Category Archives: Encroachment

Steve Packard was my Steve Jobs

Posted on 18/05/2012 by

Who was it? Who first rocked your boat, flipped your lid, pushed your button, turned you on? (Intellectually, of course). Were you shaken by the medium (a sassy speaker) or the message (a call to arms)? Either way, someone special … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Ecology, Encroachment, Forest history, Grassland, Prairie, Research, Savanna, Succession | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Fire and rain: what makes a woodland?

Posted on 01/12/2011 by

One of the most famous historical quotes on vegetation dynamics in Australia is Thomas Mitchell’s passage on fire, grass and trees. “Fire, grass, kangaroos, and human inhabitants, seem all dependent on each other for existence in Australia; for any one … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Encroachment, Eucalyptus, Fire, Forest, Savanna | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Stake your future

Posted on 21/10/2011 by

Forty years ago a young PhD student left a great legacy. She did all the things that PhD students are supposed to do. She wrote a great thesis, and put a copy in the library for others to read. Better … Continue reading →

Posted in Acacia, Allocasuarina, Ecology, Encroachment, Monitoring, Regeneration, Succession, Woodland | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Growing old in a shrubland: gravity always wins

Posted on 18/09/2011 by

It’s sunny, it’s Sunday, and I’m writing a blog. How sad is that? Fortunately it’s not too bad as I’ve spent a couple of weeks in the field soaking up vitamin D. In lieu of an armchair ecology blog, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Acacia, Cassinia, Ecology, Encroachment, Passive regeneration project, Regeneration, Research, Succession | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Bush encroachment: a global view

Posted on 28/05/2011 by

Encroachment, thickening, desertification, densification, woody weed invasion. There’s no shortage of names for the process. But until lately there’s been a shortage of views on how dense regeneration by woody plants affects the world’s ecosystems. The dominant view can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Encroachment, Passive regeneration project, Regeneration, Research, Restoration | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Chronosequences: travelling forward in space and time

Posted on 15/05/2011 by

I had a fantastic day in the field last week: beautiful weather, great company and lots to see and learn. PhD student, Lisa Smallbone, took her supervisory team, Alison Matthews, John Morgan and I, to visit her field sites. Lisa … Continue reading →

Posted in Cassinia, Ecology, Encroachment, Forest, Forest history, Historical ecology, Passive regeneration project, Regeneration, Research, Succession | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Growing biolinks for climate change

Posted on 09/04/2011 by

Climate change presents huge challenges for nature conservation. One important way to save species as climate change worsens is to maximize linkages or ‘connectivity’ between natural ecosystems. Initiatives such as Gondwana Link, the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (or Alps to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cassinia, Ecology, Encroachment, Forest history, Historical ecology, Passive regeneration project, Regeneration, Restoration | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

That thickening phenomenon

Posted on 25/03/2011 by

If a tree grows in a forest, does anyone hear? Probably not. But everyone gets to see, thanks to satellite imagery. We recently used satellite images to see whether regenerating trees and shrubs were causing remnant woodlands to ‘thicken up’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Encroachment, Passive regeneration project, Regeneration, Research, Woodland | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment