Our Research: Research Program 4
Program Leaders:
Associate Professor Susan Moore and Dr Catherine Baudains
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr Marleen Buizer
Strategic Goal for the Program:
To explore and develop policy options to facilitate management actions that will improve the health of woodland and forest ecosystems.
Program Challenge:
A plethora of research over the last decade has shown that it is necessary but not sufficient to conduct environmental science if societal change and an improved environment are sought (Pouyat, 1999; Hayward, 2006). Such research must be translated into action, usually through policy interventions including education, financial incentives, legislation and so on, if beneficial changes are to occur. This program will develop policy options, drawing on the science conducted by the Centre, with the aim of progressing management of these ecosystems towards improved health. Key to the program will be ongoing liaison and close working relationships with all partners to optimise the chances of successful implementation of these research findings.
This program addresses the dual challenges of finding the ‘best’ policy options and then effecting the changes in the government entities, non-government organizations, political interests and individuals needed to address restoration requirements. As such, this program will first determine the current policy and educational opportunities associated with woodland restoration and then intervene to develop and test new approaches.
The program will address these dual challenges by acquiring baseline knowledge, drawing on the research skills available to other programs within the Centre to develop an interdisciplinary response, and developing and relying on high quality, collaborative arrangements with key partners who can most effectively support the policy changes needed to enhance and improve current forest and woodland restoration efforts.
Project 4.1. Determining the ‘best’ policy options for restoring woodlands
Project Leader/s: Assoc. Prof. S. Moore, Dr C. Baudains
Project Team: Prof. R. Hobbs, Research Assist. Prof. Viki Cramer, Prof. D. Pannell, Mr. D. Haswell
Objective: To determine the best policy options for restoring woodlands.
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Project 4.2. Education strategies for restoration success
Project Leader/s: Dr. T. Kurz, Dr C. Baudains, A/Prof. Susan Moore
Project Team: A/Prof Renato Schibeci, Mr. D. Haswell, Dr. K. Ruthrof. A/Prof. J. Bailey
Objective: Identification of effective education strategies to combat and mitigate Australian forest and woodland declines
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Project 4.3. Community Science: Communicating the science effectively
Project Leader/s: Assoc. Prof Renato Schibeci
Project Team: Dr C. Baudains, Dr. T. Kurz, A/Prof. S. Moore, Dr. R. Mckellar, Mr. Haswell, A.Prof. J. Bailey.
Objective: To develop a research-based approach to community education in the crucial area of climate change and forest and woodland health during the life of the COE, in order to develop a Professional development strategy for scientists to improve scientific communication.
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