Centre for Ecosystem Management 2005 Annual Report Contents Director’s Report Director’s Report 1 Congratulations to the Centre for Ecosystem Management which celebrated its tenth Statistics 2005 1 birthday in 2005. The event was marked by the University Research Committee Highlights 2005 2 requesting the second of the five year CEM Members 2005 5 reviews that are required for all Centres at ECU. To add to the occasion the University Specialist Research Areas: asked that we trial the forthcoming Australian Research Quality Framework. Staff Achievements and Activities 6 Thus a major activity for much of 2005 was Current Research Projects 16 the gathering of data and indicators of performance. The review took place in November and a more detailed account is given in the highlights Postgraduate Research Students 17 section of this report. I would like to thank the panel for their hard work and constructive comments. The review reaffirmed the contribution Conference Attendances and Presentations 19 that the CEM makes to research and scholarship in Western Australia, across the nation and internationally. We have a growing number of CEM Publications 2005 20 outstanding researchers who are producing the next generation of Public Lectures and Seminars 2005 23 outstanding researchers. The structure of the CEM underwent major change in 2005. After Professional and Scientific Societies 24 many discussions, members decided to formalize a number of research specializations by having them recognized by the University as level one research groups. In addition to the existing Consortium for Health and Ecology, there are now a further six groups making up the Centre. The new groups are Freshwater Ecosystems, Environmental Chemistry and Forensics, Marine Ecosystems, Terrestrial Ecology, Plant Chemistry and the research group for Science Teaching and Learning. Congratulations to all these groups and I look forward to seeing them grow and become the power houses of the CEM. Performance indicators for 2005 are even more impressive than those of the five year review period (2000 to 2004). Research grants are up to record levels ($1.2 mil), research activity measured through the RAI is up by 70 % on 2004 values and six members of the Centre are in the top twenty RAI earners for the University as a whole. In 2005 members were involved in over 24 funded projects. The main funding bodies included Water and Rivers Commission, Water Corporation, Australian Research Council, Conservation and Land Management, WA Department of Statistics 2005 2005 Research Income - Grants/Consultancies Total RAI Points Earned 2001 - 2005 2005 Total Expenditure Centre For Ecosystem Management 45000 40000 Environmental Chemistry 35000 PG Conference Sponsorship and Forensics 30000 PG Fieldwork Expenses Freshwater Ecosystems FERG MER TERG PCG ECFT RSTLTG CHE 25000 PG Publication Incentives Health and Ecology 20000 Visiting Research Fellow costs Marine Ecosystems 15000 Community Service & Extension Level 1 Groups Established 2005 Plant Chemistry AL RAI POINTS EARNED TOT 10000 CEM Salaries Terrestrial Ecology 5000 CEM Administrative Costs Freshwater Ecosystem Research Group Marine Ecosystem Research Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Plant Chemistry GroupPlant Chemistry Group 0 Postdoctoral Fellow Environmental Chemistry and Forensics Toxicology Consortium for Health and Ecology 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Research in Science Teaching and Learning Group YEAR Fisheries, the Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment and Australia and highlights the desire of industry to achieve outcomes well a number of industrial partners. The range of funding bodies supporting beyond the targets set by regulatory bodies, to engage communities and our research is varied and wide and we are grateful for their support. to seek a more sustainable future. The strong partnerships between the CEM, government and industry A major function of the Centre is to provide support for postgraduate were highlighted in the recent Centre review and are the result of our student activities and in 2005 some 54 PhD, MSc and Honours students focus on applied research on environmental issues in Western Australia. were members of the CEM. Financial support enabled 7 students to During 2005 the CEM produced a range of high quality outputs in attend international or national conferences. Students performed well the form of book chapters, refereed papers, reports and conference at these meetings. The centre also provided equipment and fieldwork proceedings. Members were responsible for 3 book chapters, over 45 grants to 14 postgraduate students. Items ranged from digital video refereed papers, 17 conference proceedings and 7 technical reports. A cameras to specialist field sampling equipment. highlight of this year’s publications is the completion of the last volume I would like to congratulate all the members of the CEM on their of ‘Ecosystems of the World’. David Goodall has spent more than thirty outstanding contributions and achievements during 2005. I believe the years as Editor-in Chief of this 30 volume series. Congratulations to CEM review has helped us focus on what we do well and I am sure we David on this fine achievement and I wonder what your next project is will see a continued growth in research in the Centre. The appointment going to be? A special volume of the Journal of the Royal Society of of three post-doctoral fellows during 2005 has added excitement and Western Australia that appeared in 2005 included the outcomes of a stimulation to our research. workshop looking at ‘Fire and wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain”. This meeting was convened by Pierre Horwitz of the CEM together with Ralph Congratulations to Paul Lavery on his promotion to Professor of Marine Smith from FESA. The eight papers in the volume provide a fascinating Ecology. This recognition of research excellence amongst members of account of how human activities are impacting the wetlands in and the CEM is appreciated and we look forward to other members being around Perth. Well done, Pierre and Ralph. I look forward to seeing the recognised in the future. outcomes of research stimulated by the meeting and the special volume. I would like to conclude my report by thanking Lynn Barton who did Centre members also maintained a strong contribution to professional a fantastic job getting documents ready and organizing venues and and community activities outside ECU. A particular highlight was programmes for the review panel. Lynn’s calm and efficient style will be the appointment of Andrea Hinwood as the Deputy Chair of the missed in the CEM and we all wish her well in her retirement. Environmental Protection Agency of WA. During 2005 members were invited to referee over 50 papers for national and international journals, Will Stock were editors of 5 journals, sat on 5 editorial boards and contributed to 35 professional or advisory boards or committees. Senior office bearers Director, Centre for Ecosystem Management for 2005 were Will Stock who served on the Council of the Royal Society for Western Australia and Eddie van Etten as Regional Councillor for the Ecological Society of Australia. Will Stock and Eddie van Etten served as members of the Minerals and Energy Research Advisory Committee of Western Australia. During 2005, Will Stock was invited to contribute to the ALCOA WA Mining Environmental Improvement Plan Steering Committee. This Mining EIP is among the first of such plans for Western 2005 Research Income - Grants/Consultancies Total RAI Points Earned 2001 - 2005 2005 Total Expenditure Centre For Ecosystem Management 45000 40000 Environmental Chemistry 35000 PG Conference Sponsorship and Forensics 30000 PG Fieldwork Expenses Freshwater Ecosystems FERG MER TERG PCG ECFT RSTLTG CHE 25000 PG Publication Incentives Health and Ecology 20000 Visiting Research Fellow costs Marine Ecosystems 15000 Community Service & Extension Level 1 Groups Established 2005 Plant Chemistry AL RAI POINTS EARNED TOT 10000 CEM Salaries Terrestrial Ecology 5000 CEM Administrative Costs Freshwater Ecosystem Research Group Marine Ecosystem Research Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Plant Chemistry GroupPlant Chemistry Group 0 Postdoctoral Fellow Environmental Chemistry and Forensics Toxicology Consortium for Health and Ecology 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Research in Science Teaching and Learning Group YEAR 1 Highlights 2005 Members of the review panel with representatives of the Office of Research and Innovation, Faculty and the CEM. Tenth Birthday and Second Review Impact Factor ranking of the journals used by staff to publish their research. This will no doubt have a strong effect on future behaviours for the CEM as staff might try to optimise RQF outcomes by selecting highly ranking During November 2005 a panel comprising Professor David Hamilton journals that tend to be generalist or review type publications rather (University of Waikato), Professor Graeme Robertson (Curtin University) than the often more poorly ranked discipline specific journals. Pleasing and Dr David Luketina (Watercorp) undertook a review of the Centre for to note was the conclusion from the panel that there are a significant Ecosystem Management. This review was unusual in that it was used number of staff who are already ‘RQF ready’ and another group that with to test aspects of the proposed Australian Research Quality Framework. one or two additions to their portfolios will enter this category. The panel was asked to act as discipline assessors in addition to The panel's review of the CEM’s activities complimented us on the high providing the second review of the Centre, which was founded in 1995. contribution members make to the research standing and outputs of the CEM members were asked to complete research portfolios, nominate University, the very strong links we have with industry and government their top publications and provide information about the impact that their stakeholders and the excellent support structure we have in place to research has had. Almost all staff filled in the portfolios despite the lack support research students. Stakeholders interviewed by the panel were of clarity on the exact requirements of the future RQF.