Designing landscapes to deliver ecosystem services to agriculture. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by employing a pioneering management framework that identifies situations where agriculture can gain maximum benefit from nature's services. Services like pollination are crucial; approximately 35% of global food production comes from crops pollinated by bees or birds. These services contribute billions of dollars to production. Our model will greatly enh ....Designing landscapes to deliver ecosystem services to agriculture. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by employing a pioneering management framework that identifies situations where agriculture can gain maximum benefit from nature's services. Services like pollination are crucial; approximately 35% of global food production comes from crops pollinated by bees or birds. These services contribute billions of dollars to production. Our model will greatly enhance the flow of services from nature to agriculture by linking land-use options with service availability. This will improve economic returns to local communities and agricultural industries, and promote protection of native species by recognising their contribution to agriculture. Read moreRead less
Assessing the viability of ecosystem processes in habitat fragments: lessons from land-clearing in the tropical savannas. Climate change and land degradation in southern Australia is increasing the demand for agricultural land in northern Australia. Broad scale land-clearing is prohibited in all Australian jurisdictions apart from the Northern Territory. However, our understanding of the impact of fragmentation on ecosystems processes in tropical savannas is poor. This research will set new stan ....Assessing the viability of ecosystem processes in habitat fragments: lessons from land-clearing in the tropical savannas. Climate change and land degradation in southern Australia is increasing the demand for agricultural land in northern Australia. Broad scale land-clearing is prohibited in all Australian jurisdictions apart from the Northern Territory. However, our understanding of the impact of fragmentation on ecosystems processes in tropical savannas is poor. This research will set new standards in pursuit of sustainability and conservation objectives within a regional planning context for northern Australian landscapes. We aim to contribute to a sustainability framework and integrated planning process for tropical savannas, so that it reaches its agricultural potential in a sustainable way, while maintaining the area's natural systems and biodiversity.Read moreRead less