NEW research projects are now formally under way in the Tropical
Savannas CRC, since gaining approval by the CRC’s Board at
its meeting in June. These projects reflect the CRC’s greater
focus on the practicalities of managing land and integrating its
biophysical, social and economic aspects. A few project proposals
are undergoing some revision, but we are confident that they will
be fully developed and ready to start by the October Board meeting
later this year. Following are the new projects and their
respective project leaders:
Theme 1—Landscape Ecology and Health (Leader: John
Ludwig, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems)
- Predicting outcomes of savanna management: ecological
interactions and socio-economic trade-offs across landscape
scales: John Gross, John Ludwig, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems,
Qld.
- Effects of disturbance on biota, and nutrient and water
dynamics for landscape function in tropical savannas: Garry
Cook, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, NT; Mike Webb, CSIRO Land &
Water, Qld.
- Understanding the impacts of disturbance on woodland
dynamics and carbon cycling to improve savanna management and
health: Andrew Ash, Dick Williams, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
Qld & NT
- Biodiversity on the fault lines: examination of mammal
decline across northern Australia, and implications for
management: John Woinarski, Parks & Wildlife Commission of
the NT.
- Savanna Riparian Health: definition, indicators and response
to management: Michael Douglas, Northern Territory University;
George Lukacs, James Cook University, Qld.
- The impacts of exotic grass establishment on basic savanna
function: using ecological information for better management:
Samantha Settlefield, Michael Douglas, Northern Territory
University; Tony Grice, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Qld.
Theme 2—Industry and Community Natural Resource
Management (Leader: Jill Landsberg, James Cook University, Qld
Parks & Wildlife Service)
- Refining methods of off-reserve conservation of biodiversity
in tropical savanna rangelands: Alaric Fisher, Parks &
Wildlife Commission of the NT, NT.
- FIREPLAN: Fire management for the savanna community:
Jeremy Russell-Smith, Bushfires Council NT.
- North Australian beef industry natural resource management
best practice project: Stephen Tapsall, TS–CRC,
NT.
- Monitoring biodiversity health in tropical savanna
rangelands: Alaric Fisher, Parks & Wildlife Commission of
the NT.
- Indigenous ecological knowledge for land management:
Mark Horstman, Kimberley Land Council (WA); Peter Cooke, Northern
Land Council (NT); Nick Smith, Balkanu Cape York Development
Corporation (Qld).
A major grazing land-management project, involving both
Queensland, Western Australia and the Territory, is currently being
finalised and will begin later in 2002.
Theme 3—Regional Planning and Management (Leader: Dan
Walker, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems)
- Integrating research and management at property and regional
scales through participatory knowledge-building: Ockie Bosch,
Helen Ross, University of Queensland.
- Integrating people, properties, policies and plans between
regional and property scales: Helen Ross, Ockie Bosch,
University of Queensland.
- Analytical and modelling methods for characterising regional
community, economic and natural resource dynamics: Mark
Stafford Smith, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, NT.
- Improving the benefits to savanna communities from
tourism: Romy Greiner, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Qld; Mark
Horstman, Kimberley Land Council, WA.
- Bioregional planning in Australia’s savannas:
Geoff McDonald, University of Queensland.
- Regional vegetation management and water resource planning
for sustainable landscape management: Allan Dale, Dept. Natural
Resources & Mines, Qld.
- Tourism and two laws on the Gulf Savannah (NT). An
examination of the interrelationships between social and
environmental well being on the savanna lands of the southwest Gulf
of Carpentaria: John Bradley, University of Queensland.
Theme4—Human Capability Development (Leader: Ian
Falk)
- Higher education: Penny Wurm, NTU, NT.
- Communication resources for the tropical savannas: Peter
Jacklyn, TS–CRC, NT.
- Indigenous Capacity Building (proposal under
development): Ian Falk, NTU, Rosemary Hill, JCU, Qld.
- Scoping study: Natural resource management on Aboriginal
land: David Epworth, Balkanu Corporation, Qld.
