Category Archives: Forest history

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

Sieving the seeds of the future

Posted on 26/04/2012 by

I did something the other day that I haven’t done for ages. I spent the morning gazing down my old microscope, separating intact from dodgy Acacia seeds. Like other ecologists, I’ve searched for seeds in different ways. I’ve spread soil … Continue reading →

Posted in Acacia, Ecology, Eucalyptus, Fire, Forest, Forest history, Regeneration, Research, Seed banks, Seeds, Succession, Woodland | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Art vs Science: von Guérard’s pot plants

Posted on 06/08/2011 by

Many ecologists would kill for an accurate ‘scientific’ description of native grasslands and woodlands before European settlement. These threatened ecosystems have been so cleared and disturbed that it is impossible to know what they looked like originally. How abundant were … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate change, Ecology, Forest history, Grassland, Historical ecology, Landscape painting, Woodland | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Reading the bush: juxtapositions in history

Posted on 25/04/2011 by

… An historical post for Anzac Day … Everyone sees something different in a patch of bush. I usually wonder: were these patterns that we see created by natural forces (such as soils and geology) or by a hidden mosaic … Continue reading →

Posted in Callitris, Forest history, Historical ecology | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

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