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Summary: We synthesise the findings from 10 years of ecological restoration in the Midlands of Tasmania, Australia, captured in the series of 14 papers in this special issue of Ecological Management and Restoration. The papers illustrate how expertise from disciplines as diverse as law, economics, social sciences, the arts, education, zoology, botany, genetics, climate modelling, agriculture, spatial sciences and fire ecology are necessary to address the complex social, ecological and financial questions that underpin restoration ecology. We highlight the complexity of the task, the multi‐disciplinary and collaborative approach needed, the importance of science to inform restoration practice and the problem of achieving functional connectivity. We also outline steps that need to be taken in the next 10 years. Together, the outcomes and recommendations from these studies provide a template for restoration in similar highly cleared and degraded agricultural landscapes affected by climate change in Australia and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Natural resource management in Australia is beset with 'wicked' problems: diminishing biodiversity, increasing soil erosion, spreading soil salinity and global climate change all impact private landholders across rural Australia. These problems highlight the complexity of biodiversity conservation, and the need for inclusive, respectful approaches that enable the participation of rural communities, private landholders and government agencies to effectively manage biodiversity on public and private lands. To address these problems, some landholders, rural communities and other stakeholders are seeking evidence‐based solutions through directly applicable research. In this paper, we identify current barriers to such research and highlight principles and processes for co‐designing and managing research based on mutual trust, respect, power sharing and acceptance of various knowledge systems, as embodied in the theory of reconciliation ecology. We suggest that a 'community of practice' approach could assist in establishing effective deliberative relations as a basis for active collaboration in natural resource management research to address these complex problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper provides a critical analysis of the development and current outcomes of Australia's first endorsed strategic assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, namely, the Melbourne Strategic Assessment. It covers progress towards protection of a number of Nationally Significant Species and Ecological Communities – most notably, the native grassland communities immediately adjacent to Melbourne's Urban Growth Boundary. The Commonwealth approval to protect biodiversity and allow urban development was made in 2010 and it aimed to achieve its outcomes by 2020. These outcomes included providing new land for homes, for new transport corridors, and for conservation of biodiversity. Natural Temperate Grassland (4,667 ha), Grassy Eucalypt Woodland (709 ha) and seven other Matters of National Environmental Significance will be impacted. Mitigation for this is establishment of 15,000 ha of grassland reserves, 1,200 ha of grassy woodland reserves, over 4,000 ha of other land zoned for conservation and 300 ha of wetland restoration. We conclude that the Melbourne Strategic Assessment has been a success in terms of the elegance and comprehensiveness of the approach, in cooperation between the levels of government, in the economic benefits, and in some aspects of social engagement of the agreement. However, the achievement of environmental outcomes must be currently considered a failure due to poor implementation. This failure includes not meeting the agreed 10 year deadline for land acquisition and management, poor monitoring and protection of set‐aside areas, and in reporting. We offer suggestions for how these current shortcomings could be overcome. These align well with the recommendations of the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (The independent statutory review of the Act in 2020) and include the establishment of the proposed Office of Compliance and Enforcement, the adoption of National Environmental Standards and the reforms regarding the role of Indigenous Australians in strategic assessments. If these were adopted, we conclude that the strategic assessment approach should be more widely used because of the more holistic approach and efficiencies that it envisages compared with site by site approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The conservation significance of the Tasmanian Midlands, an agricultural region that is largely privately owned and has suffered significant land degradation and loss of biodiversity, has been recognised since the 1980s. Four decades of conservation planning and implementation has seen the evolution of biodiversity protection, revegetation, bush rehabilitation and climate‐ready habitat restoration. Relationships and trust have been built enabling the development of capacity in the farming community and conservation sector. This paper presents for the first time the chronology of four decades of landscape conservation planning and implementation in the Tasmanian Midlands. Remnant protection, restoration and revegetation efforts have evolved from the site level to landscape scale, leading to a conservation approach incorporating ecological restoration in its broadest sense. Successive iterations saw key initiatives including Midlands Bushweb, Midlandscapes, the Midlands Conservation Fund and the Tasmanian Island Ark project. Spatial tools and models have grown from simple maps and aerial photos to early GIS products including farm plans (revolutionary in their day) and asset maps, to increasingly complex spatial models of corridors using least‐cost path analysis and fine‐scale multi‐species models of functional connectivity. However, critical to success in these challenging agricultural landscapes has been the relationships of trust and collaboration built between local farmers and conservation planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this article, we use an autoethnographic approach to explore relationships between landholders and government agencies and natural resource management projects. We use this exploration to argue for a holistic, collaborative approach to decision making around the implementation of biodiversity conservation on private and public land. This approach aligns with principles underpinning reconciliation ecology, which emphasises the inclusion of grass‐roots communities for promoting biodiversity conservation in human‐dominated landscapes where approaches to the management of natural resources may be contested. We present three projects (Environmental Champions; Fencing Incentive programmes; Plains‐wanderer programme) and other research from the Mid‐Murray Valley region of southern New South Wales to highlight the positive and negative aspects of relationships between landholders and others in natural resource management. We argue that for a more collaborative approach; we need to build relationships based on understanding, trust, respect, ownership and partnerships between rural communities, landholders, education and research institutions and government agencies as recognised in reconciliation ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Lindenmayer leads six large‐scale, long‐term research programmes in south‐eastern Australia to help conserve biodiversity in restored areas on farmland as well as conservation in reserves, national parks, wood production forests and plantations. What makes this award‐winning researcher tick and how is the research influencing biodiversity management and policy? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocky outcrops are prominent geological features in agricultural landscapes worldwide. Reptiles are a major component of these habitats and some species are restricted to, and more abundant on, rocky outcrops than in remnant vegetation. Rock outcrops are important to reptiles because they provide resources that are often limited in the surrounding landscape (e.g. micro-gradients in climatic conditions, basking- and retreat-sites). However, there is a knowledge gap in the literature addressing the conservation value of small, rocky outcrops. Management may be necessary to reverse habitat degradation in these systems. We identify four key areas of management that need to be addressed to improve outcrop habitat values and enhance biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes. Specific actions involve: (i) protecting outcrops from processes that cause damage to rock microhabitat, (ii) monitoring and managing changes in vegetation structure to maintain thermally suitable environments, (iii) applying integrated pest animal control and (iv) improving matrix management to enhance inselberg function and landscape connectivity. Further research is required to evaluate the efficacy of different management regimes on outcrop biota. We hope this paper will provide the stimulus for land managers to incorporate rocky outcrops in future biodiversity conservation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002 the Environmental Services Scheme (ESS) was launched in New South Wales, Australia. Its aim was to pilot a process to provide financial incentives to landholders to undertake changes in land use or land management that improved the status of environmental services (e.g. provision of clean water, healthy soils, biodiversity conservation). To guide the direction of incentive funds, metrics were developed for use by departmental staff to score the benefits of land use or land management changes to a range of environmental services. The purpose of this paper is to (i) report on the development of one of these metrics – the biodiversity benefits index; (ii) present the data generated by field application of the metric to 20 properties contracted to the ESS; and (iii) discuss the lessons learned and recent developments of the metric that aim to make it accessible to a wider range of end-users and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to assist identifying potential sites for seed collections for restoration plantings is demonstrated using the Atlas of Living Australia ( ALA) and an example site near Albury (New South Wales). The mean annual temperature ( MAT) and mean annual precipitation ( MAP) of the example site are determined using the ALA. Data on likely changes in MAT and MAP are accessed from the 'Climate Change in Australia' website. The ALA's 'define environmental envelope' function is then used to identify areas currently experiencing conditions similar to the future climatic conditions projected for the site. Species distribution data in the ALA indicate locations where suitable provenances of the chosen species are likely to be present. In the case of trees, satellite images in the ALA can indicate whether isolated trees or extensive stands, that may be genetically diverse, exist at locations of interest. Shrublands, grasslands or wetlands may also be identified from the satellite images. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement Tool ( MERIT) within the ALA can be used to identify existing trials that may already be using suitable provenances for the restoration site. Some considerations for provenance selection under climate change are outlined, as well as the advantages and limitations of using the ALA for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, the research and practice of restoration in New Zealand has extended into urban ecosystems, where it presents unique challenges and opportunities. This account reviews the history and current state of ecological restoration in urban environments in a country with one of the longest traditions of restoration in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Indigenous people are the custodians of knowledge systems that hold detailed awareness of the environment, including applications for monitoring and management to improve biodiversity and cultural outcomes. Indigenous communities are increasingly participating in programs to monitor populations of wildlife. There is a need for frameworks to guide how Indigenous priorities, aspirations and culture can be respected within monitoring programs, as well as case studies that demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge and practice can provide opportunities together with Western science practice to improve the rigour and outcomes of wildlife monitoring. Here, we describe the process of developing a monitoring program that was tailored to be carried out by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Indigenous ranger teams to assess the status, trend and response to the management of a threatened and culturally significant species Mankarr (Greater Bilby; Macrotis lagotis). We applied a collaborative two‐way approach, using iterative consultations, elicitations and field trials involving Indigenous and non‐Indigenous project partners to define monitoring objectives, record biocultural knowledge and tailor a sampling methodology to fit the requirements of Martu Traditional Owners. Our project focused on creating a method that would be engaging, accessible and useful for rangers who would carry out the program, and prioritized collection of relevant data for community decision‐making regarding management. We outline our key learnings for co‐design of wildlife monitoring programs on Indigenous lands. Our approach provides insights that will assist in designing other cross‐cultural or participatory monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There is little attention focused on how Indigenous Australian people engage with the environment and how other ecologists can include this interdisciplinary approach into their practice. Despite many ecologists' genuine desire to work across cultural fields together, there are some notable differences between Western and Indigenous ideologies. One of these principles involves an embodied process that allows us as Indigenous people to connect, analyse, predict and measure changes in Country. This cultural tool of knowing is bounded in place‐based narratives that are sensory‐driven to filter and guide our field experiences. This article serves as an essential resource for scientists and conservationists to rethink their connections to place through immersive bodily experiences as a meaningful apparatus to increase public environmental stewardship. After all, is it not our desire to inspire ecological thinking within a public domain? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Increasingly scientists and policy makers are acknowledging the importance of Indigenous participation in effective biodiversity conservation. In Australia, the recognised Indigenous estate is vast, accounting for up to 57% of the continent and comprising some of the highest priority conservation lands, including 46% of the formal National Reserve System. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act1999 (the Act) is Commonwealth legislation designed to protect and manage nationally and internationally important species and ecological communities, which entails specific objectives to recognise Indigenous people. However, to date the involvement of Indigenous people in implementation of the Act has been inconsistent and inadequate, particularly in the protection of the Indigenous estate, understanding and supporting Indigenous people's aspirations for Country and culturally significant species, and respecting the traditional management of species and landscapes. In this article, we will explore the key barriers and opportunities for improving Indigenous participation in biodiversity conservation under the Act. We structure our exploration using the three connected themes: (1) meaningful Indigenous engagement and participation, (2) recognition of the Indigenous Estate and (3) strengthening Indigenous‐led governance. We find that there is a pressing need and an immediate opportunity to reform and strengthen the Act to protect Indigenous Knowledge, to recognise and report on the role of Indigenous Estate, and to realise the aspirations of Indigenous peoples for improved land and sea management that strengthens people, culture and Country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the urgent need for revegetation to address the climate and biodiversity crises, Paul Gibson‐Roy describes here how grassy ecosystem restoration technologies are ripe for scaling up. Buoyed by local and other examples of success he calls for action by regulators and the agricultural, land management and restoration sectors to refine legislation and tailor their environmental programs to, with gusto, support complex grassy ecosystem restoration at scale to deliver both biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The role of recreational fishers forming paths (routes of concentrated passage characterised by short vegetation or ground indentation) as they gain access to wilderness waterbodies has not been well documented in Australia. Recreational use for trout and tournament fly fishing has increased in the Central Plateau of Tasmania; therefore, it is important to determine the human contribution to path formation and its potential consequences for biodiversity conservation in this area of high conservation value. We predicted that paths parallel to waterbodies experienced more human traffic than orthogonal paths. Across 36 sites at different distances from roads, a parallel and orthogonal path to lakeshore were sampled using eight, 1 × 1 m quadrats randomly located along each path within a 10 × 10‐m plot. Recorded for each quadrat were the path widths, height difference between centre of paths and adjacent vegetation (path depth), vegetation types on and adjacent to paths, Bennetts Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus) and Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) faecal numbers. General linear models indicated that path width was greater on parallel than orthogonal paths and declined with distance from roads. Path depth, however, was not affected by distance from roads but was shallower than orthogonal paths. Separate models used to test the potential effects of edge vegetation type, or the covariates Wallaby and Wombat scats did not have significant effects on‐path variables. Paths encircling or orthogonal to Central Plateau lakes appear different floristically to adjacent vegetation communities, nonetheless. Heath and tussock grassland were largely absent from paths, whereas grassland and herbfield communities were infrequently observed off paths. Herbfield and grassland are rarer communities than heath and tussock grassland, which, in the context of a lack of exposure to erosion, suggests a conservation benefit of paths at present usage levels. The human contribution to parallel path conditions is likely to be high, given the results from the study, so monitoring of change is desirable, especially if predicted increasing human activity eventuates in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of macropods are higher than estimated pre‐European densities in many parts of Australia. To achieve appropriate densities of macropods in the Australian Capital Territory's nature reserves, multi‐tenure kangaroo management units are used to tailor management of kangaroos and total grazing pressure to achieve conservation objectives. An adaptive management framework is recommended that monitors the state of the ground‐layer vegetation and alters the cull accordingly. This case study may provide insights for kangaroo management in other temperate areas of Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the public shift towards biological diversity conservation in Australia. Evidence of the upsurge of interest in nature conservation; Nature conservation outside reserves; Challenges faced by biological diversity conservation.

Summary: In 2021, as part of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the world's nations will meet to determine biodiversity targets for this decade, including area‐based protection targets. Conservation tenders (a form of market‐based instrument) have been used in several countries for the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services​ within a defined area, mostly on private land. Conservation tenders are promoted as delivering cost‐effective and targeted investment/outcomes in the context of limited funding for conservation. Despite the significant investment in the approach, the resultant biodiversity conservation outcomes from these tenders have received relatively little research attention. Key questions on the efficacy of conservation tenders for achieving biodiversity conservation outcomes are discussed, to inform policy makers, programme managers and researchers. Questions include the following: (i) What are the conservation objectives that conservation tenders seek to address that other mechanisms cannot?, (ii) What have been the biodiversity outcomes realised as they relate to ecosystem/habitat representation or ecosystem services?, (iii) How do policy makers plan to realise biodiversity values beyond the term of the agreement given no publicly stated strategy on securing long‐term outcomes?, (iv) Is reporting of activities and results sufficient to judge changed biodiversity condition or delivery of expected outcomes at the end of the agreement, and are there efforts/plans/aims to follow up on outcomes post the agreement term?, (v) What proportion of successful tenderers have a protective conservation covenant in place prior to signing a tender or as a result of signing a tender agreement?, (vi) What do we know about the intentions and capacity of landholders beyond the term of the agreement and what has been the fate of agreements (and conservation outcomes) if they have changed hands during the course of the agreement?, (vii) Is the confidential nature of bidding in many conservation tenders missing the opportunity for collective or collaborative conservation efforts that can sustain learning and enthusiasm post‐tender?, and (viii) Is the information on ecological values (ecosystem type, quality, landscape context etc) presented or made available in a way to landholders that maximises likely bidding to ensure a large pool and thus programme efficiency? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fire is a major type of ecological disturbance shaping plant communities and species distributions. Fires in the spring and summer of 2019/2020 in Australia burnt large areas where this type of disturbance was rare in the past, including in the South‐East Queensland region. To assess the potential impacts of these fires, online GIS data layers were used to map where the fires occurred and which protected areas, plant communities and threatened plants were likely burnt. Based on clustering of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite sensor fire points, 3% (240,000 ha) of the region may have burnt including 107,606 ha of National Parks, sections of 18 Broad Vegetation Groups and 74 Regional Ecosystems and potential habitat of 74 threatened plant species. This included 16% of wet open forests and 13% of rainforests. The results provide preliminary insights into the potential scale of the fires and impact on biodiversity from mapping based on online data, but we also that more detailed mapping including of fire intensity and perimeter combined with ground truthing and ongoing monitoring would be required to better understand changes in fire regimes in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of several studies on cultural and socio-economic issues concerning ecological management. "The Biodiversity We Want to Maintain and the Reasons We Want to Maintain It," by Kathryn Williams; "Biodiversity Maintenance in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spectrum of Views and Understandings," by Geoff Park; "Small and Lifestyle Farms: Has the Horse Bolted for Biodiversity Gains? ," by Carole Hollier, Michael Reid and Julie Francis.

Information about several papers discussed at a conference about the development of biodiversity conservation-research partnerships in Australia is presented. Among of the topics include strategies and initiatives which established efficient and effective benefits and costs of partnering environmental organizations. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Northern Territory government and other international non-government organizations have participated the event.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the results of the Australian government's Biodiversity Fund and Carbon Farming Initiative, the use of the Atlas of Living Australia to check the viability of site-native species in a changing climate, and climate change mitigation.

Summary: Over nearly three decades, Suzanne Prober has played a pivotal role in shifting research in Australian agricultural landscapes to include a focus on native woodlands, and to examine ways woodland conservation can co‐exist with production, contributing to new models for conservation within multi‐use landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upwey Corridor Biodiversity Project has seen substantial investment by agencies and in‐kind voluntary work by the community over a ten year period. Comparison of Habitat Hectare scores prior to the project and after ten years showed that significant improvement in ecological condition of weed‐degraded areas is possible given adequate investment, appropriate re‐treatment and continuous management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case study of the Yanakie Isthmus Coastal Grassy Woodland Restoration Program, Victoria, Australia, illustrates the steps necessary to deliver a complex, long‐term adaptive management project involving a range of stakeholders at a landscape scale. Perspectives of the land manager, scientist and volunteer help to convey successes and lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of Indigenous peoples' and their ancestral estates for the maintenance and protection of biodiversity, ecosystem function, threatened species and cultural diversity is clear. Due to their nature, processes and tools to measure the impact of intercultural Indigenous land and sea management partnerships need to be innovative and adaptable. In 2015, the Wunambal Gaambera Healthy Country Plan reached its mid-point, which triggered an evaluation to enable adaptive management through the assessment of effectiveness. The evaluation was used to appraise the need for adaptation, contribute to the evidence base for healthy Country, and to report on achievements. The Uunguu Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, an innovative, intercultural and interdisciplinary body, and their collaborators adopted a multiple evidence-based approach to enable an enriched picture. This committee has successfully integrated western scientific and local Indigenous knowledge for adaptive management by embodying the principles of co-production. The Uunguu Monitoring and Evaluation Committee model outlines a way of doing knowledge integration from the bottom up which, given the significance of the cultural and natural diversity of the Indigenous estate, makes a valuable contribution to the global community of practitioners attempting to use diverse knowledges for better management of biodiversity, ecosystems, threatened species and cultural traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travelling Stock Reserves provide the most significant networks of natural habitat in the New South Wales Riverina. Substantial biodiversity gains at two sites over 10 years inspired similar works on more than 200 reserves with high levels of demonstrable change occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, community groups have transformed habitat restoration, pest control and species translocations in New Zealand. Large areas of wild New Zealand benefit hugely from ongoing management by community-based restoration groups. Areas near cities and towns have especially good access to pools of keen volunteers. Community groups are involved in monitoring progress with their work, as well as monitoring biodiversity changes in general at their project sites. New tools powered by modern technologies are creating the opportunity for New Zealand's community volunteers to play a transformative role in biodiversity monitoring for either purpose. These tools are reducing the resources and expertise required for species detection and identification. Smartphones with cameras, GPS, audio recorders and data apps make it easier than ever to record species observations. Crowd-sourced identification of species in photographs and sounds loaded onto NatureWatch NZ allow volunteers to make observations of a much wider range of taxa than just common birds and trees. Realising this potential requires community groups, scientists and their institutions to collaborate in building and maintaining simple, accessible monitoring systems that (i) require and promote standard monitoring methods, (ii) provide efficient data entry in standard formats, (iii) generate automated results of use to community groups and (iv) facilitate public sharing of data to contribute to regional, national and global biodiversity monitoring. Some New Zealand monitoring systems developed recently to assist community-based restoration groups with monitoring mammalian predator control are good examples of this approach. Making this happen at a large scale across many community groups and taxa requires increased and coordinated long-term institutional support for monitoring systems and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is a keystone ecological process in many ecosystems. In such ecosystems, the exclusion of fire can lead to fundamental shifts in vegetation structure, composition and distribution and poses a major threat to the biodiversity dependent on these habitats. Programmes to manage and restore native vegetation have increased rapidly over recent decades, and while many such programmes have demonstrable success managing a range of environmental threats, their effectiveness in identifying and addressing the major threat of fire exclusion in fire-dependent vegetation is questionable. This study sought to identify impediments to the management of fire-excluded vegetation at the assessment and planning stage of ecological management programmes in Byron Shire in north-east New South Wales. Sixty ecological management and restoration plans for sites known to be fire-excluded in the shire were reviewed to determine the rate at which fire exclusion was identified and addressed in planning over the last decade. Document analysis found the majority of plans failed to accurately identify fire exclusion or to recommend the reintroduction of fire in fire-excluded management sites. Absence of standardised guidelines that require comprehensive consideration of fire exclusion in ecological management and restoration plans is suggested as a key factor in the low response rates observed. Furthermore, it was found that existing implicit prompts to address inappropriate-fire regimes generally, including government policies, project objectives and site-assessment prompts had little effect on identification and response rates, further confirming the need for more-explicit assessment prompts relating to fire-frequency issues. Without improvements of the current ecological assessment and planning process to increase identification and management of fire exclusion in the study area, fire-dependent biodiversity values will continue to decline wherever fire exclusion remains unmanaged. It is recommended that explicit assessment and planning templates are developed and implemented to effectively manage fire exclusion and conserve the fire-dependent biodiversity of Byron Shire and the far north coast of NSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the outcome of an effort to address the issue about biodiversity conservation on private land in New Zealand. Background on the efforts of the government to propose national policy statements to address regulatory controls on private land; Discussion on the basic principles in managing biodiversity; Description of suggested methods to address biodiversity issues.

Australia's urban landscapes offer opportunities to marry socio-economic and biodiversity conservation objectives. Yet, information is needed on what urban landscape and habitat features are important for wildlife. In this article, we draw together our research from southeastern Australia to describe key lessons for biodiversity-sensitive cities and towns. Lesson 1: The effects of urbanization on wildlife extend into adjacent habitats. We recommend retaining large, undisturbed areas of habitat away from development, avoiding intensive development adjacent to important conservation areas, prioritizing areas of ecological and social significance, screening light and noise pollution at the urban fringe and around large nature reserves, and planting appropriately provenanced locally native species for public streetscapes, parks and gardens. Lesson 2: Strategic enhancement of urban greenspace offers biodiversity gains. We recommend increasing the total amount of greenspace cover, maintaining ecological structures as habitat islands, using landscaping techniques to minimize risks to human safety, and gardening with low-flowering native shrubs. Lesson 3: Large old trees need to be managed for long-term sustainability. We recommend retaining large old trees in new developments, increasing the maximum standing life of urban trees, protecting regenerating areas and planting more seedlings, supplementing habitat features associated with large trees, and ensuring that young trees have space to grow through time. Lesson 4: Education and engagement connects residents with nature and raises awareness. We recommend education programs to enhance opportunities for residents to experience and learn about biodiversity, engaging residents in the establishment and maintenance of wildlife habitat, providing 'cues to care', facilitating access to garden plants that benefit wildlife, and encouraging cat containment. These lessons provide an evidence-base for implementing conservation and management actions to improve the capacity of our cities and towns to support a diverse and abundant biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine/subalpine environments are diverse systems that support many endemic species. Worldwide, these ecosystems are under threat from ski resort disturbances - even in areas broadly designated for biodiversity conservation. The effects of ski resorts on reptiles are largely unknown, making it difficult to implement effective conservation actions. Many ski resorts do not currently address the needs of reptiles, even those listed as threatened, in their management plans. If reptiles are to continue inhabiting ski resorts in Australia, strategies must be implemented that target their conservation. To begin to address this problem, we summarise current research investigating the effects of ski resorts on reptiles. Based on this information, we recommend strategies that will enhance the conservation of reptiles in areas affected by ski-related disturbances. Suggested strategies include (i) restricting intensive disturbances to already highly modified areas of Australian ski resorts, (ii) avoiding disturbance of remaining native vegetation and structural complexity in ski resorts and (iii) re-establishing structural complexity at highly modified sites through revegetation programmes, or through the cessation of mowing during peak reptile activity periods. While these strategies are designed to facilitate the persistence of reptiles in ski resorts, their long-term success can only be evaluated by monitoring their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large carnivores can play a pivotal role in maintaining healthy, balanced ecosystems. By suppressing the abundances and hence impacts of herbivores and smaller predators, top predators can indirectly benefit the species consumed by herbivores and smaller predators. Restoring and maintaining the ecosystem services that large carnivores provide has been identified as a critical step required to sustain biodiversity and maintain functional, resilient ecosystems. Recent research has shown that Australia's largest terrestrial predator, the Dingo ( Canis lupus dingo), has strong effects on ecosystems in arid Australia and that these effects are beneficial for the conservation of small mammals and vegetation. Similarly, there is evidence from south-eastern Australia that dingoes suppress the abundance of macropods and red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes). It is likely that dingoes in south-eastern Australia also generate strong indirect effects on the prey of foxes and macropods, as has been observed in the more arid parts of the continent. These direct and indirect effects of dingoes have the potential to be harnessed as passive tools to assist biodiversity conservation through the maintenance of ecologically functional dingo populations. However, research is required to better understand dingoes' indirect effects on ecosystems and the development of dingo management strategies that allow for both the preservation of dingoes and protection of livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native vegetation restoration and conservation works have been ongoing for three decades in the South West Slopes Bioregion of NSW's Murray Catchment. Monitoring of extensive areas of protected remnants and revegetation undertaken through a major partnership between ANU researchers and the Murray CMA shows early benefits of restoration efforts to biodiversity and helps to refine future efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The Stock Route Network (SRN) is a vast system of public land, comprising vegetated strips and small reserves across the eastern length of the Australian continent. Now predominantly following the road system, this network was historically established to allow for the movement of livestock prior to truck and railway transport. Owing to declines in traditional uses, parts of the SRN may now be sold to private landholders, or put under long-term grazing leases, making them unavailable for other emerging uses. This is in spite of the fact that it is widely accepted by researchers, practitioners, graziers and agriculturalists that the SRN holds great natural and cultural value. We conducted a review of scientific and grey literature to determine the known values of the network for biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage, rural communities and Australian society as a whole. We found that the majority of existing literature on the network focuses on New South Wales (NSW) and is of a conservation-based nature. The Stock Route Network supports a wide range of threatened species and communities, with considerable potential for many more to be discovered. The network also holds heritage value for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The societal benefits from the SRN are numerous because it provides land for recreation and apiary sites, a source of seed for revegetation projects, a focus for rural tourism, as well as the traditional benefits for stock droving and emergency agistment. In the light of our review, we identified key knowledge gaps pertaining to the values of the SRN and propose a number of options for its future management. Appropriate governance and increased investment in SRN management is now urgently required to ensure that it continues to conserve its many environmental and social values in perpetuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the causes of faunal declines is important for preserving Australia's threatened fauna. Both predation and livestock grazing have been investigated as potential causes of declines, but some studies struggle to account for historical grazing impacts due to the lack of historical information on livestock distribution and grazing intensity. This article summarises some trends in the extent of historical and contemporary livestock grazing on mainland Australia. The cumulative effects of historical livestock grazing are discussed in the light of studies investigating the influences of predation and livestock grazing on faunal declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with ecologist Carla Catterall is presented. When asked about the challenges of her job on conserving biodiversity in Australia, she refers to being exposed to ecology and finds interest in the knowledge of how plants and animals work. She tells on her persistent interest in the habitat of animals and how the abundance and interactions of plants and animals change. She also mentions the level of her optimism for a long-term success in the outcomes for conservation.

Travelling stock reserves have well recognised and important commercial, cultural and other values in the pastoral and agricultural regions of Australia, but their conservation values remain poorly known. In general, many areas of woodlands within travelling stock reserves have not been subjected to the same high levels of degradation pressure as similar temperate woodlands on private land. In this study, we compared several measures of vertebrate biota in 217 permanent field sites located in travelling stock reserves and woodland remnants located almost exclusively on private land in the Murray Riverina and South West Slopes bioregions in southern New South Wales. We found that in comparison with temperate woodland remnants on private land, temperate woodland in travelling stock reserves tended to support more species of birds, more species of declining birds, and a greater abundance of arboreal marsupials. Temperate woodland in travelling stock reserves was more likely to be occupied by particular individual species of birds of conservation concern. However, such tenure differences were not consistent between bioregions. For example, the Rufous Whistler ( Pachycephala rufiventris) and the Red-capped Robin ( Petroica goodenovii ) were significantly more likely to occupy temperate woodland in travelling stock reserves than temperate woodland on private land in the Murray Riverina but such effects were not apparent in the South West Slopes. Similarly, while the Grey-crowned Babbler ( Pomatostomus temporalis) was significantly more likely to occupy temperate woodland in travelling stock reserve sites in the South West Slopes, we found the opposite effect in Murray Riverina. We demonstrated that travelling stock reserves have important conservation values for some taxa and individual species. Because of the paucity of large ecological reserves in the Murray Riverina and South West Slopes bioregions, temperate woodlands located in travelling stock reserves should be considered as an important resource that contributes to a portfolio of vegetation assets in formerly woodland-dominated, but now extensively cleared, agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A framework is presented for terrestrial conservation assessment that has been developed for Bush Heritage, an Australian non-profit organisation that manages land of outstanding conservation value through acquisition or working in partnership with other landowners. The framework is called Biodiversity Prediction using Ecological Processes and comprises seven conservation goals, with a set of candidate criteria and indicators for each goal. Particular emphasis is given to criteria that relate to habitat quality in addition to the more conventional focus on land quantity. The MCAS-S graphic user interface is used to help analyse the indicators and visualise the results in a transparent way that assists the decision-making process. The interface also allows indicators to be weighted differently, which among other things, allows analyses to reflect inter-regional differences in what represents high quality land. The framework was tested in a case study region (the Woodland region of south-eastern Australia), and the results reveal land that is potentially a priority for conservation investments. While the framework and case study results are indicative, and further analyses are required before they can be considered operational, the approach has potential application to other organisations in the private conservation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the tree and shrub planting that has been conducted on farms in Western Australia over the past three decades has not been done with the specific intention of creating habitat or conserving biodiversity, particularly commercially oriented monocultures like oil mallee plantings. However, such plantings may nonetheless provide some habitat resources for native plants and animals. This study assessed the habitat quality of farm plantings (most of which were not planted with the primary intention of biodiversity conservation) at 72 sites across a study region in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Widely accepted habitat metrics were used to compare the habitat resources provided by planted farmland vegetation with those provided by remnant woodland on the same farms. The impact of adjacency of plantings to woodland and, in the case of oil mallees, the planting configuration on predicted habitat quality is assessed. Condition Benchmarks for five local native vegetation communities are proposed. Farmland plantings achieved an average Vegetation Condition Score (VCS) of 46 out of a possible 100, while remnant woodland on the same farms scored an average 72. The average scores for farm plantings ranged from 38–59 depending on which of five natural vegetation communities was used as its benchmark, but farm plantings always scored significantly less than remnant woodland ( P < 0.001). Mixed species plantings on average were rated more highly than oil mallees (e.g. scores of 42 and 36 respectively using the Wandoo benchmark) and adjacency to remnant woodland improved the score for mixed plantings, but not for oil mallees. Configuration of oil mallees as blocks or belts (i.e. as an alley farming system) had no impact on the VCS. Planted farmland vegetation fell short of remnant woodland in both floristic richness (51 planted native species in total compared with a total of more than 166 naturally occurring plant species in woodland) and structural diversity (with height, multiple vegetation strata, tree hollows and woody debris all absent in the relatively young 7–15-year-old farm plantings). Nonetheless farmland plantings do have measurable habitat values and recruitment and apparent recolonization of plantings with native plant species was observed. Habitat values might be expected to increase as the plantings age. The VCS approach, including the application of locally relevant Benchmarks is considered to be valuable for assessing potential habitat quality in farmland vegetation, particularly as a tool for engaging landholders and natural resource management practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All forests, including commercial plantations, provide a range of habitats for conserving and enhancing elements of native biodiversity. However, the biodiversity values of commercial plantations will depend on the management practices adopted on site, as well as the landscape context of the plantation. The present study describes a generic, quantitative method for assessing the potential biodiversity benefits that might be derived from a plantation, depending on the management practices adopted. This method is based on existing ecological design and management principles. The Plantation Biodiversity Benefits Score (PBBS) was designed to be repeatable and practical to apply. The method can be used either as a stand-alone tool or as part of an integrated framework to assess and compare the commercial and environmental benefits that can be derived from different layouts, management practices and locations of plantations anywhere in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landholder adoption of conservation practices has been extensively researched in dryland areas, but there has been less research into the adoption of biodiversity conservation practices in irrigation areas. The Murray Catchment Management Authority (MCMA) and Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL) in south-west New South Wales offer landholders monetary incentives to enhance native vegetation management. However, uptake of the incentives and recommended practices has been slower in the irrigation areas than in dryland areas serviced by the MCMA. We explored landholder participation in native vegetation management in the MIL area using semistructured interviews with landholders and extension staff. Our findings suggest there are important differences between irrigation and dryland contexts. Landholders in irrigation districts face higher opportunity costs and are more likely to mistrust government intentions. Other constraints to adoption include lack of financial resources, restricted time to carry out works and a high turnover of extension staff. Landholders adopted recommended vegetation management practices because those practices matched their values and goals. The importance of regular contact with a positive and enthusiastic extension officer was also evident. These findings have important implications for conservation policies and programs. Extension should move beyond arousing interest and include substantial follow-up contact to maintain landholder motivation and confidence, as well as provide recognition for past landholder efforts. Incentive programs should be designed to provide wider landholder support with different entry points allowing participants to adapt, learn and build confidence. Incentives should address the constraints experienced by landholders, particularly at times of peak workloads and during drought. Work targets set for field staff can be too high and result in program staff focusing on accomplishing on-ground work, rather than developing irrigators’ longer-term commitment to vegetation conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined the effect of different fishing practices on the reduction of bycatch in an estuarine prawn seine fishery in New South Wales. Comparison of the differences in the quantities of bycatch between shore and midstream seines in the region; Information on the PRIMER program and 2D multidimensional scaling ordination plot used in the study; Discussion on the environmental impact of fisheries in the region.

Presents several studies on the integration of ecosystems and production. Model evaluation of two regulatory strategies considered to increase egg production of fishes; Importance of remnants on farms for invertebrate biodiversity; Management system in the viticulture industry.

The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) allows the creation of tradable Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) derived from across the ecosystem sector via project-level baseline and credit activities: it is the first national offset scheme in the world to broadly include farming and forestry projects. Because these activities have the potential to produce both biodiversity and climate change benefits, a crucial outcome is for widespread uptake of the policy. However, the design, complexity and cost of the CFI project development process, and low prices as a result of ACCUs trading in the voluntary market, will all likely militate against this. This article shows how international politics and policy surrounding the Kyoto Protocol have influenced the design of the CFI, with its potential to proliferate complex and narrow methodologies and counter-productive approaches to integrity standards such as permanence. The article shows that despite the pressing need to integrate biodiversity and climate change considerations as equally important challenges, their global integration remains poorly articulated. Biodiversity considerations are also not integrated into the CFI but, rather, are dealt with indirectly through safeguard measures that avoid perverse incentives and unintended harm, and as an optional co-benefit via the development of an index. This article suggests that we need to move past the shackles of Kyoto towards streamlined and standardized approaches such as risk-based assessments and the use of regional baselines. Using regionally specific baselines such as for avoided deforestation would allow landholders to opt-in to regional-scale mitigation opportunities. Activities that Australia accounts for, such as reforestation and deforestation, should also be able to opt-in for coverage under the Clean Energy Act (and out of the voluntary carbon market) to obtain a secure price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]