Professor David Pannell

Biography

I was born in Maastricht in the extreme SE of the Netherlands, a region that has a foreign feel to it as there are hills and even some vineyards. With a father being a passionate amateur biologist (beetles, birds, plants and all the rest) it did not come as a surprise that I decided to study biology. I completed my Masters Degree at Utrecht University in 1991 (with majors in plant ecology and ecophysiology). I then undertook a PhD at the same University, working on the ecophysiological mechanisms that maintained male sterile individuals in otherwise hermaphroditic populations of the Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata). Thereafter, my PhD supervisor, Professor Hans Lambers moved to Western Australia, and convinced me to join UWA for two years (from 1998). During that time I got fascinated with the extraordinary diversity of plant life in this region. I collaborated with my colleague Dr Erik Veneklaas on a project considering mechanisms that contribute to the coexistence of plant species in the highly diverse Banksia woodlands of SW Australia. Thereafter, I was succesfull in obtaining a ARC-Linkage grant with Kings Park and Botanic Gardens Authority. This project investigated the ecophysiological adaptations of Hakea species endemic to shallow-soil ironstone communities and led to fascinating insights in the importance of root system morphology for species distribution patterns. Then I took up a postdoctoral fellowship researching the possible involvement of climate change (i.e drought) in the crown decline of wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo). This project mainly involved investigating the water relations of wandoo and tree species that co-occurred with it that seemed to be less affected. Currently I am a lecturer in Plant Conservation Biology (since 2007) and a researcher for the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Key research

Research expertise in agricultural and resource economics: (a) management of natural resources and the environment, (b) adoption and diffusion of innovations, (c) whole-farm bioeconomic modelling (d) agricultural risk and uncertainty, (e) evaluation and prioritisation of research, (f) mathematical programming techniques, (g) economics of weed management, (h) social survey design and analysis, and (i) agricultural extension policy.

Major Research Interests

• Agricultural innovations (extension and adoption of)
• Agricultural research policy and management
• Bioeconomic modelling
• Dryland salinity policy
• Natural resource economics and management
• Pest management
• Risk management
• Sustainable farming systems
• Sustainable resource management
• Weed management

Publications

5 books and monographs and 110 journal articles and book chapters.
100 other reports, conference papers, extension articles, etc.

View Publications here >>

Current Projects

• SIF3
• INFFER
• Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre

Future Research

Economic and social aspects of dryland salinity and of related technical research

Funding Received

$2.5 million in 20 projects since 1983. Recently completed project: Grains Research and Development Corporation. ‘Sustainability and economics in wheatbelt farming: Achieving an integrated balance’. $585,000 over five years, 1997-2002. Current projects: several within the CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity, http://www1.crcsalinity.com

Industrial Relevance

Applied research on dryland salinity and farming systems relevant to agricultural industries.

Centre of Excellence for Climate Change Woodland and Forest Health
School of Agricultural and Resource Economics
University of Western Australia (M084)
35 Stirling Highway CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Ph: +61 (8) 6488 4735
Fax: +61 (8) 6488 1098
[ Email David ]

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