Fenner School of Environment & Society

ANU College ofMedicine, Biology & Environment

Fenner School of Environment & Society

The Australian National University

Canberra ACT 0200

Australia

T +61 2 6125 2579

E fennerschool@anu.edu.au

W fennerschool.anu.edu.au.

R E S E A R C H H I G H L I G H T S

E N V I R O N M E N T & S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

Cover photograph by Bruce Doran

Printed April 2012

MO12054

Introduction 2Professor Stephen Dovers, Director, Fenner School of Environment and Society

Water and People

Running dry 4Professor Tony Jakeman

Water, water everywhere 6Professor Ian White

Climate policy that doesn’t run our rivers dry 8Dr Jamie Pittock

The energy-water-food nexus 10Dr Karen Hussey

Life in landscapes

Rising from the ashes 12Professor David Lindenmayer

A bird’s-eye view of urban planning 14Karen Stagoll

Tales of environmental uncertainty 16Professor Libby Robin

Small ‘eco-engineers’ return to the mainland 18Associate Professor Adrian Manning

Understanding how Australia works

Projecting our future landscape and climate 20Professor Michael Hutchinson

Dust storms and eroding landscapes 22Dr Richard Greene

Tree rings tell a 400-year-old story 24Dr Matthew Brookhouse

Saving homes, saving lives 26Dr Geoff Cary and Dr Phil Gibbons

In the region and the world

Adding value to the PNG balsa industry 28Professor Peter Kanowski and Dr Kulala Mulung

Protecting Kalahari lions 30Kevin MacFarlane

Food for thought as China’s cities grow 32Professor Xuemei Bai

Feeding our cities: Counting the environmental cost 34Dr Rob Dyball and David Dumaresq

Financing global climate change action 36Dr Lorrae van Kerkhoff

C O N T E N T S

Professor Stephen DoversDirector Fenner School of Environment & Society

The stories of exciting research presented here are as diverse as the interrelated challenges that confront the world – climate change, water resources management, human development, population, urbanisation, conserving biodiversity, utilising our precious soils sustainably, and more. To generate the skills and knowledge needed to embrace and resolve these challenges requires a combination of expertise across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. That integration of expertise and perspective is the crucial role the Fenner School of Environment and Society plays, in concert with its many partners in other research groups, government, industry and the community.

The School’s research has been rated as above world standard in the Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) assessment process, guaranteeing the quality of what we do. But our research is useful too, as evidenced by the partnerships and applications described in these stories.

The Fenner School of Environment and Society defines its research and education against the nature of pressing problems, challenges and opportunities, not by the traditions of single disciplines. The School integrates research, education and research training to provide not just answers to today’s questions but to provide the skilled people needed to face the issues of the future. With over one hundred PhD scholars and hundreds of undergraduate and graduate coursework students, we are confident in the tremendous energy and capacity of those who leave the School to go on and influence the future of Australia and the world through their own research and professional practice.

These pages offer a sample of the great challenges the world faces, and some of positive answers to those challenges that our research can produce.

I hope you enjoy reading these stories and that you might wish to learn more by getting in touch.

I N T R O D u C T I O N

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability2 3

Professor Stephen DoversDirector Fenner School of Environment & Society

The stories of exciting research presented here are as diverse as the interrelated challenges that confront the world – climate change, water resources management, human development, population, urbanisation, conserving biodiversity, utilising our precious soils sustainably, and more. To generate the skills and knowledge needed to embrace and resolve these challenges requires a combination of expertise across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. That integration of expertise and perspective is the crucial role the Fenner School of Environment and Society plays, in concert with its many partners in other research groups, government, industry and the community.

The School’s research has been rated as above world standard in the Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) assessment process, guaranteeing the quality of what we do. But our research is useful too, as evidenced by the partnerships and applications described in these stories.

The Fenner School of Environment and Society defines its research and education against the nature of pressing problems, challenges and opportunities, not by the traditions of single disciplines. The School integrates research, education and research training to provide not just answers to today’s questions but to provide the skilled people needed to face the issues of the future. With over one hundred PhD scholars and hundreds of undergraduate and graduate coursework students, we are confident in the tremendous energy and capacity of those who leave the School to go on and influence the future of Australia and the world through their own research and professional practice.

These pages offer a sample of the great challenges the world faces, and some of positive answers to those challenges that our research can produce.

I hope you enjoy reading these stories and that you might wish to learn more by getting in touch.

I N T R O D u C T I O N

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability2 3

Professor Tony JakemanSince Federation, Australian policy makers have grappled with recurring long-term droughts, which have significantly impacted its river and groundwater systems and the agriculture industry. In the grip of an environmental catastrophe with a dangerously parched Murray Darling Basin, the Australian Government responded to its water resource problems by legislating significant water reforms through its National Water Initiative process. The current Government is continuing to implement these water reforms and build its scientific knowledge, databases and models so that it can successfully plan how to share water between the environment and other uses such as agriculture.

Professor Tony Jakeman leads a program for the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, which was set up as part of the National Groundwater Action Plan and co-funded by the National Water Commission and the Australian Research Council in 2009. The role of the program is to integrate socioeconomics, policy and decision support to help the Government understand the various impacts on the health of catchments and surrounding communities.

“Australia simply does not have enough water to sustain our present irrigation needs and not enough to maintain the health of aquatic environments and replenish aquifers,” says Jakeman, who was awarded the Silver Medal of Masaryk university at the International Symposium on Environmental Software Systems 2011 in the Czech Republic for his work in the field of environmental modelling and software. “During decades of plentiful rain, farmers were encouraged to expand irrigation and consequently some groundwater systems became over-allocated. Now the Government is trying to implement policies that allocate water to the environment first, with the remainder then available to other users.”

The program’s modelling offers potential solutions to the country’s susceptibility to long stretches of drought. He works with landholders, irrigation groups, local governments, catchment management agencies and government policy advisors as well as ecologists, hydrologists, economists and other disciplinary experts. Together they define the problems and options to be modelled and assess how ecological, social and economic outcomes can be improved.

“Building these interconnected relationships is also about eliciting everyone’s knowledge, debating it, sharing it and integrating it into the modelling process,” Jakeman explains. “We are trying to work with the best

information we can get, identify gaps in that and build trust with the interest groups.”

Participatory modelling is becoming more commonplace for addressing complex problems, according to Jakeman. Hydrological analysis tells us how much water is available to downstream users and the associated effects on the ecosystems in the rivers, floodplains and wetlands. Yet broader modelling can show how the economics of farmers are affected in a certain scenario and how new technology, clever planting practices and public policy innovations affect these as well.

“Of course modelling carries with it many uncertainties about what it predicts,” Jakeman says. “The trick is to manage this uncertainty so that we can make comparative judgments about the differences between numerous strategies.”

Problems will no doubt continue to beset the allocation of groundwater, according to Jakeman. “Our research has already helped to yield positive management outcomes, but ever-changing political, economic and environmental factors mean there is plenty more work to be done.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

R u N N I N G D R Y

W A T E R A N D P E O P L E

Australia simply does not have enough water to sustain our present irrigation needs

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability4 5

Professor Tony JakemanSince Federation, Australian policy makers have grappled with recurring long-term droughts, which have significantly impacted its river and groundwater systems and the agriculture industry. In the grip of an environmental catastrophe with a dangerously parched Murray Darling Basin, the Australian Government responded to its water resource problems by legislating significant water reforms through its National Water Initiative process. The current Government is continuing to implement these water reforms and build its scientific knowledge, databases and models so that it can successfully plan how to share water between the environment and other uses such as agriculture.

Professor Tony Jakeman leads a program for the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, which was set up as part of the National Groundwater Action Plan and co-funded by the National Water Commission and the Australian Research Council in 2009. The role of the program is to integrate socioeconomics, policy and decision support to help the Government understand the various impacts on the health of catchments and surrounding communities.

“Australia simply does not have enough water to sustain our present irrigation needs and not enough to maintain the health of aquatic environments and replenish aquifers,” says Jakeman, who was awarded the Silver Medal of Masaryk university at the International Symposium on Environmental Software Systems 2011 in the Czech Republic for his work in the field of environmental modelling and software. “During decades of plentiful rain, farmers were encouraged to expand irrigation and consequently some groundwater systems became over-allocated. Now the Government is trying to implement policies that allocate water to the environment first, with the remainder then available to other users.”

The program’s modelling offers potential solutions to the country’s susceptibility to long stretches of drought. He works with landholders, irrigation groups, local governments, catchment management agencies and government policy advisors as well as ecologists, hydrologists, economists and other disciplinary experts. Together they define the problems and options to be modelled and assess how ecological, social and economic outcomes can be improved.

“Building these interconnected relationships is also about eliciting everyone’s knowledge, debating it, sharing it and integrating it into the modelling process,” Jakeman explains. “We are trying to work with the best

information we can get, identify gaps in that and build trust with the interest groups.”

Participatory modelling is becoming more commonplace for addressing complex problems, according to Jakeman. Hydrological analysis tells us how much water is available to downstream users and the associated effects on the ecosystems in the rivers, floodplains and wetlands. Yet broader modelling can show how the economics of farmers are affected in a certain scenario and how new technology, clever planting practices and public policy innovations affect these as well.

“Of course modelling carries with it many uncertainties about what it predicts,” Jakeman says. “The trick is to manage this uncertainty so that we can make comparative judgments about the differences between numerous strategies.”

Problems will no doubt continue to beset the allocation of groundwater, according to Jakeman. “Our research has already helped to yield positive management outcomes, but ever-changing political, economic and environmental factors mean there is plenty more work to be done.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

R u N N I N G D R Y

W A T E R A N D P E O P L E

Australia simply does not have enough water to sustain our present irrigation needs

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability4 5

Professor Ian WhiteMost of the atolls in the Pacific stand less than six metres above sea level, which means they will be partly inundated if sea levels rise to the extent predicted in climate change forecasts. Population centres in atolls and other small islands have water supply problems that are amongst the most complex and critical in the world. Fresh groundwater, the major source of water in many atolls, is extremely vulnerable to natural processes, including frequent El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation related severe droughts, and human activities. Rates of water-borne and hygiene-related illnesses and infant deaths are very high. Sustainable groundwater extraction, protection and use of stored rainwater to supplement freshwater supply throughout droughts are critical for urban areas.

Professor Ian White and his colleagues have been working on water resource management in small island states for nearly two decades. Their work ranges from the purely technical groundwater and climate assessment and modelling - through the environmental, social, demographic, economic and cultural settings in small islands - to assisting governments with the development of national water resources and sanitation policy, implementation plans and legislation. White says the integration of local knowledge is an essential element to develop policies and implementation plans and is a defining feature of the team’s work.

“National policies demonstrate political leadership and provide direction for government agencies and resources,” he explains. “They also reassure communities that their concerns have been heard and enable aid donors to better target island priority issues.”

White’s team has been able to assist countries such as Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati and Nauru to develop water management strategies and implementation plans that have improved the lives of their people. Yet major research challenges remain. “Behavioural change at all levels is fundamentally important for conserving and protecting water,” White says. “Achieving this requires appreciation of the unique cultural, social, economic and geographical contexts of small islands and their long-term commitments.”

Regional pooling of expertise through partnerships with adequately resourced, long-lived regional organisations has the potential to overcome capacity limitations in small island countries, according to White. “The provision of reliable information on the quantity and quality of freshwater, demand, drought strategies, risk reduction and appropriate policies and management systems will help these island countries improve their water management over the next decade.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

W A T E R , W A T E R E V E R Y W H E R E

The provision of reliable information will help these island countries improve their water management over the next decade

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability6 7

Professor Ian WhiteMost of the atolls in the Pacific stand less than six metres above sea level, which means they will be partly inundated if sea levels rise to the extent predicted in climate change forecasts. Population centres in atolls and other small islands have water supply problems that are amongst the most complex and critical in the world. Fresh groundwater, the major source of water in many atolls, is extremely vulnerable to natural processes, including frequent El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation related severe droughts, and human activities. Rates of water-borne and hygiene-related illnesses and infant deaths are very high. Sustainable groundwater extraction, protection and use of stored rainwater to supplement freshwater supply throughout droughts are critical for urban areas.

Professor Ian White and his colleagues have been working on water resource management in small island states for nearly two decades. Their work ranges from the purely technical groundwater and climate assessment and modelling - through the environmental, social, demographic, economic and cultural settings in small islands - to assisting governments with the development of national water resources and sanitation policy, implementation plans and legislation. White says the integration of local knowledge is an essential element to develop policies and implementation plans and is a defining feature of the team’s work.

“National policies demonstrate political leadership and provide direction for government agencies and resources,” he explains. “They also reassure communities that their concerns have been heard and enable aid donors to better target island priority issues.”

White’s team has been able to assist countries such as Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati and Nauru to develop water management strategies and implementation plans that have improved the lives of their people. Yet major research challenges remain. “Behavioural change at all levels is fundamentally important for conserving and protecting water,” White says. “Achieving this requires appreciation of the unique cultural, social, economic and geographical contexts of small islands and their long-term commitments.”

Regional pooling of expertise through partnerships with adequately resourced, long-lived regional organisations has the potential to overcome capacity limitations in small island countries, according to White. “The provision of reliable information on the quantity and quality of freshwater, demand, drought strategies, risk reduction and appropriate policies and management systems will help these island countries improve their water management over the next decade.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

W A T E R , W A T E R E V E R Y W H E R E

The provision of reliable information will help these island countries improve their water management over the next decade

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability6 7

Dr Jamie PittockGlobally, governments often fail to develop integrated climate policy. Many are advocating emission reduction measures, such as increasing hydroelectricity and irrigation for biofuel production, that greatly increase consumption of water from river systems. Governments need to develop policies that not only mitigate the impacts of global warming but adapt to dwindling water supplies, according to scientist Dr Jamie Pittock.

“There are numerous conflicts between climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in Australian policy,” says Pittock, a Fenner School PhD graduate. “One is the carbon farming law that was adopted by the Government. It creates incentives to plant trees that could diminish the water available in rivers. While there are some measures in the legislation to manage that, they are not very well crafted in my view.”

As a researcher at the ANu Crawford School of Economics and Government, Pittock specialises in the integration of freshwater ecosystems management and climate change. He is the director of international programs for the uNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance. This role involves developing research programs that link Australian and southern African expertise to improve management of river basins, water resources for energy production and agriculture. He is also program leader for the Australia-united States Climate, Energy and Water Nexus Project.

Pittock says his PhD research, which examined the integration of climate, river management and water policies, helped prepare him for these important roles. The research involved case studies from Australia, Brazil, China, the European union, India, Mexico, South Africa, Tanzania and the united Kingdom.

One of the solutions to the conflict between climate change mitigation and water policies in Australia is to make the water market and the carbon market work together “synergistically”, Pittock argues. He says Australia can learn from other countries such as South Africa. Water laws in South Africa regulate activities that reduce the stream flow of river systems, such as planting a forest for carbon sequestration. “A new forest uses an enormous amount of water and must have a water entitlement within the total amount of water that is allowed to be withdrawn from a river system,” Pittock explains. “The South African Government has realised that different types of land use changes impact on the amount of water that’s used.”

With national and state jurisdictional conflicts, countries like Australia struggle to implement policies that adequately address sustainability problems such as climate change. Pittock’s research and work with governments will contribute to the development of integrated climate policy that achieves emission reduction with minimal environmental impact.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

C L I M A T E P O L I C Y T H A T D O E S N ’ T R u N O u R R I V E R S D R Y

A new forest uses an enormous amount of water and must have a water entitlement within the total amount of water that is allowed to be withdrawn from a river system

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability8 9

Dr Jamie PittockGlobally, governments often fail to develop integrated climate policy. Many are advocating emission reduction measures, such as increasing hydroelectricity and irrigation for biofuel production, that greatly increase consumption of water from river systems. Governments need to develop policies that not only mitigate the impacts of global warming but adapt to dwindling water supplies, according to scientist Dr Jamie Pittock.

“There are numerous conflicts between climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in Australian policy,” says Pittock, a Fenner School PhD graduate. “One is the carbon farming law that was adopted by the Government. It creates incentives to plant trees that could diminish the water available in rivers. While there are some measures in the legislation to manage that, they are not very well crafted in my view.”

As a researcher at the ANu Crawford School of Economics and Government, Pittock specialises in the integration of freshwater ecosystems management and climate change. He is the director of international programs for the uNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance. This role involves developing research programs that link Australian and southern African expertise to improve management of river basins, water resources for energy production and agriculture. He is also program leader for the Australia-united States Climate, Energy and Water Nexus Project.

Pittock says his PhD research, which examined the integration of climate, river management and water policies, helped prepare him for these important roles. The research involved case studies from Australia, Brazil, China, the European union, India, Mexico, South Africa, Tanzania and the united Kingdom.

One of the solutions to the conflict between climate change mitigation and water policies in Australia is to make the water market and the carbon market work together “synergistically”, Pittock argues. He says Australia can learn from other countries such as South Africa. Water laws in South Africa regulate activities that reduce the stream flow of river systems, such as planting a forest for carbon sequestration. “A new forest uses an enormous amount of water and must have a water entitlement within the total amount of water that is allowed to be withdrawn from a river system,” Pittock explains. “The South African Government has realised that different types of land use changes impact on the amount of water that’s used.”

With national and state jurisdictional conflicts, countries like Australia struggle to implement policies that adequately address sustainability problems such as climate change. Pittock’s research and work with governments will contribute to the development of integrated climate policy that achieves emission reduction with minimal environmental impact.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

C L I M A T E P O L I C Y T H A T D O E S N ’ T R u N O u R R I V E R S D R Y

A new forest uses an enormous amount of water and must have a water entitlement within the total amount of water that is allowed to be withdrawn from a river system

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability8 9

Dr Karen HusseyEnergy production requires massive quantities of water, and most water distribution processes use large amounts of energy. Both sectors have undergone major reform in recent decades, though despite the links between the two sectors energy and water policies are developed largely in isolation from one another.

If policy makers want to improve the efficiency of energy and water utilities, while simultaneously adapting to a changing climate, then the two areas cannot be tackled in isolation. Nor can they be divorced from other policy domains such as agriculture and urban development. The need for better integration between these sectors will become increasingly important as climate changes and water supply becomes more variable.

According to Dr Karen Hussey, more research is needed to examine the interdependencies between energy and water to better inform policy makers how to improve the integration of these vital resources. “There has been very little research into how even the most dominant relationships between energy and water can be incorporated into regional, national and international policy development,” she says, “and once you throw food security into the mix the challenge is immense.” Hussey chairs the ANu Water Initiative with Professor Quentin Grafton and is the program director of the Australia ‐ united States Climate, Energy and Water Nexus Project. A major part of her research focuses on the policy and institutional arrangements necessary to achieve greater integration across the three domains.

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology and ANu are supporting one such research project. Hussey is part of an international and interdisciplinary team, which is examining the links between water and energy – from the impacts on first generation biofuel generation on water resources and food security in Italy, to the regulatory challenges of rapid underground thermal energy expansion in the Netherlands. Hussey says the aim of the study is to develop a comprehensive understanding of these links and the potential trade‐offs between energy and water security.

With the research findings, Hussey will inform government decision makers about how best to manage these links in future policies. “In order to make informed decisions which integrate the energy and water sectors, a greater understanding of where conflicting and synergistic interactions exist between energy, water and food is essential.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T H E E N E R G Y- W A T E R - F O O D N E X u S

A greater understanding of where conflicting and synergistic interactions exist between energy, water and food is essential

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability10 11

Dr Karen HusseyEnergy production requires massive quantities of water, and most water distribution processes use large amounts of energy. Both sectors have undergone major reform in recent decades, though despite the links between the two sectors energy and water policies are developed largely in isolation from one another.

If policy makers want to improve the efficiency of energy and water utilities, while simultaneously adapting to a changing climate, then the two areas cannot be tackled in isolation. Nor can they be divorced from other policy domains such as agriculture and urban development. The need for better integration between these sectors will become increasingly important as climate changes and water supply becomes more variable.

According to Dr Karen Hussey, more research is needed to examine the interdependencies between energy and water to better inform policy makers how to improve the integration of these vital resources. “There has been very little research into how even the most dominant relationships between energy and water can be incorporated into regional, national and international policy development,” she says, “and once you throw food security into the mix the challenge is immense.” Hussey chairs the ANu Water Initiative with Professor Quentin Grafton and is the program director of the Australia ‐ united States Climate, Energy and Water Nexus Project. A major part of her research focuses on the policy and institutional arrangements necessary to achieve greater integration across the three domains.

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology and ANu are supporting one such research project. Hussey is part of an international and interdisciplinary team, which is examining the links between water and energy – from the impacts on first generation biofuel generation on water resources and food security in Italy, to the regulatory challenges of rapid underground thermal energy expansion in the Netherlands. Hussey says the aim of the study is to develop a comprehensive understanding of these links and the potential trade‐offs between energy and water security.

With the research findings, Hussey will inform government decision makers about how best to manage these links in future policies. “In order to make informed decisions which integrate the energy and water sectors, a greater understanding of where conflicting and synergistic interactions exist between energy, water and food is essential.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T H E E N E R G Y- W A T E R - F O O D N E X u S

A greater understanding of where conflicting and synergistic interactions exist between energy, water and food is essential

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability10 11

Professor David LindenmayerThe Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 were devastating for Victoria and its people – the worst in the nation’s history in terms of lost life and damage to property. The ecological impacts were also profound with old-growth forests extensively burnt, including large expanses of mountain ash forests. But they have undergone regeneration, often in astounding and unexpected ways.

Forest Phoenix: How a great forest recovers after wildfire, a book co-authored by researchers from ANu, documents the spectacular recovery of Victoria’s Mountain Ash forests after the Black Saturday bushfires and contends that wildfires of this magnitude are not out of the ordinary in these environments. The book, which won a 2011 Whitley Award, combines stunning colour photography of the ash forests’ natural regeneration with scientific explanations of the many complex post-fire recovery strategies used by plants and animals.

The lead author, Professor David Lindenmayer, is a landscape ecologist and conservation biologist. He has studied Mountain Ash forests for nearly three decades and says better knowledge of fire ecology is essential, because fire is a key ecological process in almost all Australian landscapes.

“High severity fire is quite normal for environments like the Victorian ash forests,” explains Lindenmayer, who has published over 750 scientific articles and 30 books on many key topics in conservation biology, forest ecology and management, wildlife biology and environmental management.

“In the years since the 2009 wildfires, many people have asked: will the forest ever recover? Will the animals come back? We have found through our research in Victoria’s Mountain Ash forests that the answer to both questions is an unequivocal yes.”

Mountain Ash forests are home to hundreds of species of plants, from giant Mountain Ash trees – the world’s tallest flowering plant – to liverworts and mosses on logs on the forest floor. These different species are characterised by markedly different recovery strategies.

There is a range of mechanisms for animal population recovery. Some animals, such as Mountain Brushtail Possums, persist in burned areas, and these surviving individuals promote population recovery. Certain animals will disappear for a time before returning within weeks, months or a few years. However, Greater Gliders, for instance, need large trees with hollows for shelter and nesting. These hollows can take more than 150 years to form.

As Lindenmayer continues to track this ongoing recovery process over the coming decades, he is also investigating a phenomenon that presents a serious threat to the future of Mountain Ash forests. The problem is known as a ‘landscape trap’ and it occurs when entire landscapes are shifted into, and then trapped in, a highly compromised structural and functional state. For example, wildfires are more frequent in forests of young fire-prone trees that have not had a chance to mature into old-growth trees. A range of factors such as climate change and the overharvesting of trees cause this phenomenon.

“This landscape trap will potentially create irreversible changes in fire frequency and severity, forest cover and the structure of vegetation, thereby leading to a major shift in the forest’s ecological cycle,” Lindenmayer warns. “Our research is already attracting a lot of policy and management attention, but more work needs to be done to implement strategies and management interventions to reduce the probability of landscape traps occurring.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

R I S I N G F R O M T H E A S H E S

L I F E I N L A N D S C A P E S

Many people have asked: will the forest ever recover, will the animals come back? The answer to both questions is an unequivocal yes

“

”

Photo taken b

y Dave B

lair

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability12 13

Professor David LindenmayerThe Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 were devastating for Victoria and its people – the worst in the nation’s history in terms of lost life and damage to property. The ecological impacts were also profound with old-growth forests extensively burnt, including large expanses of mountain ash forests. But they have undergone regeneration, often in astounding and unexpected ways.

Forest Phoenix: How a great forest recovers after wildfire, a book co-authored by researchers from ANu, documents the spectacular recovery of Victoria’s Mountain Ash forests after the Black Saturday bushfires and contends that wildfires of this magnitude are not out of the ordinary in these environments. The book, which won a 2011 Whitley Award, combines stunning colour photography of the ash forests’ natural regeneration with scientific explanations of the many complex post-fire recovery strategies used by plants and animals.

The lead author, Professor David Lindenmayer, is a landscape ecologist and conservation biologist. He has studied Mountain Ash forests for nearly three decades and says better knowledge of fire ecology is essential, because fire is a key ecological process in almost all Australian landscapes.

“High severity fire is quite normal for environments like the Victorian ash forests,” explains Lindenmayer, who has published over 750 scientific articles and 30 books on many key topics in conservation biology, forest ecology and management, wildlife biology and environmental management.

“In the years since the 2009 wildfires, many people have asked: will the forest ever recover? Will the animals come back? We have found through our research in Victoria’s Mountain Ash forests that the answer to both questions is an unequivocal yes.”

Mountain Ash forests are home to hundreds of species of plants, from giant Mountain Ash trees – the world’s tallest flowering plant – to liverworts and mosses on logs on the forest floor. These different species are characterised by markedly different recovery strategies.

There is a range of mechanisms for animal population recovery. Some animals, such as Mountain Brushtail Possums, persist in burned areas, and these surviving individuals promote population recovery. Certain animals will disappear for a time before returning within weeks, months or a few years. However, Greater Gliders, for instance, need large trees with hollows for shelter and nesting. These hollows can take more than 150 years to form.

As Lindenmayer continues to track this ongoing recovery process over the coming decades, he is also investigating a phenomenon that presents a serious threat to the future of Mountain Ash forests. The problem is known as a ‘landscape trap’ and it occurs when entire landscapes are shifted into, and then trapped in, a highly compromised structural and functional state. For example, wildfires are more frequent in forests of young fire-prone trees that have not had a chance to mature into old-growth trees. A range of factors such as climate change and the overharvesting of trees cause this phenomenon.

“This landscape trap will potentially create irreversible changes in fire frequency and severity, forest cover and the structure of vegetation, thereby leading to a major shift in the forest’s ecological cycle,” Lindenmayer warns. “Our research is already attracting a lot of policy and management attention, but more work needs to be done to implement strategies and management interventions to reduce the probability of landscape traps occurring.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

R I S I N G F R O M T H E A S H E S

L I F E I N L A N D S C A P E S

Many people have asked: will the forest ever recover, will the animals come back? The answer to both questions is an unequivocal yes

“

”

Photo taken b

y Dave B

lair

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability12 13

Karen StagollHalf the world’s human population lives in urban areas – experts expect this figure to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. Research evidence suggests that increases in the numbers and size of cities are exacerbating nearly every environmental problem. urbanisation is a rapid and profound form of landscape change and poses a serious threat to birds, in particular.

Some people might think that the conservation of birds in urban areas is a futile endeavour, but emerging researcher Karen Stagoll begs to differ. Her PhD is looking at conservation planning and management of birds in urban and future urban areas. The Fenner School of Environment and Society and the Conservation Planning and Research unit within the ACT Department of Environment and Sustainable Development are funding the research. “There are many reasons to care about bird conservation,” Stagoll says. “They are bellwethers of environmental change. If bird populations significantly change in an area it indicates that human activity is causing substantial ecological disturbance. Aside from environmental factors, birds also have a positive impact on our well-being and help us appreciate our natural surroundings.”

In her case study of the Molonglo Valley in south-eastern Australia, Stagoll found that declines in the richness and prevalence of bird and woodland species are associated with land use and vegetation cover and structure. “Areas without trees supported the fewest bird species, but interestingly the presence of a single eucalypt tree was enough to increase the variety of bird species to levels similar to some woodland sites,” Stagoll explains. “Large trees, in particular, play a vital role in urban landscapes because they provide a habitat for a wide range of birds and other animals.”

It is essential that urban policy makers, planners and developers consider conservation goals when

making land usage and vegetation decisions, according to Stagoll. Her research findings will help inform decision makers about the important flora and fauna habitat associations in urban and peri-urban landscapes. “My research aids policy makers, planners and developers to identify critical woodland habitats and birds at risk from urban developments. It also informs their choice of impact mitigation measures.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

A B I R D ’ S - E Y E V I E W O F u R B A N P L A N N I N G

Large trees play a vital role in urban landscapes

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability14 15

Karen StagollHalf the world’s human population lives in urban areas – experts expect this figure to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. Research evidence suggests that increases in the numbers and size of cities are exacerbating nearly every environmental problem. urbanisation is a rapid and profound form of landscape change and poses a serious threat to birds, in particular.

Some people might think that the conservation of birds in urban areas is a futile endeavour, but emerging researcher Karen Stagoll begs to differ. Her PhD is looking at conservation planning and management of birds in urban and future urban areas. The Fenner School of Environment and Society and the Conservation Planning and Research unit within the ACT Department of Environment and Sustainable Development are funding the research. “There are many reasons to care about bird conservation,” Stagoll says. “They are bellwethers of environmental change. If bird populations significantly change in an area it indicates that human activity is causing substantial ecological disturbance. Aside from environmental factors, birds also have a positive impact on our well-being and help us appreciate our natural surroundings.”

In her case study of the Molonglo Valley in south-eastern Australia, Stagoll found that declines in the richness and prevalence of bird and woodland species are associated with land use and vegetation cover and structure. “Areas without trees supported the fewest bird species, but interestingly the presence of a single eucalypt tree was enough to increase the variety of bird species to levels similar to some woodland sites,” Stagoll explains. “Large trees, in particular, play a vital role in urban landscapes because they provide a habitat for a wide range of birds and other animals.”

It is essential that urban policy makers, planners and developers consider conservation goals when

making land usage and vegetation decisions, according to Stagoll. Her research findings will help inform decision makers about the important flora and fauna habitat associations in urban and peri-urban landscapes. “My research aids policy makers, planners and developers to identify critical woodland habitats and birds at risk from urban developments. It also informs their choice of impact mitigation measures.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

A B I R D ’ S - E Y E V I E W O F u R B A N P L A N N I N G

Large trees play a vital role in urban landscapes

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability14 15

Professor Libby RobinWhy do pelicans fly inland after rain, even though they didn’t see it falling? They somehow know that this is the moment to find huge ephemeral lakes where they can breed, in country that is normally desert. Pelicans have adapted to the world’s most variable climate, the climate of inland Australia, to seek out and exploit its resources.

The story of the pelican is told in Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country, which was conceptualised by Professor Libby Robin and her colleague Professor Robert Heinsohn. PhD scholar Julian Reid contributed the tale of the pelican, which is part of his major work on the ecology of Australian inland birds. Robin and Heinsohn set out to explore the variable climate of arid Australia and the way people and animals have adapted to its ‘boom and bust’ regime. The book won the 2009 Whitley Medal for a Landmark Zoological Publication.

Robin is an historian of science and environmental ideas and she has been awarded several national prizes in literature and in history for her books. With the threat of global climate change, her research interests remain focused on the uncertainty of the planet’s future.

One of her current international projects is the anthology Nature’s Future: Documents of Global Change. The research themes in this work resonate with those elucidated in Boom and Bust. “Increasingly the whole world is seeking models of how to live with unpredictable seasons,” Robin says.

Much like birds have needed to find ways to cope with uncertain climate scenarios, humans need to chart a course for survival through environmental change. “The Nature’s Future project traces the origins and development of environmental ideas since 1713 when von Carlowitz came up with the concept of ‘sustainability’. The book offers students of global environmental studies insights into the roots of the problems that underpin the work they do,” Robin says.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T A L E S O F E N V I R O N M E N T A L u N C E R T A I N T Y

The whole world is seeking models of how to live with uncertain and unpredictable seasons

“

”

Photo taken b

y Dave B

lair

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment16 Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability 17

Professor Libby RobinWhy do pelicans fly inland after rain, even though they didn’t see it falling? They somehow know that this is the moment to find huge ephemeral lakes where they can breed, in country that is normally desert. Pelicans have adapted to the world’s most variable climate, the climate of inland Australia, to seek out and exploit its resources.

The story of the pelican is told in Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country, which was conceptualised by Professor Libby Robin and her colleague Professor Robert Heinsohn. PhD scholar Julian Reid contributed the tale of the pelican, which is part of his major work on the ecology of Australian inland birds. Robin and Heinsohn set out to explore the variable climate of arid Australia and the way people and animals have adapted to its ‘boom and bust’ regime. The book won the 2009 Whitley Medal for a Landmark Zoological Publication.

Robin is an historian of science and environmental ideas and she has been awarded several national prizes in literature and in history for her books. With the threat of global climate change, her research interests remain focused on the uncertainty of the planet’s future.

One of her current international projects is the anthology Nature’s Future: Documents of Global Change. The research themes in this work resonate with those elucidated in Boom and Bust. “Increasingly the whole world is seeking models of how to live with unpredictable seasons,” Robin says.

Much like birds have needed to find ways to cope with uncertain climate scenarios, humans need to chart a course for survival through environmental change. “The Nature’s Future project traces the origins and development of environmental ideas since 1713 when von Carlowitz came up with the concept of ‘sustainability’. The book offers students of global environmental studies insights into the roots of the problems that underpin the work they do,” Robin says.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T A L E S O F E N V I R O N M E N T A L u N C E R T A I N T Y

The whole world is seeking models of how to live with uncertain and unpredictable seasons

“

”

Photo taken b

y Dave B

lair

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment16 Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability 17

Associate Professor Adrian ManningA small ‘kangaroo-rat’ called the Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) was once widespread in south-eastern Australia. Predators such as foxes and cats, and land clearing to make way for agriculture, caused the extinction of the species on the mainland in the 1920s. Also known as the Tasmanian Bettong, the small mammal luckily remains common in the eastern part of Tasmania, but the introduction of red foxes to the island state poses a major threat to the species.

As part of a long-term research project, Eastern Bettongs have returned to the Australian mainland for the first time in 80 years. Associate Professor Adrian Manning is leading the Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment in partnership with the ACT Government and CSIRO. Manning says the study aims to understand ways of restoring the structure and function of temperate woodlands to increase biodiversity.

In an effort to re-establish the once abundant Eastern Bettongs on the eastern seaboard, a team of scientists and land managers has recently transferred 19 of the bettongs from Tasmania to specialist breeding facilities at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT. The research team will move these small mammals to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary near Canberra in autumn 2012. “Tasmanian Bettongs act like ‘ecosystem engineers’,” Manning explains. “While digging soil looking for truffles they move fungal spores, improve soil conditions and encourage excellent water infiltration – these processes are essential elements for a healthy ecosystem.”

The research team is working to better understand the impact of these reintroduced animals on the woodland ecosystem. Manning is particularly interested to find out whether these bettongs can serve a role in repairing critically endangered box gum grassy woodlands. “The site at Mulligans Flat where we will reintroduce the bettongs next autumn is an ‘outdoor laboratory’ for learning about restoration of temperate woodlands,” he says. “Mulligans Flat is a public reserve surrounded by a predator-proof fence.”

According to Manning, this project will be a catalyst for changing thinking about how we rebuild lost ecosystems. “This project provides an innovative example of how researchers and government can work together to deliver a more evidence-based approach to conservation,” he says. “This kind of collaborative work takes longer to set up but I think you get greater returns in the long run.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

S M A L L ‘ E C O - E N G I N E E R S ’ R E T u R N T O T H E M A I N L A N D

The site is an outdoor laboratory for learning about restoration of temperate woodlands

“”

Photo taken b

y Dave W

atts

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability18 19

Associate Professor Adrian ManningA small ‘kangaroo-rat’ called the Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) was once widespread in south-eastern Australia. Predators such as foxes and cats, and land clearing to make way for agriculture, caused the extinction of the species on the mainland in the 1920s. Also known as the Tasmanian Bettong, the small mammal luckily remains common in the eastern part of Tasmania, but the introduction of red foxes to the island state poses a major threat to the species.

As part of a long-term research project, Eastern Bettongs have returned to the Australian mainland for the first time in 80 years. Associate Professor Adrian Manning is leading the Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment in partnership with the ACT Government and CSIRO. Manning says the study aims to understand ways of restoring the structure and function of temperate woodlands to increase biodiversity.

In an effort to re-establish the once abundant Eastern Bettongs on the eastern seaboard, a team of scientists and land managers has recently transferred 19 of the bettongs from Tasmania to specialist breeding facilities at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT. The research team will move these small mammals to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary near Canberra in autumn 2012. “Tasmanian Bettongs act like ‘ecosystem engineers’,” Manning explains. “While digging soil looking for truffles they move fungal spores, improve soil conditions and encourage excellent water infiltration – these processes are essential elements for a healthy ecosystem.”

The research team is working to better understand the impact of these reintroduced animals on the woodland ecosystem. Manning is particularly interested to find out whether these bettongs can serve a role in repairing critically endangered box gum grassy woodlands. “The site at Mulligans Flat where we will reintroduce the bettongs next autumn is an ‘outdoor laboratory’ for learning about restoration of temperate woodlands,” he says. “Mulligans Flat is a public reserve surrounded by a predator-proof fence.”

According to Manning, this project will be a catalyst for changing thinking about how we rebuild lost ecosystems. “This project provides an innovative example of how researchers and government can work together to deliver a more evidence-based approach to conservation,” he says. “This kind of collaborative work takes longer to set up but I think you get greater returns in the long run.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

S M A L L ‘ E C O - E N G I N E E R S ’ R E T u R N T O T H E M A I N L A N D

The site is an outdoor laboratory for learning about restoration of temperate woodlands

“”

Photo taken b

y Dave W

atts

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability18 19

Professor Michael HutchinsonBack in the early 1980s, there were no such things as climate models or spatial analysis techniques to determine the shape of terrain and water flow across a landscape. Experts in the field inferred the climate of an area from the type of vegetation that it supported. Professor Michael Hutchinson turned this world upside down by using his mathematical, statistical and computing expertise to develop a completely new kind of environmental modelling software. He and his research colleagues were at the forefront of the development of elevation and spatial climate modelling and geographical information systems. Today, Hutchinson specialises in spatial and temporal analysis. In his current role, he continues to refine a suite of software applications for research areas ranging from a landscape’s surface drainage structure to climate forecasts.

Hutchinson’s computer program ANuDEM models elevation and the surface drainage structure across a landscape. It provides a sensible, connected drainage structure that can quite reliably determine where river streams are. This innovation led to the discovery of a network of hidden streams lying about 35 metres under the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert.

Over time, he has improved the software so that it can represent other significant natural landmarks such as cliffs in various parts of Australia. The early models did not take cliffs into account but with a version of the digital elevation model, released about 10 years ago, Hutchinson found it illuminating to explicitly model them. “Incorporating cliffs into ANuDEM allows for a much better representation and understanding of the elevation and surface drainage structure of the landscape.”

In 2011, Hutchinson’s ANu team and collaborating institutions released the latest incarnation of the national digital elevation model. They used the ANuDEM software to construct the new model with data

collected by NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission in 2000. It is far superior to its predecessors in terms of the elevation accuracy and spatial detail of Australia’s landscape and water resources. The major upgrade to the ANuDEM modelling software improves the representation of streamlines, lakes, cliff lines and the coastline. “This modelling tool can, for example, be used to measure the amount of flood water in a floodplain and to predict the impact of potential future floods,” Hutchinson explains. “The Bureau of Meteorology and others use it to improve their understanding of how water moves through stream networks within well-defined catchment boundaries.”

Other computer-generated models Hutchinson has developed help policy makers visualise the effects of projected climate change on landscapes and wildlife. ANuSPLIN is an application that correlates climate with topography, and ANuCLIM uses the spatial climate models produced by ANuSPLIN to map species distributions and to generate growth indices for crops and plants. Hutchinson’s research group works closely with Australian, Canadian and uS government agencies to provide spatial and temporal models of rainfall, temperature and other climate variables.

Hutchinson’s ongoing mission is to work more in the climate domain, continuing to focus on modelling the impacts of forecasted climatic conditions. He wants to apply the broad-scale changes projected in global models to his team’s fine-scale models. The spatial climate methods his team has developed are applicable to all countries and have been applied by others to generate global climate maps. “We will be able to better describe the spatial and temporal distribution of climate worldwide and in individual countries for current times and projected future climates,” Hutchinson says. “Governments will be able to use these climate models to develop effective climate change adaptation measures.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

P R O J E C T I N G O u R F u T u R E L A N D S C A P E A N D C L I M A T E

u N D E R S T A N D I N G H O W A u S T R A L I A W O R K S

This modelling tool can be used to measure the amount of flood water in a floodplain and predict the impact of potential future floods

“

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ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability20 21

Professor Michael HutchinsonBack in the early 1980s, there were no such things as climate models or spatial analysis techniques to determine the shape of terrain and water flow across a landscape. Experts in the field inferred the climate of an area from the type of vegetation that it supported. Professor Michael Hutchinson turned this world upside down by using his mathematical, statistical and computing expertise to develop a completely new kind of environmental modelling software. He and his research colleagues were at the forefront of the development of elevation and spatial climate modelling and geographical information systems. Today, Hutchinson specialises in spatial and temporal analysis. In his current role, he continues to refine a suite of software applications for research areas ranging from a landscape’s surface drainage structure to climate forecasts.

Hutchinson’s computer program ANuDEM models elevation and the surface drainage structure across a landscape. It provides a sensible, connected drainage structure that can quite reliably determine where river streams are. This innovation led to the discovery of a network of hidden streams lying about 35 metres under the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert.

Over time, he has improved the software so that it can represent other significant natural landmarks such as cliffs in various parts of Australia. The early models did not take cliffs into account but with a version of the digital elevation model, released about 10 years ago, Hutchinson found it illuminating to explicitly model them. “Incorporating cliffs into ANuDEM allows for a much better representation and understanding of the elevation and surface drainage structure of the landscape.”

In 2011, Hutchinson’s ANu team and collaborating institutions released the latest incarnation of the national digital elevation model. They used the ANuDEM software to construct the new model with data

collected by NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission in 2000. It is far superior to its predecessors in terms of the elevation accuracy and spatial detail of Australia’s landscape and water resources. The major upgrade to the ANuDEM modelling software improves the representation of streamlines, lakes, cliff lines and the coastline. “This modelling tool can, for example, be used to measure the amount of flood water in a floodplain and to predict the impact of potential future floods,” Hutchinson explains. “The Bureau of Meteorology and others use it to improve their understanding of how water moves through stream networks within well-defined catchment boundaries.”

Other computer-generated models Hutchinson has developed help policy makers visualise the effects of projected climate change on landscapes and wildlife. ANuSPLIN is an application that correlates climate with topography, and ANuCLIM uses the spatial climate models produced by ANuSPLIN to map species distributions and to generate growth indices for crops and plants. Hutchinson’s research group works closely with Australian, Canadian and uS government agencies to provide spatial and temporal models of rainfall, temperature and other climate variables.

Hutchinson’s ongoing mission is to work more in the climate domain, continuing to focus on modelling the impacts of forecasted climatic conditions. He wants to apply the broad-scale changes projected in global models to his team’s fine-scale models. The spatial climate methods his team has developed are applicable to all countries and have been applied by others to generate global climate maps. “We will be able to better describe the spatial and temporal distribution of climate worldwide and in individual countries for current times and projected future climates,” Hutchinson says. “Governments will be able to use these climate models to develop effective climate change adaptation measures.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

P R O J E C T I N G O u R F u T u R E L A N D S C A P E A N D C L I M A T E

u N D E R S T A N D I N G H O W A u S T R A L I A W O R K S

This modelling tool can be used to measure the amount of flood water in a floodplain and predict the impact of potential future floods

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability20 21

Dr Richard GreeneThe sky was a deep red hue. Dust from Australia’s barren ‘red centre’ had blown across and blanketed much of the continent’s east coast, including Sydney. When all of this happened in September 2009, some people thought it was Armageddon. While it was unusual for the dust to have travelled as far as the east coast, this type of event is not uncommon in other regions of Australia. This phenomenon is part of an aeolian process – when wind shapes the landscape.

Dust actually plays a major role in landscape development and processes in Australia, according to Dr Richard Greene, a soil and land management specialist. “Layers of dust up to three metres thick form across many parts of the Australian landscape, particularly in south-eastern Australia. Loose sediments from the Lake Eyre and Murray Darling basins are the likely source of much of the fine-grained dust that the wind transports across the continent.”

The conceptual model Greene has developed with colleagues hypothesises that this dust travels predominantly from west to east and settles in the eastern highlands. Much of it then eventually returns to the semiarid floodplains and arid drainage basins, effectively creating a recycling system. “Learning why and how this process occurs will be critical for addressing numerous research questions,” Greene says.

Greene’s research also focuses on the nature and makeup of dust particles, which can significantly influence environmental degradation processes such as salinisation and soil erosion. “Large amounts of salt are often transported by dust storms and dumped on farmlands, which causes real problems for growing crops,” he explains. “The dust particles break down when it rains, which is one of the main causes of soil erosion.”

Greene’s research is addressing a multitude of environment problems. These range from finding ways to minimise the impact of dust storms on air quality in our cities, to recommending sustainable land practices based on research into 2.6 million years of soil and landscape evolution.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

D u S T S T O R M S A N D E R O D I N G L A N D S C A P E S

“

”

Layers of dust up to three metres thick form across many parts of the Australian landscape

Photo taken b

y Ruth A

nne Stevens

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability22 23

Dr Richard GreeneThe sky was a deep red hue. Dust from Australia’s barren ‘red centre’ had blown across and blanketed much of the continent’s east coast, including Sydney. When all of this happened in September 2009, some people thought it was Armageddon. While it was unusual for the dust to have travelled as far as the east coast, this type of event is not uncommon in other regions of Australia. This phenomenon is part of an aeolian process – when wind shapes the landscape.

Dust actually plays a major role in landscape development and processes in Australia, according to Dr Richard Greene, a soil and land management specialist. “Layers of dust up to three metres thick form across many parts of the Australian landscape, particularly in south-eastern Australia. Loose sediments from the Lake Eyre and Murray Darling basins are the likely source of much of the fine-grained dust that the wind transports across the continent.”

The conceptual model Greene has developed with colleagues hypothesises that this dust travels predominantly from west to east and settles in the eastern highlands. Much of it then eventually returns to the semiarid floodplains and arid drainage basins, effectively creating a recycling system. “Learning why and how this process occurs will be critical for addressing numerous research questions,” Greene says.

Greene’s research also focuses on the nature and makeup of dust particles, which can significantly influence environmental degradation processes such as salinisation and soil erosion. “Large amounts of salt are often transported by dust storms and dumped on farmlands, which causes real problems for growing crops,” he explains. “The dust particles break down when it rains, which is one of the main causes of soil erosion.”

Greene’s research is addressing a multitude of environment problems. These range from finding ways to minimise the impact of dust storms on air quality in our cities, to recommending sustainable land practices based on research into 2.6 million years of soil and landscape evolution.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

D u S T S T O R M S A N D E R O D I N G L A N D S C A P E S

“

”

Layers of dust up to three metres thick form across many parts of the Australian landscape

Photo taken b

y Ruth A

nne Stevens

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability22 23

Dr Matthew BrookhouseThe cold, snowbound alps of south-eastern Australia might seem an unlikely place to research climate change. However, one scientist believes that centuries-old native species in the Australian Alps, such as Mountain Plum-pine (Podocarpus lawrencei), hold vital secrets about our past climate. Dr Matthew Brookhouse uses tree ring samples to document the growth chronology of individual trees, building a comprehensive climate record and fire history for the highlands of south-eastern Australia.

In turn, these records will inform future water planning and bushfire prevention decisions. “Plum-pines will do more than provide insights into the past climate of Australia – they might also provide warning signs for what we’ll be facing in the future,” says Brookhouse.

In 2003 and 2006, fires burned millions of hectares of forest in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, including numerous stands of Podocarpus. “Plum-pine grows in boulder streams, which don’t carry fuel to support fire, so they’re ordinarily protected from wildfires,” Brookhouse says. “However, extreme fires like those in 2003 and 2006 have the capacity to burn across stands of Mountain Plum-pines that would not normally burn.”

With about 500 Plum-pine tree ring samples from the fire-affected area, Brookhouse is using a range of techniques to analyse the material. This includes measuring the density of individual rings, which correlate with growing season temperatures.

So far the oldest specimen that Brookhouse has worked with is about 416 years old, predating European settlement. Tree ring climate reconstruction using samples from Victoria replicates the cycle of droughts and wet periods, including the recent decade-long dry spell. “The data I’ve collected so far suggests that we could have multi-decadal periods of low rainfall and low river flow,” Brookhouse says.

With the complete dataset, Brookhouse will produce a landscape-level reconstruction of the region’s climate for the last 400 years. “Gaining an understanding of past weather conditions and fire events will indicate how vulnerable these species will be to projected temperature increases in the future. The findings from my research will give government decision makers a clear picture of the risks associated with climate change and the importance of climate change mitigation.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T R E E R I N G S T E L L A 4 0 0 - Y E A R - O L D S T O R Y

Plum-pines provide insights into the past climate of Australian and warning signs for what we’ll be facing in the future

“”

Photo taken b

y Matt B

rookhouse

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability24 25

Dr Matthew BrookhouseThe cold, snowbound alps of south-eastern Australia might seem an unlikely place to research climate change. However, one scientist believes that centuries-old native species in the Australian Alps, such as Mountain Plum-pine (Podocarpus lawrencei), hold vital secrets about our past climate. Dr Matthew Brookhouse uses tree ring samples to document the growth chronology of individual trees, building a comprehensive climate record and fire history for the highlands of south-eastern Australia.

In turn, these records will inform future water planning and bushfire prevention decisions. “Plum-pines will do more than provide insights into the past climate of Australia – they might also provide warning signs for what we’ll be facing in the future,” says Brookhouse.

In 2003 and 2006, fires burned millions of hectares of forest in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, including numerous stands of Podocarpus. “Plum-pine grows in boulder streams, which don’t carry fuel to support fire, so they’re ordinarily protected from wildfires,” Brookhouse says. “However, extreme fires like those in 2003 and 2006 have the capacity to burn across stands of Mountain Plum-pines that would not normally burn.”

With about 500 Plum-pine tree ring samples from the fire-affected area, Brookhouse is using a range of techniques to analyse the material. This includes measuring the density of individual rings, which correlate with growing season temperatures.

So far the oldest specimen that Brookhouse has worked with is about 416 years old, predating European settlement. Tree ring climate reconstruction using samples from Victoria replicates the cycle of droughts and wet periods, including the recent decade-long dry spell. “The data I’ve collected so far suggests that we could have multi-decadal periods of low rainfall and low river flow,” Brookhouse says.

With the complete dataset, Brookhouse will produce a landscape-level reconstruction of the region’s climate for the last 400 years. “Gaining an understanding of past weather conditions and fire events will indicate how vulnerable these species will be to projected temperature increases in the future. The findings from my research will give government decision makers a clear picture of the risks associated with climate change and the importance of climate change mitigation.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

T R E E R I N G S T E L L A 4 0 0 - Y E A R - O L D S T O R Y

Plum-pines provide insights into the past climate of Australian and warning signs for what we’ll be facing in the future

“”

Photo taken b

y Matt B

rookhouse

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability24 25

Dr Geoff Cary and Dr Phil GibbonsBushfires are a natural part of the environment. They have a positive impact on many ecosystems, with plants having evolved to regenerate and reproduce around fire events. However, bushfires can also destroy homes and result in the loss of life. As human population density increases and extreme fire weather becomes more frequent, these threats will intensify in the future.

Dr Geoff Cary, who leads an international consortium of bushfire computer modellers, is looking at the impacts of fire around the world. Cary says that whilst studies show that weather conditions play the greatest role in the spread of fire, land management techniques, such as vegetation thinning and prescribed burning to reduce bushfire fuel loads, have the ability to save both homes and lives.

“using computer fire simulations we’ve shown that the extent of bushfires adjacent to human populations can be reduced with targeted land management. We found that the most effective way to do this is by reducing bushfire fuel loads at the edge of fire prone areas, which is often where houses are built,” explains Cary.

These findings are reinforced by the research of Dr Phil Gibbons. Gibbons and his team are studying how different land management practices provided varying levels of protection to homes during the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009. “The Black Saturday bushfires were the most devastating fires in Australia’s history, destroying 2133 homes and resulting in 173 deaths.”

Gibbons’ team compared detailed before-and-after satellite images of more than 500 homes affected by the Black Saturday bushfires, a third of which were destroyed. “We found that clearing trees and shrubs within 40 metres of houses was the most effective form of fuel reduction to save homes,” Gibbons explained. “This was more than twice as effective as prescribed burning.”

Cary and Gibbons’ research has had immediate impact in government policy with the Victorian Premier stating that the findings would be considered for incorporation into future policy. “More than 70 per cent of the people who died in the Black Saturday bushfires died within or around their home,” Cary noted. “If we can develop policy that saves homes, we will be saving lives.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

S A V I N G H O M E S , S A V I N G L I V E S

The impact of bushfires on human populations can be reduced with targeted fuel management

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability26 27

Dr Geoff Cary and Dr Phil GibbonsBushfires are a natural part of the environment. They have a positive impact on many ecosystems, with plants having evolved to regenerate and reproduce around fire events. However, bushfires can also destroy homes and result in the loss of life. As human population density increases and extreme fire weather becomes more frequent, these threats will intensify in the future.

Dr Geoff Cary, who leads an international consortium of bushfire computer modellers, is looking at the impacts of fire around the world. Cary says that whilst studies show that weather conditions play the greatest role in the spread of fire, land management techniques, such as vegetation thinning and prescribed burning to reduce bushfire fuel loads, have the ability to save both homes and lives.

“using computer fire simulations we’ve shown that the extent of bushfires adjacent to human populations can be reduced with targeted land management. We found that the most effective way to do this is by reducing bushfire fuel loads at the edge of fire prone areas, which is often where houses are built,” explains Cary.

These findings are reinforced by the research of Dr Phil Gibbons. Gibbons and his team are studying how different land management practices provided varying levels of protection to homes during the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009. “The Black Saturday bushfires were the most devastating fires in Australia’s history, destroying 2133 homes and resulting in 173 deaths.”

Gibbons’ team compared detailed before-and-after satellite images of more than 500 homes affected by the Black Saturday bushfires, a third of which were destroyed. “We found that clearing trees and shrubs within 40 metres of houses was the most effective form of fuel reduction to save homes,” Gibbons explained. “This was more than twice as effective as prescribed burning.”

Cary and Gibbons’ research has had immediate impact in government policy with the Victorian Premier stating that the findings would be considered for incorporation into future policy. “More than 70 per cent of the people who died in the Black Saturday bushfires died within or around their home,” Cary noted. “If we can develop policy that saves homes, we will be saving lives.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

S A V I N G H O M E S , S A V I N G L I V E S

The impact of bushfires on human populations can be reduced with targeted fuel management

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability26 27

Professor Peter Kanowski and Dr Kulala MulungBalsa wood is a material one might use to make a model aeroplane as it is light-weight and durable. Indeed, it is a remarkably strong building material relative to its weight. Manufacturers use the wood to make products as diverse as surfboards and rotor blades for wind turbines, and there is growing market demand for composite products containing balsa. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the provincial government of East New Britain, in Papua New Guinea, initiated a reforestation program in heavily logged areas involving the introduction of balsa trees. Farmers planted balsa trees in parts of Pomio, Baining and the hinterland of the Gazelle Peninsula. Since then, balsa plantations have spread to cocoa growing areas of the province. Today, many people in East New Britain rely on balsa crops as an important contributor to their livelihoods.

A research team led by Professor Peter Kanowski and Dr Kulala Mulung is conducting a five-year study in the province that seeks to support the local balsa industry. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, an Australian Government initiative, is funding the project. The study aims to better understand the management of time sensitivities, determine aspects that those in the local industry could improve and find ways of making the ‘value chain’ more efficient and lucrative.

The value chain comprises a series of activities through which the balsa is produced, distributed and marketed. At each stage of the chain, farmers and producers add value to the balsa and make a profit when they sell their product. Each party in the value chain needs to manage risk and protect their interests. By developing processes that cut costs and maintain or improve the quality of their products, smallholders and producers can boost profits and ensure the sustainability of their businesses.

“Balsa tree growing, as with any smallholding crop grown for commercial returns, requires two key supporting elements: a market and a route to that market,” Kanowski explains. “Before a farmer can sell a crop to a willing buyer, they must develop a site and manage their balsa trees to ensure that seedlings reach their potential.” Weed control and tree form are important issues that can affect the value of a balsa farmer’s crop.

A processor, like a smallholder, must have a market and a route to market for the finished goods, Kanowski explains. “A processor must meet market demand by harvesting and transporting logs of suitable attributes

to a processing facility,” he says. “They need to convert the unprocessed balsa into commercial products that meet the requirements of international markets and then transport and export their finished products efficiently and cost-effectively.”

There is considerable potential to improve the lives of Papua New Guineans by bolstering the balsa industry, according to Kanowski. “We are supporting landowners and producers to develop better management practices and gain access to markets for their products more easily,” he says. “ultimately, this will help to improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of Papua New Guineans.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

A D D I N G V A L u E T O T H E P N G B A L S A I N D u S T R Y

Balsa tree growing requires two key supporting elements: a market and a route to that market

“

”

I N T H E R E G I O N A N D T H E W O R L D

Photo taken b

y Peter K

anowski

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability28 29

Professor Peter Kanowski and Dr Kulala MulungBalsa wood is a material one might use to make a model aeroplane as it is light-weight and durable. Indeed, it is a remarkably strong building material relative to its weight. Manufacturers use the wood to make products as diverse as surfboards and rotor blades for wind turbines, and there is growing market demand for composite products containing balsa. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the provincial government of East New Britain, in Papua New Guinea, initiated a reforestation program in heavily logged areas involving the introduction of balsa trees. Farmers planted balsa trees in parts of Pomio, Baining and the hinterland of the Gazelle Peninsula. Since then, balsa plantations have spread to cocoa growing areas of the province. Today, many people in East New Britain rely on balsa crops as an important contributor to their livelihoods.

A research team led by Professor Peter Kanowski and Dr Kulala Mulung is conducting a five-year study in the province that seeks to support the local balsa industry. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, an Australian Government initiative, is funding the project. The study aims to better understand the management of time sensitivities, determine aspects that those in the local industry could improve and find ways of making the ‘value chain’ more efficient and lucrative.

The value chain comprises a series of activities through which the balsa is produced, distributed and marketed. At each stage of the chain, farmers and producers add value to the balsa and make a profit when they sell their product. Each party in the value chain needs to manage risk and protect their interests. By developing processes that cut costs and maintain or improve the quality of their products, smallholders and producers can boost profits and ensure the sustainability of their businesses.

“Balsa tree growing, as with any smallholding crop grown for commercial returns, requires two key supporting elements: a market and a route to that market,” Kanowski explains. “Before a farmer can sell a crop to a willing buyer, they must develop a site and manage their balsa trees to ensure that seedlings reach their potential.” Weed control and tree form are important issues that can affect the value of a balsa farmer’s crop.

A processor, like a smallholder, must have a market and a route to market for the finished goods, Kanowski explains. “A processor must meet market demand by harvesting and transporting logs of suitable attributes

to a processing facility,” he says. “They need to convert the unprocessed balsa into commercial products that meet the requirements of international markets and then transport and export their finished products efficiently and cost-effectively.”

There is considerable potential to improve the lives of Papua New Guineans by bolstering the balsa industry, according to Kanowski. “We are supporting landowners and producers to develop better management practices and gain access to markets for their products more easily,” he says. “ultimately, this will help to improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of Papua New Guineans.”

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

A D D I N G V A L u E T O T H E P N G B A L S A I N D u S T R Y

Balsa tree growing requires two key supporting elements: a market and a route to that market

“

”

I N T H E R E G I O N A N D T H E W O R L D

Photo taken b

y Peter K

anowski

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability28 29

Kevin MacFarlaneAbout 100,000 years ago in the late Pleistocene period, lions were the most widespread large mammal after man. Since that time, lions’ range and numbers have severely declined. Today, they are confined to mainly small and isolated groups in Africa and India because of human activities like agriculture, cattle farming and hunting. Humans pose the biggest threat to lions’ future survival.

PhD scholar Kevin MacFarlane is investigating why Central Kalahari lions enter areas in and around farms and kill livestock. Farmers in the region shoot large numbers of lions, causing serious concerns about the viability of this important lion population. “This community of lions is one of the most important populations left in the world as the Kalahari is one of the few areas where they might continue to survive,” says MacFarlane, who is working under the supervision of Professor Robert Heinsohn.

MacFarlane fitted 12 lions from eight prides with GPS collars to track their movements on a daily and seasonal basis for two years. He is using sophisticated satellite technology to map the lions’ movements in order to understand where lions sleep, forage and socialise. According to MacFarlane’s research, farmers are inadvertently creating perfect hunting habitats for lions.

The scale of farming in the Kalahari is immense with livestock grazing areas increasingly being situated adjacent to game reserves. “Kalahari farmers are continually expanding their farms and turning woody scrubland into grassland for grazing, even though large farms with low numbers of cattle are uneconomical,” MacFarlane warns. He argues that hungry lions would spend considerably less time in farming areas if farmers were to employ land management techniques such as ‘holistic farming’, which aims to use intense grazing in tightly managed units.

In response to occasional attacks on grazing stock, farmers often take measures to remove the dominant male lion whose territory overlaps with their farm. MacFarlane’s findings reveal that by doing so farmers are creating opportunities for numerous younger males to come into the territory and take many more cows. “If I can convince farmers that an occasional cow taken by a single dominant male may in fact protect their stock from much greater predation by competing younger males, they should suffer fewer losses without resorting to killing lions.”

MacFarlane is in consultation with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Botswana who are incorporating his research findings into their Central Kalahari Management Plan. This plan endorses strategies for changing lion behavior, such as conditioning lions to dislike the taste of cattle by using tasteless chemicals in baited beef that induce vomiting but are otherwise harmless. Guidelines and training for park staff and farmers also forms part of the plan, but it may be that well placed government compensation schemes are the incentive needed for farmers to change their practices.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

P R O T E C T I N G K A L A H A R I L I O N S

This community of lions is one of the most important populations left in the world

“

”

Photo taken b

y Kevin M

acFarlane

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment30 31Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability

Kevin MacFarlaneAbout 100,000 years ago in the late Pleistocene period, lions were the most widespread large mammal after man. Since that time, lions’ range and numbers have severely declined. Today, they are confined to mainly small and isolated groups in Africa and India because of human activities like agriculture, cattle farming and hunting. Humans pose the biggest threat to lions’ future survival.

PhD scholar Kevin MacFarlane is investigating why Central Kalahari lions enter areas in and around farms and kill livestock. Farmers in the region shoot large numbers of lions, causing serious concerns about the viability of this important lion population. “This community of lions is one of the most important populations left in the world as the Kalahari is one of the few areas where they might continue to survive,” says MacFarlane, who is working under the supervision of Professor Robert Heinsohn.

MacFarlane fitted 12 lions from eight prides with GPS collars to track their movements on a daily and seasonal basis for two years. He is using sophisticated satellite technology to map the lions’ movements in order to understand where lions sleep, forage and socialise. According to MacFarlane’s research, farmers are inadvertently creating perfect hunting habitats for lions.

The scale of farming in the Kalahari is immense with livestock grazing areas increasingly being situated adjacent to game reserves. “Kalahari farmers are continually expanding their farms and turning woody scrubland into grassland for grazing, even though large farms with low numbers of cattle are uneconomical,” MacFarlane warns. He argues that hungry lions would spend considerably less time in farming areas if farmers were to employ land management techniques such as ‘holistic farming’, which aims to use intense grazing in tightly managed units.

In response to occasional attacks on grazing stock, farmers often take measures to remove the dominant male lion whose territory overlaps with their farm. MacFarlane’s findings reveal that by doing so farmers are creating opportunities for numerous younger males to come into the territory and take many more cows. “If I can convince farmers that an occasional cow taken by a single dominant male may in fact protect their stock from much greater predation by competing younger males, they should suffer fewer losses without resorting to killing lions.”

MacFarlane is in consultation with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Botswana who are incorporating his research findings into their Central Kalahari Management Plan. This plan endorses strategies for changing lion behavior, such as conditioning lions to dislike the taste of cattle by using tasteless chemicals in baited beef that induce vomiting but are otherwise harmless. Guidelines and training for park staff and farmers also forms part of the plan, but it may be that well placed government compensation schemes are the incentive needed for farmers to change their practices.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

P R O T E C T I N G K A L A H A R I L I O N S

This community of lions is one of the most important populations left in the world

“

”

Photo taken b

y Kevin M

acFarlane

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment30 31Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability

Professor Xuemei BaiThe growth of China’s cities is increasing wealth in the country, but it’s coming at a cost. The economic boom is forcing farmers to move aside and make room for city dwellers.

Professor Xuemei Bai is investigating the impact of China’s unprecedented rate of urbanisation on the agriculture sector, the economy and the environment. using data from around 200 cities, she is examining how urban development and economic growth have changed over the past decade and the relationship between the two.

“Between 1997 and 2006 more than 12,000 km² of land was converted into high density urban areas in China,” says Bai. However, despite this rapid development there has been a long standing debate about whether urban growth causes economic growth. “In the study we conducted, we found that there is a strong positive relationship between urban expansion and the economic growth of China’s cities. There is a causality loop between the two: urbanisation increases GDP, which then creates pressure to urbanise, and so on,” Bai explains.

Bai’s study also showed that most of the land used for urban expansion in China comes from agricultural areas. The ratio of arable land per capita in China is already below the world average, leading to concerns about food security. These concerns are multiplied as cities continue to expand.

“In recent years the Chinese government has started tightening its control on urban expansion in an attempt to reduce the loss of agricultural land across the country,” says Bai. “Our results show that such measures will negatively impact economic growth. In fact many cities are already facing financial difficulties due to restrictions on urban expansion.”

This leaves the Chinese government with some tough decisions. According to Bai, it will be difficult for China to limit urban expansion without sacrificing economic growth. “What is needed is better understanding of the complex interactions and drivers that link urban growth, economic growth and food security, as well as a more coordinated approach to urbanisation, land use and economic policies”.

Bai continues to explore alternative pathways towards sustainable urban development in China and Asia.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F O O D F O R T H O u G H T A S C H I N A ’ S C I T I E S G R O W

It will be very difficult for China to limit urban expansion without sacrificing economic growth

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability32 33

Professor Xuemei BaiThe growth of China’s cities is increasing wealth in the country, but it’s coming at a cost. The economic boom is forcing farmers to move aside and make room for city dwellers.

Professor Xuemei Bai is investigating the impact of China’s unprecedented rate of urbanisation on the agriculture sector, the economy and the environment. using data from around 200 cities, she is examining how urban development and economic growth have changed over the past decade and the relationship between the two.

“Between 1997 and 2006 more than 12,000 km² of land was converted into high density urban areas in China,” says Bai. However, despite this rapid development there has been a long standing debate about whether urban growth causes economic growth. “In the study we conducted, we found that there is a strong positive relationship between urban expansion and the economic growth of China’s cities. There is a causality loop between the two: urbanisation increases GDP, which then creates pressure to urbanise, and so on,” Bai explains.

Bai’s study also showed that most of the land used for urban expansion in China comes from agricultural areas. The ratio of arable land per capita in China is already below the world average, leading to concerns about food security. These concerns are multiplied as cities continue to expand.

“In recent years the Chinese government has started tightening its control on urban expansion in an attempt to reduce the loss of agricultural land across the country,” says Bai. “Our results show that such measures will negatively impact economic growth. In fact many cities are already facing financial difficulties due to restrictions on urban expansion.”

This leaves the Chinese government with some tough decisions. According to Bai, it will be difficult for China to limit urban expansion without sacrificing economic growth. “What is needed is better understanding of the complex interactions and drivers that link urban growth, economic growth and food security, as well as a more coordinated approach to urbanisation, land use and economic policies”.

Bai continues to explore alternative pathways towards sustainable urban development in China and Asia.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F O O D F O R T H O u G H T A S C H I N A ’ S C I T I E S G R O W

It will be very difficult for China to limit urban expansion without sacrificing economic growth

“”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability32 33

Dr Rob Dyball and David DumaresqHumanity faces the daunting challenge of feeding nine billion people by 2050. Experts forecast that by then, about 70 per cent of the population will live in cities. As cities modernise their inhabitants become wealthier and diets diversify. Increasingly, growing urban populations rely on food produced elsewhere, while more and more land is required to meet food demand. The question is: will there inevitably be a time when these cities will not be able to source enough food?

The Human Ecology Research Group investigates the interactions between humans and their environments. One of its projects is to examine how food is sourced in three wealthy cities and their hinterlands: Canberra, Copenhagen (Denmark) and Tokyo (Japan). Dr Rob Dyball and David Dumaresq are collaborating with researchers from Copenhagen and Tokyo. “These capital cities and their regions have very different global, climatic and physical locations and socio-economic circumstances,” Dyball explains.

Dyball and Dumaresq are researching the trade-offs between food production and other land uses such as urban developments in the regions on which these cities depend. They have analysed data from 1965, 1980, 2000 and 2005 on the production, import and export of the three cities’ common food items such as apples, beef and wheat. According to their preliminary research, much of the food that their populations eat is not local produce. “In that sense, we can now say, from a human ecological perspective, that the ecosystem services city populations depend on are globally based,” says Dyball.

The research, so far, suggests that working out the earth’s capacity to support ever-growing urban populations is not a straightforward exercise. “Our research is not predictive or prescriptive, but is intended to help decision makers understand our global food system,” Dyball says.

The world’s population is growing and with it the percentage that is urbanised. As urban centres draw in rural populations, cities are increasingly dependent on an ever smaller number of people skilled in food production. Furthermore, as cities expand, smaller and less ecologically productive land areas are made available for farming. This means that global food supplies are vulnerable not only to social changes that affect land management, but also factors that affect the biological productivity of farmland such as climate change.

Dyball and Dumaresq’s research findings will be crucial in the development of food strategies that build the capacity of ever growing cities around the globe to adapt to this changing environment.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F E E D I N G O u R C I T I E S : C O u N T I N G T H E E N V I R O N M E N T A L C O S T

The ecosystem services that city populations depend on are globally based

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability34 35

Dr Rob Dyball and David DumaresqHumanity faces the daunting challenge of feeding nine billion people by 2050. Experts forecast that by then, about 70 per cent of the population will live in cities. As cities modernise their inhabitants become wealthier and diets diversify. Increasingly, growing urban populations rely on food produced elsewhere, while more and more land is required to meet food demand. The question is: will there inevitably be a time when these cities will not be able to source enough food?

The Human Ecology Research Group investigates the interactions between humans and their environments. One of its projects is to examine how food is sourced in three wealthy cities and their hinterlands: Canberra, Copenhagen (Denmark) and Tokyo (Japan). Dr Rob Dyball and David Dumaresq are collaborating with researchers from Copenhagen and Tokyo. “These capital cities and their regions have very different global, climatic and physical locations and socio-economic circumstances,” Dyball explains.

Dyball and Dumaresq are researching the trade-offs between food production and other land uses such as urban developments in the regions on which these cities depend. They have analysed data from 1965, 1980, 2000 and 2005 on the production, import and export of the three cities’ common food items such as apples, beef and wheat. According to their preliminary research, much of the food that their populations eat is not local produce. “In that sense, we can now say, from a human ecological perspective, that the ecosystem services city populations depend on are globally based,” says Dyball.

The research, so far, suggests that working out the earth’s capacity to support ever-growing urban populations is not a straightforward exercise. “Our research is not predictive or prescriptive, but is intended to help decision makers understand our global food system,” Dyball says.

The world’s population is growing and with it the percentage that is urbanised. As urban centres draw in rural populations, cities are increasingly dependent on an ever smaller number of people skilled in food production. Furthermore, as cities expand, smaller and less ecologically productive land areas are made available for farming. This means that global food supplies are vulnerable not only to social changes that affect land management, but also factors that affect the biological productivity of farmland such as climate change.

Dyball and Dumaresq’s research findings will be crucial in the development of food strategies that build the capacity of ever growing cities around the globe to adapt to this changing environment.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F E E D I N G O u R C I T I E S : C O u N T I N G T H E E N V I R O N M E N T A L C O S T

The ecosystem services that city populations depend on are globally based

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability34 35

Dr Lorrae van KerkhoffCombating climate change is a global challenge, yet the impacts will fall most heavily on poor and vulnerable populations. Consequently rich, developed nations have agreed to shoulder a proportion of the financial burden in order to help poor, developing states reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. At the Cancun climate negotiations in 2010, industrialised nations pledged to raise uS$100 billion per year for this task, a significant proportion of which is earmarked for the Green Climate Fund. The next, more complex task will be to design this major financing scheme.

The Fund’s designers will need to determine a way of spending the money that achieves the most sustainable environmental benefit. Dr Lorrae van Kerkhoff and ANu colleagues examined other similar initiatives and provided recommendations for the development of the Fund. “Creating international and national institutions that provide expert advice and establish legal mandates to support local institutions within developing countries will be critical,” she explains.

Indeed, van Kerkhoff’s team found useful lessons in public-private financing from another sector: global health. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation offers an example of how part of the Fund might operate. Since 2008, this scheme has raised more than uS$3.6 billion as part of a long-term financing strategy to provide low-cost vaccines according to the needs of recipient countries. They propose that a similar approach could be used to fast-track the development and use of renewable energy technologies in developing countries.

The funding arrangements would also need to incorporate mechanisms and support for ongoing learning, according to van Kerkhoff. A theme that runs throughout the research is the need for global institutions to be flexible and adaptive to the ongoing challenges of sustainable development.

“Sustainability challenges are characterised by social, political, scientific and technical complexity,” van Kerkhoff says. “This means we can’t predict how people will respond to programs like the Green Climate Fund, nor the rate at which emission reduction or adaptation techniques will develop.” For the Fund to be successful, institutions will need to remain adaptive. The development of mechanisms to support this review, research and learning form a key element of van Kerkhoff’s recommendations.

It’s still early in the process but these decisions and the shape of the resulting schemes will form the basis for financing global climate change action in the years to come.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F I N A N C I N G G L O B A L C L I M A T E C H A N G E A C T I O N

Sustainability challenges are characterised by social, political, scientific and technical complexity

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability36 37

Dr Lorrae van KerkhoffCombating climate change is a global challenge, yet the impacts will fall most heavily on poor and vulnerable populations. Consequently rich, developed nations have agreed to shoulder a proportion of the financial burden in order to help poor, developing states reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. At the Cancun climate negotiations in 2010, industrialised nations pledged to raise uS$100 billion per year for this task, a significant proportion of which is earmarked for the Green Climate Fund. The next, more complex task will be to design this major financing scheme.

The Fund’s designers will need to determine a way of spending the money that achieves the most sustainable environmental benefit. Dr Lorrae van Kerkhoff and ANu colleagues examined other similar initiatives and provided recommendations for the development of the Fund. “Creating international and national institutions that provide expert advice and establish legal mandates to support local institutions within developing countries will be critical,” she explains.

Indeed, van Kerkhoff’s team found useful lessons in public-private financing from another sector: global health. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation offers an example of how part of the Fund might operate. Since 2008, this scheme has raised more than uS$3.6 billion as part of a long-term financing strategy to provide low-cost vaccines according to the needs of recipient countries. They propose that a similar approach could be used to fast-track the development and use of renewable energy technologies in developing countries.

The funding arrangements would also need to incorporate mechanisms and support for ongoing learning, according to van Kerkhoff. A theme that runs throughout the research is the need for global institutions to be flexible and adaptive to the ongoing challenges of sustainable development.

“Sustainability challenges are characterised by social, political, scientific and technical complexity,” van Kerkhoff says. “This means we can’t predict how people will respond to programs like the Green Climate Fund, nor the rate at which emission reduction or adaptation techniques will develop.” For the Fund to be successful, institutions will need to remain adaptive. The development of mechanisms to support this review, research and learning form a key element of van Kerkhoff’s recommendations.

It’s still early in the process but these decisions and the shape of the resulting schemes will form the basis for financing global climate change action in the years to come.

For further information see: fennerschool.anu.edu.au/research

F I N A N C I N G G L O B A L C L I M A T E C H A N G E A C T I O N

Sustainability challenges are characterised by social, political, scientific and technical complexity

“

”

ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment Research Highlights | Environment and Sustainability36 37

Fenner School of Environment & Society

ANU College ofMedicine, Biology & Environment

Fenner School of Environment & Society

The Australian National University

Canberra ACT 0200

Australia

T +61 2 6125 2579

E fennerschool@anu.edu.au

W fennerschool.anu.edu.au.

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E N V I R O N M E N T & S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y