Contents President’S Report

Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

Photo: Breeding pair of Superb Blue Fairy Wrens, Malurus cyaneus. Taken by Ben Twist, Ecology in Action 2010

Contents President’s Report ...... 2 Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award ...... 3 2012 AERA Lecture: Prof Chris Johnson ...... 4 The 2012 Jill Landsberg Trust Fund Scholarship Winners ...... 5 Obituary of Ralph Owen Slatyer AC, FRS, FAA ...... 7 Sustaining the Australian Alps ...... 10 Ecology in Action Competition 2012 ...... 12 NCRIS partners work together to build Soils-to-Satellites tool ...... 13 Data at your fingertips in the Atlas of Living Australia ...... 14 SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium ...... 15 Calling all critics! How to write a book review for the ESA ...... 16 Future submissions to the ESA Bulletin ...... 17 Ecological Society of Australia – 2012 Office Bearers ...... 18

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

President’s Report The road to ESA12

We approach the end of the year and it is timely to Chapters within the society are slowly getting off update you on some of the big things that have the ground. Given the growing size of the society, been happening. Gail and Liz Tasker have been these are meant to provide members with some working really hard with the website developer to closer networking possibilities which will facilitate get the new system ready to roll out. We are aiming collaborations and some good research. There are to have a more functional website by the a small number which are in various stages of conference. As usual, this task is taking up more development, and we are always looking for new time than planned for them but should enable ESA people to put a little effort into getting new ones to communicate better amongst members and operating. These are very effective in the ESA externally. (USA) and I encourage members to get involved. Chat with Glenda Wardle ([email protected]) The Financial Governance Working Group has if you are interested. been working to arrange our finances in a more transparent focused manner. In doing this, we We are also launching ‘Hot Topics’; which is managed to move funds from shares into a term designed to be a quick response mechanism for deposit the day before the share market had a ESA to put the science into social debates on significant drop a couple of months ago- this issues. Don Driscoll is leading this charge. The new protected us a little from the share market vagaries website will see the launch of these. that are currently happening. Nigel has been working with one of our fund managers, Perpetual, Next year’s conference will be hosted by the New who has given us an enormous amount of help Zealand Ecological Society and will be in Auckland. (free!) in managing our funds more strategically. We join with the NZES every few years and have a More recently they have been helping us get DGR joint conference. Our last was INTECOL – hosted status so that donations can be tax deductible in Australia. Bruce Burns will be organising this one for donors to ESA. The upshot of these at one of the big conference centres in Auckland. discussions has been to connect us with a lawyer Our contact will be Kerry Bridle (the Tasmanian who specialises in this for non-profit organisations Regional Councillor) who will be ESA’s link with and to provide us with some background information NZES to help with any organisation. They are on what we might need to do. We are likely to need planning it for 25th-29th November 2013. to set up a public fund with DGR status which We are also talking with NZES to set up some new probably means incorporating the society nationally, links. The basis of the discussion between the two rather than in the ACT which we currently have. societies is that members of one society will be able That public fund will be managed by a group of to get membership of the other at its concessionary members and can be used for appropriate ESA rate which includes electronic delivery of their activities that fit within its aims. While we work journal. We are finalising this agreement, but once through this, the chances of having a significant the signatures have been completed, then ESA constitutional change at the next AGM are high to members can join NZES for the student concession ensure that we can get this working as soon as rate and receive the NZ Journal of Ecology. possible.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

There will be a number of other initiatives in this students take a more active part in ESA – there are agreement as well which should link our societies plenty of jobs that are far more appropriate for the more closely. skills that students have, compared to those who might not remember being a student. Developing We are seeing an increase in our capacity to help strong student networks is really important for the students with getting to the conference and also ESA and the future of ecology in Australia and some undertaking their research. A new Fundamental energy expended by younger ESA members in Ecology Prize will begin at this year’s conference developing this would be very healthy. Talk to me if and we are seeing an increasing number of you would like to be involved. students requesting money to help them attend the conference. Ian Williamson’s job just got a little Kris French bigger! Increasing involvement by students is very President healthy and pleasing. I would like some of the

Wiley and the Ecological Society of Australia are very pleased to announce the inaugural Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award

Closing Date: Sunday, September 30, 2012 $5000 postgraduate grant

Plus funded registration, accommodation and travel costs to attend ESA13 in Auckland, NZ, for the “The Wiley Fundamental Ecology Award presentation”.

The Ecological Society of Australia Inc, with sponsorship from Wiley, is offering a new postgraduate student research award in the field of fundamental ecology. The value of the award is $5000 which can be directed towards any research that advances the science of ecology.

The grant is open to any student who is enrolled in postgraduate research at an Australian University and is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia.

For more information on how to apply or to become a member of the Ecological Society of Australia, visit www.ecolsoc.org.au/prizes.htm and follow the links.

Any queries on the award or the application process or criteria, please contact Gail Spina, [email protected]

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

2012 AERA Lecture: Professor Chris Johnson

The ESA is delighted to announce that Professor Chris Johnson (University of Tasmania) will deliver the 2012 Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) Lecture entitled, ‘Australian mammals: extinctions ancient and modern’ at ESA12 in Melbourne, December 3-7, 2012.

The 2012 AERA recognises Chris Johnson's substantial contributions in understanding the causes of mammal declines and extinctions in Australia. In recent work, Chris and his colleagues used evidence from a novel high-resolution record to document that impacts caused by the arrival of humans were coincident with the decline and extinction of the Australian megafuana. In work exploring the reasons for contemporary mammal declines Chris has shown that top predators, such as dingoes, limit the abundance of mesopredators (cats and foxes) thereby reducing predation on native wildlife. As Australia has already witnessed record losses of mammal species, this work is of direct and on-going significance for the conservation of mammal biodiversity in Australia. To test management strategies to alleviate these pressures,

Chris and his team are using large-scale manipulations to resolve the interacting factors For more information on Chris's research: contributing to the decline of native mammals in http://www.utas.edu.au/zoology/people/chris- northern Australia. johnson

The AERA Lecture recognises excellence in research in Australian ecology, for a specific body of recent work by a mid-career researcher, and is delivered annually as a Plenary at the conference of the Ecological Society of Australia. The candidate’s travel, registration and accommodation will be paid or reimbursed. The AERA winner is selected by an independent panel of expert ecologists from around Australia, chaired by the ESA's Vice President – Research, Glenda Wardle.

Chris joins the ranks of our previous distinguished winners of the AERA lecture: Bob Pressey (2008), David Lindenmayer (2009), Corey Bradshaw (2010) and Lesley Hughes (2012).

For more information on the AERA lecture visit: http://www.ecolsoc.org.au/prizes.html

To find out how to register for ESA12 conference on ‘Ecology: Fundamental Science of the Biosphere’ visit http://esa2012.org.au/index.asp?IntCatId=14

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

The 2012 Jill Landsberg Trust Fund Scholarship Winners

Amanda Edworthy & Kate Stevens

Due to the high quality of applications received this year, ESA and the Jill Landsberg Trust Fund, are very pleased to award, for the first time, two JLTF Student Scholarships in 2012. This year saw a record number of applications across a diverse range of applied ecology research directions, and it was not an easy decision for the judging panel – Professor David Gillieson, Dr Sue McIntyre, Dr Jacqui Stol, and Dr Ian Williamson.

This year’s recipients will be Amanda Edworthy & Kate Stevens. They will both receive a $6000 scholarship to support their research and will attend ESA12 in Melbourne to accept their awards and return in 2012 to present their research at the joint NZES/ESA annual conference in Auckland in December 2012. The 2011 winner, Dejan Stojanovic, will also attend ESA12 to present his research outcomes for his project “Callitris Intratropica as an Indicator of Ecological Integrity on the Arnhem Plateau”.

The winner of The Nature Conservancy Applied Conservation Award will be announced soon!

Details of all awards offered by ESA can be found at www.ecolsoc.org.au/prizes.html

Amanda Edworthy Kate Stevens

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Amanda Edworthy: ‘Ecology and

conservation of endangered forty spotted pardalotes’

Forty-spotted pardalotes, an endangered Tasmanian songbird, have declined by as much as 60% in the past twenty years. Their early range contraction was likely driven by clearing of dry eucalypt woodland which they rely on for food and nest hollows, but causes of the recent decline are uncertain. Potential threats include introduced predators such as black rats and sugar gliders, invading competitors such as the noisy miner, habitat loss including food or nest-hollow shortages, and inbreeding in small populations. Ecological theory predicts that habitat specialists will face the greatest risk of population decline and extinction from habitat degradation. Additionally, hollow-nesting birds are thought to invest heavily in individual breeding attempts because hollows are safe, but rare, nest sites. Thus, an introduced nest Image courtesy of Graham Chapman predator might also have a devastating effect on forty -spot populations. My project will determine the impact and relative effect of each potential threat and will inform conservation decisions to protect the species.

Kate Stevens: ‘Ecology and Biology of the

Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)

The Grey-crowned Babbler (GCB) is a cooperatively breeding bird species which has suffered a 94% decline in its southern distribution. Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss are

believed to be the key threatening processes for this species.

Through a comparative analysis of GCB habitat use within Victoria, incorporating different vegetation types, habitat needs will be determined across the extent of their southern range. The project will also examine potential differences in the population’s genetic structures in relation to family group

Image: Kate Stevens distribution and isolation, which may influence biological processes responsible for local distribution patterns. Furthermore, investigations of brood-nest site patterns will highlight critical aspects of their breeding ecology.

To assist future survival of Grey-crowned Babblers, this type of information is essential to conservation strategies for their

continuing management.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

Obituary of Ralph Owen Slatyer AC, FRS, FAA 16 April 1929 – 26 July 2012

Professor Ralph Slatyer AC, who has died aged 83, will be long remembered not only as one of Australia’s most distinguished scientists but for his commitment to ecologically sustainable utilization of the natural environment and his determination to ensure Australian science should be as good as any in the world. He was also dedicated to the benefits of cooperation and teamwork in research.

Professor Slatyer achieved international recognition initially for his research on the water relations of plants, and on plant succession. He is best known as a leader of Australian science, including as Australia’s first Chief Scientist (1989-92), where he was instrumental in setting up the system of Cooperative Research Centres. He also had a succession of leadership roles at the CSIRO Division of Land Research, where he became a Chief Research Scientist at an extraordinarily young age, and subsequently in 1967 as founding Professor of Environmental Biology at the Research School of Biological Sciences, at the ANU and then as Director of RSBS from 1984-89. He was also Professor Ralph Slatyer Australian Ambassador to UNESCO (1978-81). degree in Agriculture at the University of Western Ralph Owen Slatyer was born on 16 April 1929 in Australia, graduating B.Sc. in 1951, and picking up Melbourne and died in Canberra on 26 July 2012. the David Evans Memorial Prize along the way, the He is survived by his wife June, and children Tony, first of many honours. He has recalled that at Beth and Judy, Tony’s wife Robyn and their children university after the Second World War, there was Tracy, Evan, Rachel and Harry, Judy’s husband strong competition between the ex-servicemen and Peter Dean, and Beth’s husband Richard Baker and women, and the school leavers, with each group children Eileen and Anne. Ralph has a surviving determined to do well, this promoting hard work and older sister Lady Jean Brodie-Hall, and a younger success among both groups around the country. It brother, Hugh. was then that Ralph met his fellow undergraduate, his lifetime love and companion, June Wade, whom Ralph grew up in Western Australia, one of five he married in 1953. siblings. His mother gave him a love of nature and fostered curiosity in all things. His father gave him a This was the era of challenge to feed the world, a love of work, and of mastery of detail. Ralph went to challenge that is being recognized again today, and Perth Modern School and Wesley College. He was as a young scientist, Ralph was keen to understand keen on agriculture and engineering. Luckily for what role northern Australia could play. He spent his science in Australia, agriculture won out. He took a summer vacations on one or other of the CSIRO 7

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research stations at Kununurra, Katherine, and Alice own research was centred on the ecophysiological Springs. He started working for CSIRO in 1951 and and community levels with fieldwork in alpine and in parallel in 1955 obtained his M.Sc. (Agric.) UWA, arid ecosystems. He received the Australian Medal with a thesis entitled “Studies in tropical crop of Agricultural Science. In 1969 he visited the production: The Katherine (N.T.) environment and Carnegie Institution of Washington at Stanford, to its influences on crops of cotton, peanuts and grain see first-hand the progress being made toward sorghum”. Then in 1960 he was awarded D.Sc. development of crop plants that incorporated the (Agric.) by UWA for a thesis entitled “Some aspects more efficient C4 metabolism. This topic too has of plant-soil-water relationships”. His CSIRO job recently attracted a lot of attention. Ralph had was as an eco-climatologist, to predict from climate become interested in moving from the cell and plant and soil properties whether a particular region had to the canopy and more to the ecological potential for agriculture. His first book was co- community. His RSBS Department of Environmental authored with IC McIlroy in 1961 on “Practical Biology now combined biochemical, physiological Micro-climatology”. In 1963-64 Ralph spent nine and ecological interests, housed at the time within months as a visiting Professor at Duke University in the Research School of Chemistry. the laboratory of Dr P.J. Kramer. He demonstrated from his Australian arid-zone experience that the In 1969, he was elected President of the Ecological permanent wilting point was not solely a soil Society of Australia and in 1973 became involved in property, as had been widely believed, but the Intergovernmental Programme on “Man and the depended on the properties of the plants involved. Biosphere”, which he chaired from 1977-81. His research was recognized internationally when he was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1975, and to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1976. At the same time, Ralph developed his growing interest in science policy, and in the important role science could play in economic and social development at national and international levels.

He became chairman of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO in 1976 and member of the international Bureau of UNESCO. As Chairman Celebrating election to the Australian Academy of of the World Heritage Committee from 1981, he Science with Dr Tom Chapman (later to be Professor played a leading role when the Tasmanian of Civil Engineering at UNSW), 1967. Wilderness (including Franklin River), Kakadu Photo courtesy of Australian Academy of Science National Park, Lord Howe Island Group and Following this period he wrote “Plant-Water Wilandra Lakes Region (including Lake Mungo) Relationships”, a 350 page monograph, which was were inscribed on the World Heritage list. published in April 1967, and became a classic. That In 1978, Prime Minister Fraser appointed Professor same year he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Slatyer to be Australia’s Ambassador to UNESCO. Academy of Science and in 1968 became a He gave the post scientific credibility and Foundation Professor at ANU’s newly established demonstrated his personal ability to operate at the Research School of Biological Sciences, where he highest levels of government and diplomacy. developed the Environmental Biology Group. His

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On his return to Australia and the ANU, Ralph was Slatyer Address in acknowledgement of this legacy appointed as Director of RSBS and was now also and to his contribution to Australian science. greatly in demand for high-level scientific roles. He was President of the Scientific Committee on Ralph Slatyer worked hard for Australia but also Problems with the Environment (SCOPE) from enjoyed his family time to the fullest introducing his 1982-85. He was appointed Chairman of the children to the beauties of the Snowy Mountains Australian Science and Technology Council and enjoying outdoors pursuits in and around their (ASTEC) from 1982-88. His term with ASTEC saw home in Canberra and their retreat at Guerilla Bay. the emergence of the Australian In retirement, Ralph kept a close Research Council and new directions interest in ecosystem science, and was for CSIRO after a review. He also particularly interested in attending chaired a report into the mining of scientific talks by students and post- uranium in Australia. At the ANU, he docs. He continued for many years as changed the Departmental system at Chair of the Rainforest Cooperative RSBS for a smaller and more flexible Research Centre, based in Cairns, and Group structure, introduced an sat on many other boards and also Ecosystem Dynamics Group that was conducted high-level reviews for the interested in both theoretical and government. management aspects, and devolved budgets to a degree that had not That he was able to devote such been seen in the University before. energy and commitment to his work He also retained his interest in real Director, Research School of and family is itself remarkable because science during this period, by Biological Sciences, ANU of ill health in different phases of his leading a research project on alpine (1989). life. Nevertheless, his overall ecology in Kosciusko National Park, Photo courtesy of Australian contribution to science and to Australia which continues to this day. Academy of Science has been recognised by the Clunies Ross Foundation Lifetime Award and In 1989 Prime Minister Bob Hawke decided to have by his appointment as a Companion of the Order of a full-time science adviser, a Prime Minister’s Australia in 1993. Science Council and to establish a Coordination Committee on Science and Technology. He asked Ralph Slatyer had ideas for developing Australian Professor Slatyer to do the full time job of Australia’s science, and he brought them to fruition. Australian first Chief Scientist. This gave him the chance to science thanks him and salutes him. develop a theme that was dear to his heart, that of co-operative research. He remembered fondly how The above draws heavily on an interview of CSIRO and university staff worked alongside each Professor Slatyer by Dr Max Blythe in 1993 for the other in the fifties and so he looked for world’s best Australian Academy of Science, which is available practice in collaboration between industry, on their web site: universities and other research organisations, http://www.science.org.au/scientists/interviews/s/rs. particularly long-distance collaboration. In 1990 this html vision became reality with the funding of a Graham Farquhar Cooperative Research Centres program, and successive governments have maintained CRC’s to *Full title: Professor Ralph Slatyer, AC 1993, AO this day as testament to the success of Ralph’s idea 1992, DSc (WA), Hon DSc (WA, Qld, Duke, Charles and vision. The Co-operative Research Centre Sturt), FRS, FAA, FTSE. Association has established the annual Ralph 9

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Sustaining the Australian Alps

The Pretty Valley monitoring plots on the Bogong High Plains in Victoria. The plots were established in 1946–47, and were last monitored in 2009. The vegetation inside the fence has not been grazed by cattle since the plots were established. The companion grazed plot is to the left of the left-hand fence. The photo was taken soon after the extensive fires of 2003. (Photo courtesy of Henrik Wahren)

Australia’s alpine ecosystems may be particularly Australian alpine ecosystems, and have enabled vulnerable to changing patterns of climate, fire, and researchers to identify combinations of factors that land-use pressure in the coming century. put these systems at risk. Documenting environmental change, and deciding Dr Dick Williams from CSIRO has been working on how best to manage the land for sustainable use, requires detailed knowledge of the fundamentals of these sites for 32 years. ‘Long-term monitoring will ecosystem structure and function – insights that we always be vital for increasing our understanding, now possess thanks to decades of persistent anticipating change and managing the alpine ecological monitoring effort in the Australian Alps. environment for sustainability. The understanding gained from this research has also highlighted its The network of long-term alpine ecosystem limitations: 60 years is a short time in the Alps, and monitoring sites, some of which were established in there are still many things we don’t understand.’ the 1940s, is now supported through TERN’s Long- Term Ecological Research Network, a sub-facility of So what have we learned from the long-term the Multi-Scale Plot Network. Data from these sites monitoring data, and how is this knowledge helping underpin our understanding of the dynamics of 10

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us more sustainably manage land use in the Long-term plots have also been established to look Australian Alps? at post-fire regeneration. ‘Alpine vegetation has proved remarkably resilient to the 2003 fires,’ adds Documentation of the unique character of alpine Dick. ‘We would not have been able to come to this vegetation from six decades of research has had a view so quickly were it not for the long-term plots.’ major influence on the establishment of The long-term plots have also been invaluable for conservation reserves, such as Kosciuszko National interpreting the changes seen in a recent warming Park in NSW, and Alpine National Park in Victoria. experiment undertaken on the Bogong High Plains These data will continue to inform national park over the past decade, as part of the International management in the coming decades. Tundra Experiment.

‘We’ve learned a lot about vegetation dynamics, and ‘This network of plots and experiments will allow us the distribution, population structure and to look at how climate change, fire and past grazing reproduction of important species, such as the rare interact. Our predictions are that the more healthy and endangered mountain pygmy possum,’ says and otherwise undisturbed an ecosystem is, the Dick. The mountain pygmy possum (Burramys better it’s going to be able to recover from future parvus) is an iconic alpine species, and is listed changes to climate and fire regimes,’ says Dick. under both Commonwealth and State legislation. ‘The long-term perspective the plots provide is vital The good news is that monitoring data indicate that if we are to devise appropriate management Burramys is persisting in the alpine landscape, and strategies for alpine landscapes for the next century.’ most populations appear to be recovering after the 2003 Victorian fires. Data on the population and More information: dick.williams@csiro.au breeding biology of Burramys have been used extensively to direct major conservation management programs in ski resorts for over two decades (for example Mt Buller and Mt Hotham).

Data from the long-term monitoring sites also provide clear answers to questions about the impacts of disturbance on alpine ecosystems. For example, cattle grazing, and its cessation, have both had profound effects on alpine ecosystems.

‘Cattle grazing changes species composition, alters ecosystem dynamics, and degrades plant communities, for example by reducing the abundance of palatable herbs such as species of Craspedia and Celmisia,’ says Dick.

As a consequence of these long-term research results, grazing of sheep and cattle has been gradually phased out of most alpine areas. ‘But, where grazing has ceased, we have been able to document recovery of all major alpine ecosystems – grasslands, herb fields, heathlands and wetlands,’ notes Dick.

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NCRIS partners work together to build Soils-to-Satellites tool

One of the great challenges for ecosystem scientists and managers is the need to integrate many different kinds of data at many different scales. In a step towards addressing this problem, a number of the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program capabilities, including the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), have joined forces and been awarded funding from the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) to build an online tool called Soils-to-Satellites. Among those involved is Mr Craig Walker, the Director of TERN’s Eco- informatics facility at the University of Adelaide.

‘This one-year project unifies and combines spatial, multi-spectral remote sensing, ecological and genomics data in a single tool to meet the interdisciplinary data needs of scientists studying and managing Australian terrestrial ecosystems,’ says Craig. ‘Soils-to-Satellites will enable data users to analyse and display different types of research data more effectively.’

For the first time, vegetation and genomics data produced by the TREND component of TERN’s Multi-Scale Plot Network will be able to be combined with the rich spatial and biodiversity information from the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA). These TREND data will be supported by and provided from TERN’s ÆKOS data repository.

The Soils-to-Satellites tool will enable researchers to explore and display relationships between disconnected datasets in ways that were not With the Soils-to-Satellites tool, for the first time, researchers will be able to combine sophisticated previously possible. For example, they will be able ecological and genomics data for the same to display ’layers’ of Australian environmental data location. (IBRA, elevation and percentage clay such as elevation, temperature or soil type, then layers from Atlas of Living Australia, TREND plot ‘drill down’ to compare vegetation and genomics layer derived with Google Earth, and genomic data across those layers, and perform subsequent samples are an illustration of how the different analyses across the combined datasets. Source data may come together.) datasets in the tool and complex analytical data products created and extracted through the tool will be described in ANDS’ research data discovery service, Research Data Australia, for researchers to 13

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discover and re-use. The Soils-to-Satellites tool will to-Satellites tool. Both teams are looking forward to re-use and extend the existing infrastructure and combining our collective data infrastructure functionality provided by the ALA’s open expertise and make ecosystem science even more infrastructure and AEKOS. productive and effective.’

‘Thanks to support from ANDS and DIISRTE, this For more information, please email Peter Doherty project is a great example of adding value to (ALA Programme Manager), or Eco-informatics Australia’s investment in e-research assets,” says Technical Manager Martin Pullan. This project is Peter Doherty, Programme Manager of the Atlas of supported by the Australian National Data Service, Living Australia. “We are pleased to be collaborating which is supported by the Australian Government with the leading national research capabilities of the through the National Collaborative Research National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Infrastructure Strategy Program and the Education Strategy for terrestrial ecosystems to build the Soils- Investment Fund (EIF) Super Science Initiative.

Data at your fingertips in the Atlas of Living Australia

The Atlas of Living Australia (http://www.ala.org.au) now has a ‘data dashboard’ that provides a summary of all of its data holdings: http://dashboard.ala.org.au. At a glance you can see how many species records we have with all data broken down by type, location, date, lifeform, dataset, provider, institution, collection, taxonomy, identification keys, conservation status and more. With many of these data facets, you can drill down to more detailed information or the associated data records.

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SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium Update

Established in 1998, the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium (SEQFBC) is a network of land managers and stakeholders devoted to providing a coordinated response and best-practice recommendations for fire management, fire ecology and the conservation of biodiversity in the South East Queensland (SEQ) region through education, community engagement and applied research. Samantha Lloyd describes the Consortium’s most recent events and achievements.

Following an extensive process to seek a new host for the SEQFBC, a partnership was created with SEQ Catchments in June 2010. This partnership provides excellent opportunities for ongoing engagement with private landholders, public land managers and academic institutions in fire management and fire ecology research. Phase 4 of the SEQFBC is generously supported by Brisbane City, Gold Coast City, Ipswich City, Lockyer Valley Regional, Logan City, Moreton Bay Regional, Redland City, Scenic Rim Regional, Somerset Regional, Sunshine Coast Regional and Toowoomba Regional Councils, Powerlink Queensland, Queensland fire and Rescue Service, Diana Virkki is the recipient of the first SEQFBC Student Research Grant the Queensland Government and SEQ Catchments. Australian Government’s Caring for our Country Education, extension and engagement is one of the program. The SEQFBC are partnering with the key aims of the SEQFBC and in the 2011/2012 NSW Nature Conservation Council to look at best financial year the SEQFBC delivered 17 workshops practice fire management for the endangered in seven council regions attracting over 500 Eastern Bristlebird and threatened Hastings River participants on fire management planning for private Mouse and Eastern Chestnut Mouse in the Scenic properties; two day-long forums on fire ecology Rim area of SEQ. On Wednesday June 6, the research, management and policy and organised SEQFBC also launched the first SEQFBC Student two forums on roadside fire management and best Research Grant. The grant was awarded to Griffith practice for prescribed burning, which will go University PhD student, Diana Virkki, for her project towards a national framework for prescribed on the “Responses of small vertebrates to repeated burning. management burns and heterogeneous fire regimes The SEQFBC engage in applied fire ecology at the patch and local scales in dry eucalypt forests research where possible and recently were of southeast Queensland”. fortunate enough to receive funding under the

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“This research project is an important step towards management and fire ecology importance (e.g. determining appropriate and ecologically legislative amendments and government inquires). sustainable fire management regimes. My hope is As such, the SEQFBC have been working with that it will allow land managers to better conserve SEQ councils and other land managers to draft a species diversity, whilst still fulfilling their land process to better manager the complex issue of management objectives. We are grateful to hazard reduction burning on council and state SEQFBC for their generous support of this project managed roadside reserves. and look forward to sharing the results” Diana said More information: of her project. [email protected] The SEQFBC also provide a coordinated response www.fireandbiodiversity.org.au to matters of regional, state and national fire

Calling all critics!

How to write a book review for the ESA

You may have noticed in the ESA e-news there is a section asking for ESA members to review

books. So, do you think this is for you? Maybe you are a PhD candidate who is interested in a text but can’t afford it, but you feel your writing skills are pretty good and you feel confident enough to write a review of a coveted book? For those of you who

are interested or just plain curious, Perpetua I do not run on a ‘first-in-first-served’ basis. Turner (ESA Book Review Editor) explains how Rather, I run the advertised books in the ESA e- it all works. news for about 2 weeks so those in the field or away from email are given an opportunity to offer The ESA manages two peer reviewed scientific to review a book. If at first you are not successful journals, Austral Ecology and Ecological in your offer, don’t despair. There will be another Management and Restoration. In each of these opportunity to review a book. Also, don’t think ‘I journals, book reviews are published in electronic won’t be good enough to review a book; it’s likely form only, with the book title and reviewers name to go to a Professor or Senior Manager so I won’t listed in the Table of Contents of the journal the offer’. Postgraduates are particularly encouraged review is published in. Books reviewed are of an to apply. A book review is a great way to exercise ecological background and are procured from your writing skills, demonstrate expertise in your publishers. A list of books is then advertised in the field, and it’s a neat publication to add to your ESA e-news and if a one or more books interests embryonic publication list. Reviewers are asked to you, then you are encouraged to contact me read and review a book eight weeks from the date asking to review the book(s) –and please, don’t it is received. I strongly encourage you to have forget to include your postal address! If you can, your peers, supervisor or colleagues read your also include a second email address, as some review before I do. people do change workplaces.

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

Many organisations (e.g. the CSIRO) have Future submissions to the systems in place whereby publications are first reviewed internally and it certainly helps. ESA Bulletin

The ESA are seeking contributions from ESA members in After you send the review to me I edit it, and once the form of: the final version is agreed upon, I send it on to the  General news of interest journal production manager. If you find yourself, for whatever reason, unable to review a book, just  Event announcements send it back to me.Once your review is published I  Recent publications send a .pdf version to the book’s publisher and to  Thesis abstracts (PhD, Honours & Masters)  Feature articles summarizing a topic of interest to the yourself. ESA So, what is in it for you? Well for a start, you get  Photographs for the ESA Bulletin cover to keep the book you have reviewed. I only ask Thesis abstracts should be no more than 200-300 words, that you don’t mark it until after your review has include a 2-sentence blurb about the author, a photo and been accepted for publication. You also receive a caption related to the research, and written for a general 25% discount voucher on a book of your choice scientific audience. from Wiley. And finally, it’s a great way to be published and have your name out there, both in Feature articles may be 600-800 words in length. an international journal and on a publisher’s Submissions and enquiries may be directed to Megan website where your review is quoted, for the entire Evans, the Bulletin Editor: [email protected] world to see. Content for the December 2012 ESA Bulletin must be More information: received by 23 November 2012. [email protected]

For the first time since 2000, the Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia returns to Victoria. We invite you to attend ESA 2012 to be held at the

Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne, from 3-7 December 2012.

www.esa2012.org.au

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

Ecological Society of Australia 2012 Office Bearers President Vice-Presidents Membership Manager Kris French Membership & Communication Bev Watkins Institute for Conservation Biology LizIncorporated Tasker [email protected] School of Biological Sciences NSW Office of Environment & Finance Officer University of Wollongong Heritage Lyn McCormick Wollongong NSW 2522 PO Box 1967, [email protected] Ph: 02 42213655 Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: 08 8953 7544 02 4221 4135 Ph: 02 9585 6061 Fax: 08 8953 7566 [email protected] Fax: 02 9585 6606 PO Box 8250 [email protected] Alice Springs Secretary NT 0871 Matt Pearson Student Affairs TAFE SA Regional Ian Williamson Regional Councillors Port Augusta Campus Queensland University of Australian Capital Territory 9 – 39 Carlton Parade Technology Don Driscoll Port Augusta SA 5700 School of Natural Resource Fenner School of Environment and Ph: 08 8648 9968 Sciences Society [email protected] Ph: 07 3138 2779 Australian National University Fax: 07 3138 1535 ACT 0200 Treasurer [email protected] Ph: 02 6125 8130 Nigel Andrew [email protected] University of New England Research Centre for Behavioural and Glenda Wardle New South Wales Physiological Ecology University of Sydney Ben Gooden Zoology Department School of Biological Sciences Institute for Conservation Biology & Armidale NSW 2351 Heydon-Laurence Building, A08 Environmental Management Ph: 02 6773 2937 Sydney NSW 2006 School of Biological Sciences, Fax: 02 6773 3814 Ph: 02 9351 7113 / 0425382205 University of Wollongong [email protected] Fax: 02 9351 4119 NSW 2522 [email protected] Ph: 02 4221 3436 / 0431151143 Executive Officer Fax: 02 4221 4135 Gail Spina Bulletin Editor [email protected] PO Box 2187 Windsor Megan Evans QLD 4030 Fenner School of Environment and Northern Territory Ph: 07 3162 0901 Society Christine Schlesinger Fax: 07 31620901 Australian National University School of Environment & Life [email protected] [email protected] Sciences Charles Darwin University Past President Public Officer PO Box 795 Carla Catterall Debbie Saunders Alice Springs NT 0871 Environmental Sciences Fenner School of Environment and Ph: 08 89595218 Griffith University Society Fax: 08 89595293 Nathan Qld 4111Ph: 07 37357499 / Australian National University [email protected] 0411205208 ACT 2601 Fax: 07 3735 7459 Ph: 02 6125 2635 [email protected] [email protected] 18

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of Australia Issue 3 | Volume 42 | September 2012

Queensland Victoria Austral Ecology Andrew R. Hayes Peter Vesk Managing Editor Dept Primary Industries and School of Botany Mike Bull Fisheries The University of Melbourne School of Biological Sciences 80 Meiers Rd Indooroopillly Ph: 03 8344 7480 Flinders University QLD 4068 [email protected] GPO Box 2100 Ph: 07 3896 9759/0431553871 Adelaide SA 5001 Fax: 07 3896 9628 Western Australia Ph: 08 8201 2263 [email protected] Eddie Van Etten [email protected] School of Natural Sciences South Australia Edith Cowan University Ecological Management & Nerissa Haby 100 Joondalup Drive WA 6027 Restoration School of Earth and Environmental Ph: 08 9400 5566/0418 903 983 Managing Editor Sciences Fax: 08 9400 5509 Tein McDonald University of Adelaide [email protected] P.O. Box 42 Woodburn NSW North Terrace Australia 2472 Adelaide SA 5005 Tel: 02 6682 2885 Ph: 08 8303 5254/ 0419 033 055 [email protected] Fax: 08 8303 4347 [email protected] Chair of Editorial Board Gary Luck Tasmania Charles Sturt University Kerry Bridle Institute for Land, Water and Biodiversity Conservation Branch Society University of Tasmania PO Box 789 Private Bag 98 Albury NSW 2640 Hobart TAS 7001 Ph: 02 6051 9945 Ph: 03 62 262837/ 0427 846050 [email protected] Fax: 03 62 262642 [email protected]

Austral Ecology and EMR could not be published without the ongoing efforts of the numerous members of each

journal’s editorial boards. Please refer to the respective publications for the full listing of journal editors.

NOTICE: Items printed herein should not be reproduced without the permission of the Society or the author of the

material. Opinions expressed by contributors to the Bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc. unless otherwise stated. Any mention of companies or products in the Bulletin should not be viewed as an endorsement by the Ecological Society of Australia, Inc.

General mail to the ESA should be directed to: Ecological Society of Australia Inc.

P O Box 8250

Alice Springs NT 0871

Future submissions to the ESA Bulletin