1. Biodiversity in Production Landscapes: Past, Present and Future

1. BIODIVERSITY IN PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

2. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

3. RFCD CODES: 2707—60%; 3008—40%

SEO CODES: 7707—50%; 7708—50%

4. RESEARCHERS LEVEL M/F FTE ECR RFCD SEO GARY W LUCK B M 1 Y 3008 7708 IAN D LUNT C M 1 N 3008 7707 DAVID A ROSHIER C M 1 N 2707 7708 PETER G SPOONER B M 1 Y 2707 7708 DAVID M WATSON D M 1 N 2707 7707

SUMMARY OF CAREER OUTPUTS:

LUCK LUNT ROSHIER SPOONER WATSON TOTAL PHD AWARDED 2001 1997 2000 2005 1999 — TOTAL GRANT $ $592,00 $1,796,00 $1,541,00 $109,000 $772,000 $4,554,00 0 0 0 0 PEER REVIEWED 27 53 17 11 34 135

PAPERS CITATIONS (ISI) 321 436 106 62 268 1,154

5. FOUR BEST OUTPUTS FOR EACH MEMBER: Liu J, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR & Luck GW. 2003. The effect of household dynamics on resource consumption and biodiversity. Nature 421: 530–3. Impact factor (IF): 32.18; ISI Citation rate (ISI): 65; Google Scholar citation rate (GS): 114 (20% contribution) This was the first paper to examine the global implications of household dynamics on biodiversity conservation. It highlighted the substantial growth in households worldwide beyond the number expected from population growth alone and outlined the major challenges faced by societies aiming to conserve biodiversity within human settlements and surrounding landscapes. The work underpins my research theme of developing biodiversity conservation strategies in landscapes within high human populations.

Luck GW, Ricketts TH, Daily GC & Imhoff M. 2004. Alleviating spatial conflict between people and biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101: 182–6. IF: 10.27; ISI: 34; GS: 38 (60% contribution) 2

This was the first paper to identify broad-scale positive correlations between human population density and species richness across Australia and North America. It used systematic conservation planning techniques to identify landscapes where spatial conflict was inevitable and required the implementation of careful management strategies to reduce human impact on the environment while promoting the interaction between people and nature.

Luck GW, Daily GC & Ehrlich PR. 2003. Population diversity and ecosystem services. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18: 331–6. IF: 12.45; ISI: 43; GS: 60 (60% contribution) This paper introduced a novel approach to studying the contribution that species populations make to ecosystem services—those services that promote human wellbeing. It is related to the contributions above in that many ecosystem services are in most demand near dense human settlements—yet this is also where they are under the most threat. The paper explored ways to document the contribution of species to service provision and develop strategies to ensure the persistence of these services in human dominated landscapes.

Luck GW & Daily GC. 2003. Bird assemblages in a tropical countryside: richness, composition and foraging behavior differ with landscape context. Ecological Applications 13: 235–47. IF: 2.85; ISI: 28; GS: 31 (70% contribution) This paper focuses primarily on the ecology of native species inhabiting production landscapes, and how landscape change may impact on a crucial ecosystem service: seed dispersal. The paper examined the community dynamics and foraging behaviour of native avian frugivores in agricultural landscapes. It determined how the intensity and type of land use impacted on species communities and the ability of birds to access fruit resources and subsequently disperse seeds. The results of the work have implications for the interplay between land-use intensity and native vegetation regeneration.

Lunt ID, Jones N, Spooner PG & Petrow M. 2006. Effects of European colonization on indigenous ecosystems: post-settlement changes in tree stand structures in Eucalyptus-Callitris woodlands in central New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Biogeography 33: 1102–15. IF: 2.878; ISI: 1; GS: 0 (75% contribution) In this ARC-funded study, we developed the first quantitative estimates of regional patterns of tree density, basal area and crown cover at the time of European settlement of Australia. By studying remnant forests across central NSW, we found that woodlands were well-stocked originally with large trees before widespread ringbarking. However, tree densities have since increased beyond pre- European levels. This study provides a firm foundation for policies based on historical benchmarks, such as vegetation clearance legislation, and has been eagerly sought by land management agencies, with over 2,000 copies being downloaded from my personal web page (CSU DIT records, Aug 2007). 3

Prober SM, Thiele KR, Lunt ID & Koen TB. 2005. Restoring ecological function in temperate grassy woodlands: manipulating soil nutrients, exotic annuals and native perennial grasses through carbon supplements and spring burns. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 1073– 85. IF: 4.527; ISI: 2; GS: 3 (25% contribution) In this project we demonstrated that elevated soil nutrient levels in degraded remnant woodlands promoted exotic weeds and prevented the re-introduction of native ground plants. By experimentally reducing available nutrient levels (by adding sugar), we reduced weeds and promoted native grass establishment. Importantly, we found that re-established native grass swards reduced nutrient levels over the longer-term, providing a sustainable approach for restoring nutrient cycles and controlling weeds. This innovative project highlights that nutrient management is a critical component of restoration projects, and demonstrates the potential to achieve sustainable long-term outcomes by re- introducing keystone species of dominant native grasses.

Lunt ID. 2002. Grazed, burnt and cleared: how ecologists have studied century-scale vegetation changes in Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 50: 391–407. IF: 0.940; ISI: 17, GS: 14 By analysing the methods used in over 100 papers, I provided the first comprehensive review of how Australian ecologists have studied long-term vegetation changes. I identified major research genres, documented the depth of study in major ecosystems, and highlighted how different approaches have led to partial understandings of long-term changes in many ‘well studied’ systems. The 4th most frequently downloaded paper from the journal’s website (CSIRO Web Site, August 2007), this paper was reviewed in the international J. Biogeography as being ‘invaluable for gaining an understanding of where data are lacking and where future studies should be directed’ (Clarke 2004).

Lunt ID & Morgan JW. 2002. The role of fire regimes in temperate lowland grasslands of south-eastern Australia. In Flammable Australia: The Fire Regimes and Biodiversity of a Continent, Eds. R Bradstock, J Williams & AM Gill, pp. 177–96. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. IF: N/A; ISI: 17, GS: 28 (80% contribution) Published in the seminal text on fire ecology in Australia, this invited review summarises earlier research by myself and others on how fire regimes influence ecosystem processes and biodiversity in endangered native grasslands. By comparing grasslands against other ecosystems, we highlighted a pivotal ‘weak-link’ in the resilience of native grasslands to inappropriate disturbances, and developed an ecological model of grassland fire responses to guide future studies and conservation management. Our review provides the most succinct overview of the ecology and conservation management of these endangered ecosystems, resulting in frequent citations in the national and international literature. 4

Roshier DA, Whetton PH, Allan RJ & Robertson AI. 2001. Distribution and persistence of temporary wetland habitats in arid Australia and climatic influences. Austral Ecology 26: 371– 84. IF: 1.771; ISI: 24; GS: 26 (75% contribution) This project was the first attempt to map the distribution of temporary wetlands at a continental scale and to model the responses of waterbirds to changes in wetland distribution (Landscape Ecology 2001, Biological Conservation 2002). This paper related changes in wetland extent in each of the major drainage basins of inland Australia to changes in rainfall. It has been cited by those interested in waterbirds as well as those interested in the responses of various taxa to changes in the distribution of temporary resources and climate change.

Roshier DA, Robertson AI, Kingsford RT & Green DG. 2001. Continental-scale interactions with temporary resources may explain the paradox of large populations of desert waterbirds in Australia. Landscape Ecology 16: 547–56. IF: 2.558; ISI: 16; GS: 17 (80% contribution) This paper analysed the spatial distribution of wetlands across inland Australia and showed that inland basins such as the Lake Eyre Basin had an abundance of habitat even though most wetlands were temporary. Further, this paper used graph theory to analyse the spatial distribution of wetlands and pathways for movement by waterbirds. This paper showed that contrary to previous suggestions there was an abundance of wetland habitat in arid Australia and further suggested that the desert wetlands were core feeding and breeding habitat for waterbirds.

Roshier DA, Robertson AI & Kingsford RT. 2002. Responses of waterbirds to flooding in an arid region of Australia and implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 106: 399– 411. IF: 2.854; ISI: 18; GS: 18 (80% contribution) This paper investigated changes in abundances of waterbirds with changes in wetland distribution at local, catchment and broad scales. The abundance of most functional groups changed in response to broad scale changes in wetland distribution, while local abundance remained highly variable. Patterns of abundance varied among functional groups of waterbirds, with some immediately responding to changes in wetland distribution and area flooded at broad scales. This paper highlighted that in Australia the main conservation issue for waterbirds is water and its use across the landscape and not the spatial arrangement of any fixed array of reserves established to protect them.

Roshier DA & Reid JRW. (2003). On animal distributions in dynamic landscapes. Ecography 26: 539–44. IF: 3.34; ISI: 4; GS: 5 (50% contribution) This conceptual paper synthesised earlier work on patterns of distribution and abundance in waterbirds. The paper developed a framework for understanding patterns of movement and dispersal in dynamic landscapes. It challenged existing paradigms for understanding animal distributions that mostly assume that animals exist on a spatially fixed landscape in which patterns of resource distribution vary only with the seasons. 5

Spooner PG, Lunt ID, Briggs SV & Freudenberger D. 2004. Effects of soil disturbance from roadworks on roadside shrubs in a fragmented agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 117: 393–406. IF: 2.854; ISI: 9; GS: 11 (85% contribution) Roadside environments provide vital refugia for native ecosystems and species in many fragmented agricultural landscapes, and changed disturbance regimes are considered a key threat to their future viability. In one of the first studies of this kind, we investigated the age structure of roadside acacia populations and, in conjunction with road management data, showed that soil disturbance by past and present roadworks is a novel disturbance regime in maintaining acacia populations. The results highlight that present roadside conservation management efforts may be fruitless without due consideration of historic human disturbance regimes.

Lunt ID & Spooner PG. 2005. Special Paper: Using historical ecology to understand patterns of biodiversity in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Journal of Biogeography 32: 1859–73. IF: 2.878; ISI: 8; GS: 8 (50% contribution) In a recent review of fragmentation studies, many results were contradictory and often failed to explain variability in species patterns. To address this issue, we developed a novel conceptual framework for studying species patterns, by presenting a series of postulates which highlight the important role of historical, anthropogenic disturbance regimes. Using Australian case studies, this review highlights how the incorporation of spatially and temporally explicit historical attributes into ecological studies can prove extremely useful in helping to understand why different species and ecosystem states occur where they do, and enhance future research and conservation management activities.

Spooner PG, Lunt ID, Okabe A & Shiode S. 2004. Spatial analysis of roadside Acacia populations on a road network using the network K-function. Landscape Ecology, 19: 491–9. IF: 2.558; ISI: 5; GS: 9 (70% contribution) This paper presents the first application of the Network K-function in ecology, which is a recently developed technique for analysing distributions of points on a road or stream network. Here we investigated its ecological applicability using location data for roadside acacia populations in a fragmented agricultural landscape. The method is likely to become a useful statistical tool for the analyses of ecological data along roads, streams and other landscape networks. As one reviewer stated “the need for spatial analysis of networks systems is great, and these techniques should find wide use in the field of ecology”.

Spooner PG, Lunt ID & Robinson W. 2002. Is fencing enough? The short-term effects of stock exclusion in remnant grassy woodlands in southern NSW. Ecological Management and Restoration 3: 117–26. IF: N/A; ISI: N/A; GS: 31 (80% contribution) 6

This is one of the first papers to report on vegetation condition of fenced woodlands on private land. Fencing programs are widely used to assist landholders to improve the condition of remnant native vegetation, and government programs have directed millions of dollars towards fencing of remnant vegetation; yet little is known of their ecological outcomes. The results of this study have been influential in government policy decisions relating to woodland conservation, and is a key paper in this journal (6th most cited article for this journal in last 3 years), which is highly influential amongst conservation managers Australia-wide.

Maron M, Mac Nally R, Watson DM, Lill A. 2004. Can the biotic nestedness matrix be used predictively? Oikos 106: 433–44. IF: 3.381; ISI: 6: GS: 10 (30% contribution) By evaluating the degree to which less diverse remnants were predictable subsets of more diverse remnants, individual bird species in Buloke woodland remnants were identified as more or less likely to be extinction-prone. Between species differences were overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of inter- patch movement in the eight-year period, suggesting many woodland species are more resilient than previously considered. One of few long-term studies quantifying biodiversity in a production landscape, this collaborative work has directly informed current management practice. The documented dynamism validates ongoing restoration efforts, demonstrating that even isolated remnants in disturbed landscapes can have high value for mobile organisms.

Watson DM. 2003. Long-term consequences of habitat fragmentation: highland birds in Oaxaca, Mexico. Biological Conservation 111: 283–303. IF: 2.854; ISI: 6; GS: 13 This landmark study evaluates drivers of diversity in a landscape where subsistence agriculture has existed for eight millennia—corn was originally domesticated in this valley. These cloud forests became isolated approximately 10,000 years ago, allowing the long-term effects of fragmentation to be measured directly. In contrast to findings from many younger systems, patch quality far exceeded landscape context in determining diversity patterns—large isolated patches retained most forest dependent species. The only study of long-term fragmentation to use modern statistical analyses and patch-scale data, this paper set the standard for fragmentation research, demonstrating the crucial role of temporal scale.

Watson DM. 2002. A conceptual framework for the study of species composition in islands, fragments and other patchy habitats. Journal of Biogeography 29: 823–34. IF: 2.978; ISI: 23; GS: 25 By considering the origin of organisms inhabiting patchy landscapes and differentiating fragmented from insular ecosystems, eight classes of landscape are recognised. Applying this novel classification to the primary literature, the role of temporal scale is clarified—initial differences in islands and fragments become overwhelmed by convergence in community properties over thousands of generations. As the first study to compare community change in islands and fragments over time, this synthesis included 44 testable predictions that have defined subsequent international research. Widely 7 known as the “Watson framework”, it forms the foundation for the forthcoming Encyclopædia of Islands.

Watson DM. 2001. Mistletoe—a keystone resource in forests and woodlands worldwide. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 32:219–49. IF: 9.784; ISI: 32; GS: 39 This landmark review synthesised current understanding of mistletoe-animal interactions, developing and evaluating the hypothesis that mistletoe functions as a keystone resource worldwide. This review has catalysed a broad-based re-evaluation of these plants, widely considered as destructive weeds that kill trees and devalue habitat. This paper quantified the many mistletoe-animal interactions, exemplifying the value of resource-based approaches in evaluating determinants of diversity. In addition to being widely cited, featured in national media (The Australian) and initiating several international collaborations, this review laid the foundation for the ongoing Resources in Fragmented Landscapes Experiments (RIFLE).

6. CONTEXT STATEMENT History, strategic focus and research objectives The Institute for Land, Water and Society was established in 2005 as one of three research institutes at Charles Sturt University. This interdisciplinary centre is at the forefront of research efforts focused on CSU’s mission to conduct international-quality research on significant issues within the region. This team of researchers from the Ecology and Biodiversity Group of the institute represents the ecologists studying drivers of biodiversity change in production landscapes. The overarching objective of our research is to understand key processes threatening biodiversity within multifunctional landscapes, working towards integrating biodiversity conservation with production agriculture to maximise ecosystem functionality over the long-term. Despite being early in our careers (our PhDs were all completed within the last 10 years), we figure prominently in this emerging field, our contributions placing us at the forefront of ecology and conservation biology internationally— illustrated by our receipt of eight ARC grants and papers in pre-eminent journals including Bioscience, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, Trends in Ecology and Evolution and Nature. Rather than focusing on protected areas, our group concentrates on understanding processes affecting biodiversity within production landscapes. Habitat fragments, irrigation areas, roadsides, paddocks and plantations are key components of these systems as are the driving processes of fire, grazing, human settlement patterns and nutrient dynamics. Conducting broad-based ecological research in partnership with landholders, catchment management agencies and other stakeholders, our research combines international best-practice methods with extension and landholder participation, ensuring on- ground relevance and maximising uptake.

Research contributions and achievements 8

Group members select systems best suited to addressing specific research questions that contribute to our overarching research objective. We have worked in a wide range of systems, from recently modified landscapes in south-eastern Australia, Costa Rica, Panama and North America, to landscapes in southern Mexico fragmented thousands of years earlier. This versatility is further demonstrated by the breadth of study organisms, from individual plant and animal species to entire ecological communities. While many researchers recognise the importance of spatial scale in influencing observed patterns, members Lunt, Spooner and Watson have stressed the role of time-scale in sculpting current distributions. Understanding the history of present-day fragmented landscapes is critical, whether in terms of pre-settlement patterns 200 years ago, or post ice-age vegetation dynamics 10,000 years ago. Moreover, rather than treating landscapes as binary—patches of habitat surrounded by inhospitable land —we have highlighted the many linkages among landscape components, including the ecosystem services provided to agriculture by native species (Luck), the influence of surrounding agricultural practices on remnant vegetation (Lunt and Spooner), and the continental-scale climatic fluctuations driving local dynamics in biodiversity occurrence (Roshier). Likewise, we look beyond distribution patterns to explore underlying mechanisms, complementing quantitative ecological techniques with demographic, physiological and evolutionary approaches. The team’s approach to research is innovative, developing and applying new methods to collect and analyse data, and devising new frameworks within which to evaluate previous work. The group has consistently pioneered the use of novel analytical tools, collaborating with statisticians to explore their utility in ecology, including Hierarchical Partitioning (Watson), O-ring statistics (Roshier and Watson), and network analysis (Spooner and Lunt). Rather than applying existing models or testing predictions, each member of the group has published ground-breaking papers that have challenged current thinking across our discipline. Accordingly, our papers appear in some of the most prestigious journals within the biological sciences, attracting consistently high citation rates and generating commentaries in the wider media. The group’s research has been supported by five ARC Discovery and three Linkage grants since 2001, with four members being principal investigator on at least one ARC grant.

Collaboration: internal and external While necessarily a collection of researchers with individual expertise and specializations, the group is well balanced and cohesive, pursuing shared objectives and integrated outcomes. The members’ complementary skills and collaborative programmes provide breadth while the coordinated approach and regular interactions ensure alignment with overall aims. Although current projects range from quantifying movements of waterfowl in agricultural landscapes and analysing distribution of wattles along roadsides to recovering pre-European vegetation patterns and devising a new approach to measure ecosystem services, all directly inform the understanding and management of biodiversity in modified landscapes. The collaborative is enhanced by the fact that all members work in the same 9 building (a rammed-earth structure on CSU’s award winning Thurgoona Environmental campus), cross mentoring one another, sharing ideas and co-developing initiatives. These inter-member links are further boosted by numerous wider collaborations, all members contributing to ongoing projects involving external investigators, including productive partnerships with Paul Erlich’s group at Stanford, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama) and the Institute of Ecology in Waaganingen (the Netherlands). This international profile underpins national prominence, group members leading research projects with colleagues at ANU, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Greening Australia and Museum Victoria (inter alia). These links match a network of vibrant interactions within the Institute of Land, Water and Society and the broader CSU academe, primarily rural sociologists, environmental economists and agricultural scientists. Members of the group lead integrative programmes spanning this breadth, including an inter-disciplinary study of the ecological, environmental and social impacts of demographic shifts in south-eastern Australia’s farmbelt.

National and international research links Group members are involved in substantive ongoing collaborations with the following institutions / individuals: Australian National University (Prof David Lindenmayer, A/Prof Robert Heinsohn)) CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (Drs Geoff Barrett, Veronica and Erik Doerr, Sue McIntyre, Leo Joseph) Greening Australia (Dr David Freudenberger) Latrobe University (Dr John Morgan) Monash University (Prof Ralph Mac Nally, Dr Danny Spring) Montana State University (Prof Rob Ament) Museum Victoria (Dr Janette Norman) NSW Department of Conservation and Climate Change (Dr Sue Briggs) Oregon State University (Prof David Shaw) Rocky Mountain Research Station (Dr Brian Geils) Smithsonian Institution (Drs William Laurance, Joe Wright) Stanford University (Prof Gretchen Daily) Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Prof Juan Marlo) University of Melbourne (Dr Rodney Van der Ree) University of New South Wales (Dr David Eldridge) University of Tokyo (Prof Okabe, Dr Shiode) University of Wollongong (Prof Ross Bradstock) The University of Kansas (Prof Townsend Peterson) Netherlands Institute of Ecology (Prof Marcel Klaassen)

7. DEST REPORTED RESEARCH INCOME FOR THE GROUP 10

CATEGORY 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 TOTAL 1 $60,454 $108,408 $258,438 $326,829 $205,393 $210,142 $1,169,66 2 $125,329 $57,127 $207,659 $47,500 $129,334 $242,997 $809,946 3 — — — — $23,000 $64,591 $87,591 4 — — $10,646 $22,108 $16,163 $34,896 $83,813 TOTAL $185,783 $165,535 $476,743 $376,437 $373,890 $552,626 $2,151,016

8. INDIVIDUALLY EARNED DEST PUBLICATION POINTS

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 TOTAL 2.05 4.93 3.83 5.99 8.52 2.99 28.31 JOURNAL ARTICLES — 0.75 — 1 — — 1.75 BOOK CHAPTERS TOTAL 2.05 5.68 3.83 6.99 8.52 2.99 30.06

9. Research Higher Degree Students

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 TOTAL

NO. STUDENTS SUPERVISED 18 18

NO. STUDENTS GRADUATING — — 1 — 1 — 2

10. IMPACT STATEMENT Members of the group are committed to addressing real-world problems, engaging closely with stakeholders and end-users to ensure relevance. We are currently working with the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW on the “Slopes to Summit” initiative, the southern node of the visionary “Alps to Atherton Tablelands” project that will link up woodlands and forests the length of eastern Australia. As invited advisors to the board, members Spooner and Watson draw on their respective expertise (vegetation ecology, roadsides and pre-European vegetation patterns; long-term effects of habitat fragmentation, drivers of biodiversity occurrence in agricultural landscapes)—advice that broadened the project’s scope to include woodlands—that has already prompted the acquisition of an important property at Wright’s Hill. Indeed, the close collaboration between group members and this organization led them to set-up one of their two offices on the Thurgoona campus, their staff liaising frequently with group members to prioritize conservation actions and advise on long-term conservation goals. 11 The focus area of our group corresponds closely with national and international research priorities, as evidenced by a recent European initiative. Entitled ‘Rationalizing biodiversity conservation in dynamic landscapes’ (RUBICODE www.rubicode.net), this international collaborative project involves 23 research institutions, with Gary Luck representing our group. Funded by a European Union (EU) 6th Framework Coordination Action for the sum of €2.5M, Gary is one of only four researchers outside the EU to be invited to be a member of this project, the central theme of the project based on his concept of the “service-providing unit (SPU)” as a new way of assessing the contribution that biodiversity makes to ecosystem services (services provided by ecosystems which benefit humanity). This approach is being developed and promoted through RUBICODE to various stakeholder groups throughout Europe.

Likewise, David Roshier’s work on waterfowl movement patterns is providing information crucial to landholders and policy makers alike. Working with rice growers in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, David determined the nature and extent of waterfowl movements in agricultural landscapes, using satellite telemetry and regular web-based updates to allow landholders to see exactly where (and when) the ducks move. This knowledge has recently been applied to northern Australia, where David is leading a collaborative study with researchers from the Australian National Wildlife Collections, ANU and AQIS to investigate migration patterns of waterfowl between Australia and New Guinea, including broad-based surveys for avian diseases including the H5N1 strain of influenza.

Central to this inclusive and applied approach is the group’s communications strategy, combining national and regional media with online resources and public talks, making our research findings both applicable and accessible to end-users to maximize uptake. Our media interviews include many topics of national social, economic and environmental significance, including bird flu (Watson and Roshier), destructive wildfires (Lunt), integrating urban development and conservation (Luck) and conservation land management (all).

Case study—conservation management of endangered native grasslands and woodlands

Ian Lunt’s research on conservation management of remnant grassy ecosystems in production landscapes in southern Australia highlights the on-ground impact of our group’s research. Most native grasslands and woodlands in agricultural areas have been cleared, remaining patches being extremely rare and of high conservation status. Ian’s research has enhanced the conservation of these endangered ecosystems by: (1) documenting their poor conservation status; (2) demonstrating that remnants require ongoing management and disturbances (e.g., fire) to maintain biodiversity; (3) refining management regimes to promote biodiversity, and (4) developing techniques to restore degraded remnants.

The depth of adoption of Ian’s work is illustrated by the variety of material which accessible via the internet. For instance, Google searches (in Aug 2007) of Australian web pages yield 782 pages for ‘Lunt and grassland’ and 930 pages for ‘Lunt and woodland’, including 387 hits for ‘Lunt, grassland 12 and management plan’ and 221 hits for ‘Lunt and recovery plan’. (Data from Google, not Google Scholar, which lists additional records from Lunt’s published papers; random searches reveal that over 95% of entries are to Ian Lunt, not other authors). Specifically, Ian’s research has been cited in nominations to list at least eight endangered natural communities and species under the commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and in recovery plans (under the same Act) for six other communities and species in SA, NSW, ACT, Vic and Tas. Similarly, Ian’s research has been cited in 13 Action Statements which prescribe management activitites to conserve 5 threatened communities and 23 threatened species under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988), plus additional recovery plans under ACT, NSW and Tasmanian legislation. These citations demonstrate that Ian’s research is directly contributing to policy devlopment and active on-ground management of these threatened ecosystems. At the local level, Ian’s research has been extensively refereed to in Management Plans for conservation reserves containing native grasslands and woodlands, as evidenced by the large number of management plans identified by Google. The ACT’s conservation strategies for native grasslands and woodlands, for example, quote 13 of Ian’s papers (Environment ACT 2005a,b). In many of these management plans, Ian’s research has guided the implementation of disturbance and management regimes to promote biodiversity, particularly fire and grazing regimes.

The relevance of Ian’s work to on-ground conservation management is also illustrated by Ian’s development of collaborative research projects with many government agencies, including two ARC Linkage grants and additional research funding from many agencies in NSW (DECC, DIPNR, NPWS, Greening Australia), Victoria (DSE, Parks Vic, Goulburn-Broken CMA) and the ACT (Environment ACT). Research users have also recognised Ian’s expertise through invitations to join expert panels and management committees with many government agencies and NGOs, including: Western Riverina Regional Vegetation Committee (Ecological Society of Australia Representative); Vegetation Condition Expert Panel for NSW Department Land and Water Conservation; Technical Advisory Group (Biodiversity) for the NSW DLWC’s Environmental Services Scheme; Grazing & Biodiversity Advisory Group, Oolambeyan National Park, NPWS NSW; Steering Committee, Bushcare SE Australia Grassy Ecosystems Network; and expert grant assessor for Threatened Species Community Grants for the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Ian’s work epitomises our group’s goal to provide applied research solutions to complex real-world, conservation problems.

Testimonials available from the following end-users:

Dr Doug Robinson Regional Manager, Trust for Nature PO Box 124, Benalla 3672 Ph/Fax: 03 5761 1558, Mobile: 0408 512 441 Email: [email protected]

Sarah Sharp 13 Senior Plant Ecologist, Research and Monitoring Parks, Conservation and Lands PO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601 Tel. 02 6207 2125, Fax 02 6207 2122 Email: [email protected]

Vanessa Craigie Policy Officer, Threatened Species and Communities Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Department of Sustainability and Environment 2nd Floor, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 ph. (03) 9637 9851 fax (03) 9637 8451 Email: [email protected]

11. SELF-ASSESSED RATING: Quality: 5 Impact: B