News

Queensland deforestation policy failing to meet expectations

Details: Published: Monday, 26 November 2018 03:20

Australia has some of the highest rates of private land deforestation in the world, despite policies designed to prevent the practice.

University of Queensland researchers have conducted what they believe to be the first robust analysis of a policy’s ability to reduce deforestation of remnant trees in Queensland, amid debate about policy effectiveness and the significant costs to farmers and graziers.

Are orangutan populations increasing? Science says no

Details: Published: Wednesday, 14 November 2018 23:16

The Indonesian Government claims orangutan populations are now increasing in Sumatra and Borneo, but scientists working in the field say the numbers don't add up.

CEED's Erik Meijaard explains on ABC Radio National.

Tweeting for their lives

Details: Published: Tuesday, 30 October 2018 04:53

Popularity and public interest can often be the difference between extinction and recovery for endangered species. So how popular are different threatened species on Twitter?

Getting more green: Smart allocation of restoration funds

Details: Published: Monday, 29 October 2018 04:16

Since European settlement, more than a quarter of Australia’s native forest and woodlands have been cleared and scientists say vegetation restoration is urgently needed to avoid further loss of species and ecosystem services.

To help ensure that tax-payer money is spent cost-effectively, efficiently, and transparently in restoration projects, scientists from The University of Queensland and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions have developed a decision support tool that delivers a ‘cost-effective roadmap’ for investment in land restoration.

Project leader Dr Luke Shoo said the approach considers much more than just planting trees.

Making the most of limited conservation funds

Details: Published: Thursday, 18 October 2018 23:05

One of the balancing acts faced by conservation agencies is how to conserve and protect as many species as possible from extinction with limited funding and finite resources. In the U.S., conservation agencies are supported and guided by the Endangered Species Act, the seminal wildlife conservation tool signed by President Nixon in 1973, but which is currently being reviewed by Congress.

Do MPAs work for this iconic, threatened seabird?

Details: Published: Tuesday, 02 October 2018 00:50

Seabirds depend on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a safe haven for feeding, especially during their breeding season when adults spend days out at sea foraging to feed their young.

But a new study from CEED has found sites chosen at random would be more effective than the current MPAs managed by the Commonwealth Government for protecting one of Australia’s most iconic, threatened seabirds - the endemic Shy Albatross.

A cautionary tale for conservation policy

Details: Published: Wednesday, 26 September 2018 03:16

Agricultural expansion is the most well-known driver of deforestation and it is estimated to account for roughly 80% of global deforestation.

Despite a wealth of case studies, few general conclusions can be made regarding the causes of deforestation as the drivers often occur in complex feedbacks and operate at different scales.

Accounting for the cost of conservation is necessary to help save species

Details: Published: Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:06

A lack of accurate and consistent estimates of the cost of conservation interventions has been hindering conservation decisions, both at local and international scales.

A team of leading researchers has taken action towards resolving this problem to improve conservation practice and help save species.

Better addressing global sustainability challenges

Details: Published: Monday, 17 September 2018 01:22

To overcome global sustainability challenges, social and ecological sciences need to be integrated into research to provide a better understanding of systems involving people and natural resources as a whole, rather than looking at it as a one-way model.

Who’s ready for climate change? You can Google that…

Details: Published: Tuesday, 11 September 2018 22:41

What do you do if you have a question? You probably ‘Google it’.

Now a team of researchers at The University of Queensland is using the big data produced from Google search histories to gauge how ready countries are for the impacts of climate change.

PhD candidate Carla Archibald, from the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, said the researchers used the information to assess general awareness of climate change.