yet little is known of their ecological outcomes. The results of this study have been influential in
government policy decisions relating to woodland conservation, and is a key paper in this journal (6th most
cited article for this journal in last 3 years), which is highly influential amongst conservation managers
Australia-wide.
Maron M, Mac Nally R, Watson DM, Lill A. 2004. Can the biotic nestedness matrix be used
predictively? Oikos 106: 433–44. IF: 3.381; ISI: 6: GS: 10 (30% contribution)
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
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By evaluating the degree to which less diverse remnants were predictable subsets of more diverse remnants,
individual bird species in Buloke woodland remnants were identified as more or less likely to be extinctionprone. Between species differences were overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of inter-patch movement
in the eight-year period, suggesting many woodland species are more resilient than previously considered.
One of few long-term studies quantifying biodiversity in a production landscape, this collaborative work
has directly informed current management practice. The documented dynamism validates ongoing
restoration efforts, demonstrating that even isolated remnants in disturbed landscapes can have high value
for mobile organisms.
Watson DM. 2003. Long-term consequences of habitat fragmentation: highland birds in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Biological Conservation 111: 283–303. IF: 2.854; ISI: 6; GS: 13
This landmark study evaluates drivers of diversity in a landscape where subsistence agriculture has existed
for eight millennia—corn was originally domesticated in this valley. These cloud forests became isolated
approximately 10,000 years ago, allowing the long-term effects of fragmentation to be measured directly.
In contrast to findings from many younger systems, patch quality far exceeded landscape context in
determining diversity patterns—large isolated patches retained most forest dependent species. The only
study of long-term fragmentation to use modern statistical analyses and patch-scale data, this paper set the
standard for fragmentation research, demonstrating the crucial role of temporal scale.
Watson DM. 2002. A conceptual framework for the study of species composition in islands,
fragments and other patchy habitats. Journal of Biogeography 29: 823–34. IF: 2.978; ISI: 23; GS: 25
By considering the origin of organisms inhabiting patchy landscapes and differentiating fragmented from
insular ecosystems, eight classes of landscape are recognised. Applying this novel classification to the
primary literature, the role of temporal scale is clarified—initial differences in islands and fragments become
overwhelmed by convergence in community properties over thousands of generations. As the first study to
compare community change in islands and fragments over time, this synthesis included 44 testable
predictions that have defined subsequent international research. Widely known as the “Watson
framework”, it forms the foundation for the forthcoming Encyclopædia of Islands.
Watson DM. 2001. Mistletoe—a keystone resource in forests and woodlands worldwide. Annual
Review of Ecology and Systematics 32:219–49. IF: 9.784; ISI: 32; GS: 39
This landmark review synthesised current understanding of mistletoe-animal interactions, developing and
evaluating the hypothesis that mistletoe functions as a keystone resource worldwide. This review has
catalysed a broad-based re-evaluation of these plants, widely considered as destructive weeds that kill trees
and devalue habitat. This paper quantified the many mistletoe-animal interactions, exemplifying the value
of resource-based approaches in evaluating determinants of diversity. In addition to being widely cited,
featured in national media (The Australian) and initiating several international collaborations, this review
laid the foundation for the ongoing Resources in Fragmented Landscapes Experiments (RIFLE).
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
7
6. CONTEXT STATEMENT
History, strategic focus and research objectives
The Institute for Land, Water and Society was established in 2005 as one of three research institutes at
Charles Sturt University. This interdisciplinary centre is at the forefront of research efforts focused on
CSU’s mission to conduct international-quality research on significant issues within the region. This team
of researchers from the Ecology and Biodiversity Group of the institute represents the ecologists studying
drivers of biodiversity change in production landscapes. The overarching objective of our research is to
understand key processes threatening biodiversity within multifunctional landscapes, working
towards integrating biodiversity conservation with production agriculture to maximise ecosystem
functionality over the long-term. Despite being early in our careers (our PhDs were all completed within
the last 10 years), we figure prominently in this emerging field, our contributions placing us at the forefront
of ecology and conservation biology internationally—illustrated by our receipt of eight ARC grants and
papers in pre-eminent journals including Bioscience, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, Trends in Ecology
and Evolution and Nature.
Rather than focusing on protected areas, our group concentrates on understanding processes
affecting biodiversity within production landscapes. Habitat fragments, irrigation areas, roadsides,
paddocks and plantations are key components of these systems as are the driving processes of fire, grazing,
human settlement patterns and nutrient dynamics. Conducting broad-based ecological research in
partnership with landholders, catchment management agencies and other stakeholders, our research
combines international best-practice methods with extension and landholder participation, ensuring onground relevance and maximising uptake.
Research contributions and achievements
Group members select systems best suited to addressing specific research questions that contribute to our
overarching research objective. We have worked in a wide range of systems, from recently modified
landscapes in south-eastern Australia, Costa Rica, Panama and North America, to landscapes in southern
Mexico fragmented thousands of years earlier. This versatility is further demonstrated by the breadth of
study organisms, from individual plant and animal species to entire ecological communities.
While many researchers recognise the importance of spatial scale in influencing observed patterns,
members Lunt, Spooner and Watson have stressed the role of time-scale in sculpting current
distributions. Understanding the history of present-day fragmented landscapes is critical, whether in terms
of pre-settlement patterns 200 years ago, or post ice-age vegetation dynamics 10,000 years ago. Moreover,
rather than treating landscapes as binary—patches of habitat surrounded by inhospitable land—we have
highlighted the many linkages among landscape components, including the ecosystem services provided to
agriculture by native species (Luck), the influence of surrounding agricultural practices on remnant
vegetation (Lunt and Spooner), and the continental-scale climatic fluctuations driving local dynamics in
biodiversity occurrence (Roshier). Likewise, we look beyond distribution patterns to explore underlying
mechanisms, complementing quantitative ecological techniques with demographic, physiological and
evolutionary approaches.
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
8
The team’s approach to research is innovative, developing and applying new methods to collect
and analyse data, and devising new frameworks within which to evaluate previous work. The group has
consistently pioneered the use of novel analytical tools, collaborating with statisticians to explore their
utility in ecology, including Hierarchical Partitioning (Watson), O-ring statistics (Roshier and Watson),
and network analysis (Spooner and Lunt). Rather than applying existing models or testing predictions,
each member of the group has published ground-breaking papers that have challenged current thinking
across our discipline. Accordingly, our papers appear in some of the most prestigious journals within the
biological sciences, attracting consistently high citation rates and generating commentaries in the wider
media. The group’s research has been supported by five ARC Discovery and three Linkage grants since
2001, with four members being principal investigator on at least one ARC grant.
Collaboration: internal and external
While necessarily a collection of researchers with individual expertise and specializations, the group is well
balanced and cohesive, pursuing shared objectives and integrated outcomes. The members’ complementary
skills and collaborative programmes provide breadth while the coordinated approach and regular
interactions ensure alignment with overall aims. Although current projects range from quantifying
movements of waterfowl in agricultural landscapes and analysing distribution of wattles along roadsides to
recovering pre-European vegetation patterns and devising a new approach to measure ecosystem services,
all directly inform the understanding and management of biodiversity in modified landscapes. The
collaborative is enhanced by the fact that all members work in the same building (a rammed-earth structure
on CSU’s award winning Thurgoona Environmental campus), cross mentoring one another, sharing ideas
and co-developing initiatives. These inter-member links are further boosted by numerous wider
collaborations, all members contributing to ongoing projects involving external investigators, including
productive partnerships with Paul Erlich’s group at Stanford, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(Panama) and the Institute of Ecology in Waaganingen (the Netherlands). This international profile
underpins national prominence, group members leading research projects with colleagues at ANU, CSIRO
Sustainable Ecosystems, Greening Australia and Museum Victoria (inter alia). These links match a network
of vibrant interactions within the Institute of Land, Water and Society and the broader CSU academe,
primarily rural sociologists, environmental economists and agricultural scientists. Members of the group
lead integrative programmes spanning this breadth, including an inter-disciplinary study of the ecological,
environmental and social impacts of demographic shifts in south-eastern Australia’s farmbelt.
National and international research links
Group members are involved in substantive ongoing collaborations with the following institutions
/ individuals:
Australian National University (Prof David Lindenmayer, A/Prof Robert Heinsohn))
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (Drs Geoff Barrett, Veronica and Erik Doerr, Sue McIntyre, Leo Joseph)
Greening Australia (Dr David Freudenberger)
Latrobe University (Dr John Morgan)
Monash University (Prof Ralph Mac Nally, Dr Danny Spring)
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
9
Montana State University (Prof Rob Ament)
Museum Victoria (Dr Janette Norman)
NSW Department of Conservation and Climate Change (Dr Sue Briggs)
Oregon State University (Prof David Shaw)
Rocky Mountain Research Station (Dr Brian Geils)
Smithsonian Institution (Drs William Laurance, Joe Wright)
Stanford University (Prof Gretchen Daily)
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Prof Juan Marlo)
University of Melbourne (Dr Rodney Van der Ree)
University of New South Wales (Dr David Eldridge)
University of Tokyo (Prof Okabe, Dr Shiode)
University of Wollongong (Prof Ross Bradstock)
The University of Kansas (Prof Townsend Peterson)
Netherlands Institute of Ecology (Prof Marcel Klaassen)
7. DEST REPORTED RESEARCH INCOME FOR THE GROUP
CATEGORY
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
1
$60,454
$108,408
$258,438
$326,829
$205,393
$210,142
$1,169,66
2
$125,329
$57,127
$207,659
$47,500
$129,334
$242,997
$809,946
3
—
—
—
—
$23,000
$64,591
$87,591
4
—
—
$10,646
$22,108
$16,163
$34,896
$83,813
$185,783
$165,535
$476,743
$376,437
$373,890
$552,626
$2,151,016
TOTAL
8.
2001
INDIVIDUALLY EARNED DEST PUBLICATION POINTS
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
JOURNAL ARTICLES
2.05
4.93
3.83
5.99
8.52
2.99
28.31
BOOK CHAPTERS
—
0.75
—
1
—
—
1.75
TOTAL
2.05
5.68
3.83
6.99
8.52
2.99
30.06
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
9.
Research Higher Degree Students
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
NO. STUDENTS SUPERVISED
NO. STUDENTS GRADUATING
10.
10
—
—
1
—
1
2006
TOTAL
18
18
—
2
IMPACT STATEMENT
Members of the group are committed to addressing real-world problems, engaging closely with
stakeholders and end-users to ensure relevance. We are currently working with the Nature Conservation
Trust of NSW on the “Slopes to Summit” initiative, the southern node of the visionary “Alps to Atherton
Tablelands” project that will link up woodlands and forests the length of eastern Australia. As invited
advisors to the board, members Spooner and Watson draw on their respective expertise (vegetation
ecology, roadsides and pre-European vegetation patterns; long-term effects of habitat fragmentation,
drivers of biodiversity occurrence in agricultural landscapes)—advice that broadened the project’s scope to
include woodlands—that has already prompted the acquisition of an important property at Wright’s Hill.
Indeed, the close collaboration between group members and this organization led them to set-up one of
their two offices on the Thurgoona campus, their staff liaising frequently with group members to prioritize
conservation actions and advise on long-term conservation goals.
The focus area of our group corresponds closely with national and international research priorities,
as evidenced by a recent European initiative. Entitled ‘Rationalizing biodiversity conservation in dynamic
landscapes’ (RUBICODE www.rubicode.net), this international collaborative project involves 23 research
institutions, with Gary Luck representing our group. Funded by a European Union (EU) 6th
Framework Coordination Action for the sum of €2.5M, Gary is one of only four researchers outside the
EU to be invited to be a member of this project, the central theme of the project based on his concept of
the “service-providing unit (SPU)” as a new way of assessing the contribution that biodiversity makes to
ecosystem services (services provided by ecosystems which benefit humanity). This approach is being
developed and promoted through RUBICODE to various stakeholder groups throughout Europe.
Likewise, David Roshier’s work on waterfowl movement patterns is providing information crucial
to landholders and policy makers alike. Working with rice growers in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area,
David determined the nature and extent of waterfowl movements in agricultural landscapes, using satellite
telemetry and regular web-based updates to allow landholders to see exactly where (and when) the ducks
move. This knowledge has recently been applied to northern Australia, where David is leading a
collaborative study with researchers from the Australian National Wildlife Collections, ANU and AQIS to
investigate migration patterns of waterfowl between Australia and New Guinea, including broad-based
surveys for avian diseases including the H5N1 strain of influenza.
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
11
Central to this inclusive and applied approach is the group’s communications strategy, combining
national and regional media with online resources and public talks, making our research findings both
applicable and accessible to end-users to maximize uptake. Our media interviews include many topics of
national social, economic and environmental significance, including bird flu (Watson and Roshier),
destructive wildfires (Lunt), integrating urban development and conservation (Luck) and conservation land
management (all).
Case study—conservation management of endangered native grasslands and woodlands
Ian Lunt’s research on conservation management of remnant grassy ecosystems in production landscapes
in southern Australia highlights the on-ground impact of our group’s research. Most native grasslands and
woodlands in agricultural areas have been cleared, remaining patches being extremely rare and of high
conservation status. Ian’s research has enhanced the conservation of these endangered ecosystems by: (1)
documenting their poor conservation status; (2) demonstrating that remnants require ongoing management
and disturbances (e.g., fire) to maintain biodiversity; (3) refining management regimes to promote
biodiversity, and (4) developing techniques to restore degraded remnants.
The depth of adoption of Ian’s work is illustrated by the variety of material which accessible via the
internet. For instance, Google searches (in Aug 2007) of Australian web pages yield 782 pages for ‘Lunt
and grassland’ and 930 pages for ‘Lunt and woodland’, including 387 hits for ‘Lunt, grassland and
management plan’ and 221 hits for ‘Lunt and recovery plan’. (Data from Google, not Google Scholar,
which lists additional records from Lunt’s published papers; random searches reveal that over 95% of
entries are to Ian Lunt, not other authors). Specifically, Ian’s research has been cited in nominations to list
at least eight endangered natural communities and species under the commonwealth Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and in recovery plans (under the same Act) for six other communities
and species in SA, NSW, ACT, Vic and Tas. Similarly, Ian’s research has been cited in 13 Action Statements
which prescribe management activitites to conserve 5 threatened communities and 23 threatened species
under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988), plus additional recovery plans under ACT, NSW
and Tasmanian legislation. These citations demonstrate that Ian’s research is directly contributing to policy
devlopment and active on-ground management of these threatened ecosystems. At the local level, Ian’s
research has been extensively refereed to in Management Plans for conservation reserves containing native
grasslands and woodlands, as evidenced by the large number of management plans identified by Google.
The ACT’s conservation strategies for native grasslands and woodlands, for example, quote 13 of Ian’s
papers (Environment ACT 2005a,b). In many of these management plans, Ian’s research has guided the
implementation of disturbance and management regimes to promote biodiversity, particularly fire and
grazing regimes.
The relevance of Ian’s work to on-ground conservation management is also illustrated by Ian’s
development of collaborative research projects with many government agencies, including two ARC
Linkage grants and additional research funding from many agencies in NSW (DECC, DIPNR, NPWS,
BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
12
Greening Australia), Victoria (DSE, Parks Vic, Goulburn-Broken CMA) and the ACT (Environment ACT).
Research users have also recognised Ian’s expertise through invitations to join expert panels and
management committees with many government agencies and NGOs, including: Western Riverina
Regional Vegetation Committee (Ecological Society of Australia Representative); Vegetation Condition
Expert Panel for NSW Department Land and Water Conservation; Technical Advisory Group
(Biodiversity) for the NSW DLWC’s Environmental Services Scheme; Grazing & Biodiversity Advisory
Group, Oolambeyan National Park, NPWS NSW; Steering Committee, Bushcare SE Australia Grassy
Ecosystems Network; and expert grant assessor for Threatened Species Community Grants for the
Worldwide Fund for Nature. Ian’s work epitomises our group’s goal to provide applied research solutions
to complex real-world, conservation problems.
Testimonials available from the following end-users:
Dr Doug Robinson
Regional Manager, Trust for Nature
PO Box 124, Benalla 3672
Ph/Fax: 03 5761 1558, Mobile: 0408 512 441
Email: dougr@tfn.org.au
Sarah Sharp
Senior Plant Ecologist, Research and Monitoring
Parks, Conservation and Lands
PO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601
Tel. 02 6207 2125, Fax 02 6207 2122
Email: sarah.sharp@act.gov.au
Vanessa Craigie
Policy Officer, Threatened Species and Communities
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Department of Sustainability and Environment
2nd Floor, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002
ph. (03) 9637 9851 fax (03) 9637 8451
Email: vanessa.craigie@dse.vic.gov.au
11.
SELF-ASSESSED RATING: Quality: 5
Impact: B