The C4 photosynthetic pathway is advantageous under high temperatures and light, and low nutrients, moisture, and CO2. While climate is a primary driver of C4 and C3 dominance, its interaction with other global change factors remains unclear. Using a global dataset from 99 sites across six continents and 47 long-term nutrient addition and grazing exclusion experiments, we show that C4 plant distribution is strongly related to climate variables, especially the crossover threshold (average maximum temperature of >26°C and 35 mm precipitation). However, nutrient addition significantly reduced C4 species, while grazing exclusion had no consistent effect. These results suggest that nutrient addition and rising atmospheric CO2 levels may disadvantage C4 plants despite higher temperatures. Our findings draw attention to a profound existential threat to the C4 pathway, one of the most fascinating and transformative adaptations in the evolutionary history of plants. More broadly, these results are highly relevant for predicting vegetation responses to global change, with implications for terrestrial carbon cycling, productivity, herbivory, and food security.

Land use change is a major driver of ecosystem degradation, and while ecological restoration supported by incentive-based policies such as Payment for Environmental Services (PES) offers a key solution, its effectiveness depends on the strategic spatial prioritization of restoration efforts to maximize ecological benefits. Thus, this study aimed to identify priority areas for the implementation of biodiversity-focused PES programs through ecological restoration in São Paulo state, Brazil. A spatial multicriteria evaluation (MCE) was conducted, incorporating expert knowledge through participatory techniques to define biodiversity-related criteria. These criteria were spatially modeled, normalized using fuzzy membership functions, and aggregated through the Weighted Linear Combination method. Criterion weights were established using pairwise comparisons within the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Priority areas were associated with regions characterized by low conservation levels of phytophysiognomies, intermediate native vegetation cover, high enough landscape connectivity, proximity to Conservation Units, and high potential for reducing species extinction risk. Among the evaluated criteria, the conservation status of phytophysiognomies and proximity to Conservation Units emerged as the most influential in the prioritization process. Those priority areas are often characterized by high fragmentation and intense anthropogenic pressure, highlighting a strategic focus on ecosystem restoration and enhancing ecological connectivity. In contrast, lower priority areas are generally located along the coast and adjacent to well-preserved protected areas, where native vegetation is more consolidated. The final map can inform biodiversity-focused restoration efforts and serve as a strategic input for regional-scale planning. Moreover, it can be integrated with assessments of other ecosystem services to maximize ecological benefits. The findings also underscore that the integration of distinct approaches such as MCE and participatory techniques yields methodological complementarities that enhance the analytical depth of spatial modeling processes. This convergence fosters more robust and transparent decision-making, reaffirming the importance of interdisciplinary strategies in the design and implementation of evidence-based public policies.

Regional scale tree diebacks events associated with the compounding effects of severe atmospheric vapour pressure deficits (VPD) and record-breaking heat waves have been increasing worldwide. These events are unpredictable and catastrophic, killing millions of trees in short timescales and causing substantial changes in ecosystem processes and structure. During these hot and dry atmospheric conditions (hot-droughts), plants respond by closing their stomata to minimize water conductance, yet a residual conductance (gres) continues through the leaf cuticle, leaky stomata, and bark. The phase transition of residual conductance (Tp) is the temperature at which gres increases rapidly due to changes in the permeability of the leaf cuticular waxes, and it has been hypothesized to be a key trait in determining tree mortality during hot-droughts. However, the influence of VPD and temperature over gres and Tp is still unknow. To understand the effects of hot-droughts over gres and Tp we performed temperature response curves ranging from 25°C to 55°C under two VPD conditions; keeping the VPD below 2 kPa across temperatures (Temperature treatment) and by letting it covary with temperature increments (Temperature and VPD treatment) on branches of Eucalyptus species that have contrasting drought tolerances to address the following questions 1) What is the net effect of temperature and VPD over gres? and 2); Does Tp vary between species with contrasting drought tolerances? We found that the temperature and VPD treatment had a multiplicative effect over gres when compared to the temperature treatment for the drought tolerant species while drought vulnerable species were not affected by any of the treatments applied. We also identified that the temperature at which Tp occurred was on average 45°C across all species. Our results underscore the importance of considering the joint effect of VPD and temperature when trying to give accurate assessments of tree responses to future hot-droughts.

Tjakura (Liopholis kintorei) are a vulnerable skink species, endemic to central arid Australia which hold significant cultural value for First Nations. Compounding effects of population declines driven by introduced predators and detrimental fire regimes, a fragmented distribution and low dispersal rates have likely resulted in substantial declines in genetic diversity at broad and fine scales. Genetic and evolutionary rescue have the potential to boost population size and genetic diversity of threatened populations however effective implementation of these strategies requires measures of genetic variation and localised adaptation to identify at-risk populations and suitable donors. We have sequenced 441 specimens from 2009-2025, spanning a wide range of the Tjakura’s distribution at both broad and fine spatial resolutions. Initial results confirm previous findings of broad scale genetic structure and suggest that several sites within two of the large populations of Tjakura may be genetically isolated and, as such, may represent prime candidates for translocations. Ongoing analyses aim to characterise patterns of fine scale genetic connectivity and the environmental variables which mediate them, including ground cover, development and fire. We hope that our findings will contribute directly to Tjakura conservation through immediately implemented land management practices and connectivity restoration in the short term, and through genetic and evolutionary rescue strategies in the long term.

Farmers are moving towards biodiversity-friendly farming to reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture on biodiversity. Understanding how agricultural intensification influences plant diversity patterns on farms allows for land management protocols to be established that can work towards meeting conservation and sustainability goals. The diversity of plant traits that are present in habitats under agricultural management can provide insight into what plant groups are likely to be most affected by farm practices and warrant better protection compared to plant groups that are more resilient to these land-use changes.

This study aimed to address the question: how does agricultural intensification influence the species composition and trait attributes of native and non-native plant communities on farms in south-eastern Australia?

Native and non-native plant species were recorded at sites along a gradient of agricultural intensification on 48 farms across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Plant species composition and plant traits were compared between sites along this gradient in three different ecosystem types (woodlands, derived grasslands and grasslands) and among regions. Plant traits investigated included life cycle, dispersal mode, growth form, height, palatability, resprouting capacity and photosynthetic pathway.

The outcomes from this study will improve our understanding of what plant traits are sensitive to agriculture, what traits are tolerant and what traits benefit from this land-use. Additionally, we can determine whether there is consistency between trait responses in native and non-native plants. Identifying how plant traits are related to agricultural intensification allows us to understand how the composition of plant communities are likely to change under differing intensities of agriculture. Farm management recommendations can then be made that will maintain and increase native plant diversity on farms to enable biodiversity-friendly farming outcomes.

Shifts in plant community assembly during succession can alter how community composition responds to the environment, yet how these changes influence trait–environment relationships remains poorly understood. This limits our ability to predict community composition from the environment, as successional stage may confound community-level trait–environment relationships and obscure patterns in global analyses.
We examined how successional stage influences trait–soil depth relationships and underlying community assembly processes. We compared relationships between soil depth and community weighted means of traits associated with resource acquisition, energy allocation and dispersal, in adjacent early and late successional communities in the same environment. We inferred the dominant assembly processes across successional stages and soil depths—environmental filtering and limiting similarity—through convergence and divergence of observed trait diversity from a null model.
Successional stage mediated community trait–soil depth relationships and assembly processes. In late succession, deeper soils supported communities increasingly dominated by plants with resource conservative traits, whilst competition drove limiting similarity of light capture traits. However, in early succession, the same traits typically had no relationship to soil depth, or different trait values such as smaller leaves were favoured. Trait convergence indicated environmental filtering as the dominant assembly process during early succession.
Our findings demonstrate trait–environment relationships can differ considerably between adjacent communities within the same ecosystem due to differences in successional stage and its impact on community assembly. Thus, incorporating successional stage, and potentially other major determinants of community assembly (e.g. disturbance regime, microclimate), into global analyses of trait–environment relationships is critical to explain variation between ecosystems and enable predictions of community composition from the environment.

Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) are sentinel species for coastal ecosystem health, with their
breeding success reflecting food availability and habitat quality. To investigate the drivers of
reproductive success in an urban colony persisting within an enclosed estuarine bay, we
integrated 6 years of nest-level monitoring, a 19-year record of breeding and moult
phenology, and physiological data from two recent breeding seasons (n = 80). Long-term
monitoring showed that breeding onset is advancing while moult timing remains stable, and
extended overlaps between breeding and moult, driven by later breeding, were associated
with years of elevated chlorophyll-a. At the interannual scale, diet and chlorophyll-a
concentrations emerged as important variables for predicting reproductive output. At the
individual level, while both studied years exhibited relatively low colony-wide breeding
success, intra-seasonal comparisons revealed that successful breeding attempts were
positively associated with both later laying and higher parental condition, measured by total
plasma protein. Interestingly, H/L ratios, as potential indicators of nutritional stress, were not
significant predictors of reproductive success, though further analysis is underway. Together,
these findings suggest that sustained coastal productivity may support flexibility in
reproductive timing leading to extended breeding seasons. We propose that later breeding in
this colony reflects an environmentally contingent strategy: second clutches in productive
years, and selective late laying by high-condition individuals in poorer years.

Parks Australia manages over 40% of the nation's oceans and more than 10% of its landmass, encompassing culturally and ecologically significant protected areas. In response to growing conservation challenges, Parks Australia has developed a Science Strategy to guide knowledge generation, build impactful partnerships, and inform adaptive management. The Science Strategy outlines a vision for inclusive, innovative science that integrates western science, First Nations, and community-based knowledge systems. It recognises science as a process of inquiry, embracing diverse perspectives and aims to solve complex problems for nature and community.

The Strategy identifies five themes around weaving knowledge, climate change, managing complex systems, protecting and enhancing our environment, and strengthening people’s connection to the environment. These areas align science effort with national and regional policy priorities and enable evidence-informed decision-making at multiple scales.

Underpinning the strategy are principles of impact, creativity, collaboration, and holistic approaches—supported by ethical systems, culturally competent partnerships, and clear pathways for knowledge sharing.

This guides Parks Australia’s evolving science program and supporting implementation of Australia’s National Science and Research Priorities. Together, this approach enables targeted research that protects biodiversity, respects culture, and empowers communities across the Commonwealth parks estate.

Illuminating the Impacts of Fire on Reptile Communities Using Terrestrial LiDAR

Olivia K. De La Mare, Zoe A. Xirocostas, Jonathan K. Webb, Brad R. Murray

Since the reduction of cultural burning in Australia beginning in 1789, wildfire frequency and severity have been steadily on the rise. Climate change is further exacerbating these impacts, increasing weather extremes and amplifying natural disasters, placing native flora and fauna under threat. Reptiles are an integral part of Australian ecosystems, acting as predators, prey, mutualists, and nutrient-cyclers, but despite their importance, reptiles are often an overlooked taxon in fire ecology. Specifically, the effects of variation in fire history on reptile communities in dry sclerophyll forests of eastern Australia is not well understood. Without this knowledge, conservation efforts are unable to properly support the unique biodiversity of Australia. Our study aims to determine how reptile taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity relate to differences in time-since-fire and fire severity in dry sclerophyll forests of the Blue Mountains National Park, an iconic landscape that commonly experiences wildfires. To address this, we will 1) characterise variation in reptile habitat as a function of time-since-fire and fire severity using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, 2) assess food source diversity and abundance through surveys of invertebrate leaf-litter assemblages, and 3) employ active searches, pitfall trapping, and camera traps to describe reptile communities across changing fire histories. This research will advance our understanding of the role of fire history in structuring highly endemic Australian reptile communities and will contribute to their conservation as they continue to face altered fire regimes.
This research is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Across Australia, increasing numbers of invasive and native herbivores threaten small mammal populations through overgrazing in remnant vegetation, by direct competition for resources and/or indirect habitat modification that reduces shelter availability and quality. These threats can be intensified in fragmented landscapes, where remnant vegetation exists in isolated patches within an agricultural matrix. Despite this, research on how grazing pressure, habitat fragmentation and patch size interact and influence small mammal populations remains limited.

This study addresses this gap by assessing the effects of grazing pressure and patch size on small, non-volant mammals in protected woodlands of south-eastern South Australia. Data is being collected across six woodland sites ranging from 40 to 27,000 hectares (ha) in the fragmented landscape of the lower Limestone Coast region of South Australia, where pasture and commercial forestry dominate land use. Data collection includes small mammal and herbivore diversity, abundance, and diet, alongside habitat assessments and invasive predator surveys to measure other covariates influencing small mammal populations. Bush rats (Rattus fuscipes), antechinus (Antechinus agilis, Antechinus flavipes), and southern-brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus obesulus) will serve as focal species for comparison, as they occupy distinct ecological niches and are present across all research sites.

This project has been designed to not only maximise scientific output, but also generate insights that can be applied by land management and conservation authorities to inform species conservation and wildlife management activities in the region and in similar habitats across Australia.

The grassland restoration was established in May 2020 in partnership with Greening Australia (GA) to create Natural Temperate Grasslands (NTG) and Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (PTWL) habitat in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor.

Methodology:
It was created by using innovative and science-based grassland rehabilitation methods which includes scraping the top 10-15cm of soil to remove weed seeds stored in the soil. The bare scrape was sown with a mixture of 24 native grasses and forbs using a specialised grass seeder developed by GA specifically for grassland restoration. Jute strips were place across the site to reduce runoff and seed loss. A new scrape was undertaken in June 2024. Both grassland restoration sites had rocks, logs and bricks added to them to provide habitat for nearby populations of PTWL. The Trust worked with Friends of Grasslands (FOG) to establish a vegetation monitoring program with the original site monitored for the first 5 years and the new site monitored in spring each year.

Results:
The original restoration site (5 years old) has demonstrated an 80% success rate of the seeds sown. Non sown natives have also been found during surveys, demonstrating the viability of native seeds, waiting for the right conditions. Furthermore, the PTWL has been found on the site along with other vulnerable grassland species such as the Perunga Grasshopper.

The presentation demonstrates that NTG can be achieved in areas of exotic dominance and can successfully recruit local vulnerable species. Native seeds are also being dispersed into the neighboring landscape. The site can be used to collect native seed for future restoration sites. Furthermore, the site provides an opportunity for community engagement, education and future research opportunities. The site will be used to reintroduce Golden Sun Moth into the Corridor, partnering with ANU.

Alarm vocalisations are widespread across animal taxa, functioning to warn conspecifics, deter predators, or signal duress. While such calls are well-characterised in many species, they remain poorly understood in marsupials. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is known for having a unique and varied vocal repertoire, with previous research focusing primarily on mating bellows and agonistic encounters. However, anecdotal reports and field observations consistently note a distinct ‘bleat’ vocalisation during human-induced interactions, primarily upon sighting of humans or during capture. Despite its frequent occurrence, this call has not been systematically described in the literature.

Our study characterises the acoustic properties of the koala bleat, including its amplitude, frequency, harmonic structure and potential non-linear phenomena. We present waveform and spectrogram data to visually illustrate key features the call and compare it with other known koala vocalisations such as the female rejection scream. We hypothesise that the bleat represents a functionally distinct call, possibly an alarm or distress vocalisation, given its consistent occurrence during brief stressful interactions with humans. Additionally, we examine whether structural variation in the bleat correlates with individual traits such as age, sex, or body size.


Defining the acoustic profile and functional context of the bleat enhances our understanding of koala communication and contributes to the broader field of marsupial vocal ecology. Importantly, recognising the bleat as a potential distress vocalisation has significant implications for animal welfare and ethical handling practices. A clearer understanding of how koalas vocalise under stress can inform best-practice protocols for behavioural observations and capture, ensuring that scientific and conservation activities minimise distress and prioritise the welfare of this iconic species.

Translocation is increasingly used to conserve rare plant species, yet ensuring long-term population viability remains a major challenge—particularly in fragmented, urban environments. We are conducting a multi-faceted research program to support the successful translocation of two rare species endemic to southwestern Australia: Conospermum undulatum and Macarthuria keigheryi. Our approach combines ecological, physiological, and genetic research to address key knowledge gaps and inform translocation planning. To identify suitable translocation sites, we are developing fine-scale habitat suitability models and comparing soil geophysical and chemical properties, invertebrate biodiversity, and soil seed bank dynamics between current habitat and candidate sites. These assessments help define the environmental filters relevant to species persistence. Propagation trials, including germination experiments, cutting propagation, and root morphology analyses, are being used to optimise plant production and evaluate traits linked to establishment success. We are also assessing site vulnerability to dieback (Phytophthora spp.) to avoid areas with elevated disease risk. Complementing these ecological studies, we are conducting population genetic analyses to understand genetic structure and diversity within and among remnant populations. This informs the selection of source material for translocation, aiming to maximise genetic representation and reduce risks of inbreeding or poor adaptation. Rather than treating these components in isolation, our research is structured to integrate findings across disciplines, providing a holistic evidence base for translocation decisions. This presentation will highlight the project design and share preliminary results across key research areas, demonstrating how a coordinated approach can strengthen conservation outcomes for threatened flora in urbanised ecosystems.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in southern Australia represent a stronghold for the species. Unlike populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, which are federally listed as Endangered, southern populations remain relatively secure. However, koalas are elusive, and reliable data are lacking across much of their range. This makes it difficult to assess true conservation status, manage regional variation, and respond to threats such as fire, habitat change, and local overabundance.
The National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP), a collaboration between the Australian Government, CSIRO, and regional partners, aims to generate robust, standardised, long-term population data across jurisdictions. South Australia's involvement is critical to understanding both secure and data-deficient populations. Flinders University’s Koala Conservation Hub leads state-based monitoring across five ecologically distinct regions: the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Limestone Coast, and Clare Valley.
Since 2022, we’ve used a range of methods including double-count line transects, thermal drone surveys and community-driven reporting. In 2024, we launched South Australia’s first Great Koala Count, engaging citizen scientists via the Koala Spotter app and generating a statewide surge in verified sightings. We also trialled Bluetooth ear-tag tracking to test real-time public-assisted monitoring.
Preliminary results highlight stark regional contrasts in koala densities, from strongholds in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower Eyre Peninsula to low-detection areas such as the Clare Valley and fire-affected western Kangaroo Island. Identifying areas of absence or scarcity refines habitat models, informs restoration priorities, and alerts managers to patterns of habitat fragmentation or local over-browsing.
This work contributes to a national baseline for spatially explicit monitoring across the full spectrum of koala population status, from increasing to declining populations. By integrating scientific methods with community participation, we are building a more accurate picture of South Australia's koalas and a scalable model for long-term monitoring nationwide.

Seasonal herbaceous wetlands are a critically endangered, spatially and temporally variable wetland type found across southeastern Australia. Many sites occur in the productive agricultural region of southwest Victoria, where the ecosystem predominantly occurs on private farmland. As agriculture in the region intensifies, these wetlands face increasing direct and indirect impacts from disturbances like grazing, fertiliser use and weed invasion.
Current understanding of the contribution of soil seed banks to plant community assembly of seasonal herbaceous wetlands is poor. Key knowledge deficiencies include which native species and species groups form persistent seed banks and can recover after agricultural disturbance, in particular long-lived perennial forb species. Understanding the potential for ecosystem recovery from seed banks after agricultural disturbance is important for informing conservation and restoration approaches.
We sampled soil for chemical analysis and seed bank at 25 seasonal herbaceous wetland sites on southwest Victorian cattle and sheep farms in late autumn. Sites were of varying floristic quality and occurred across an agricultural intensity gradient, measured by accumulated soil phosphorous (Colwell-P) and livestock grazing intensity. Record low rainfall conditions provided a unique opportunity to assess soil seed bank composition and grazing intensity while wetlands were fully dry, and effects of grazing were magnified.
Soil seed bank samples are currently being germinated in nursery trays in a glasshouse to assess native and exotic species composition and abundance, and the range of growth forms and other traits present. Above ground vegetation surveys at the same sites will occur in spring.

Australia is facing a biodiversity crisis, with over 2,000 species threatened with extinction. While the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has provided a global standard approach to assess extinction risk, it is not designed to assess species recovery nor assess the value and effectiveness of conservation actions. The IUCN Green Status of Species, however, provides a standardised framework for quantifying species’ level of recovery and evaluating the impact of past and future conservation on that recovery. This new approach, which complements and draws from the IUCN Red List, integrates empirical data, hindcasting and forecasting approaches, distributional modelling, and expert elicitation. We are using Australian reptiles (~1100 species) and amphibians (~250 species) as a case study to develop a standardised approach that can be implemented globally across taxonomic groups to assess species recovery that incorporates both the Red List and the Green Status of Species. This study will provide a comprehensive list of Australia’s most imperilled herpetofauna and an assessment of how this aligns with current conservation policy. We are investigating how to best integrate our methodology, and its outputs, into the decision making and reporting processes of Australian government agencies, including Recovery Report Cards. Preliminary results suggest that more species qualify as threatened based on IUCN Red List criteria than are currently listed as threatened under the EPBC Act, demonstrating the urgent need for updated conservation policy.

Australia has experienced vast clearing and harvesting of forests since European colonisation. Today, every state and territory produces wood products sourced from native forests and/or plantations. These forests also support a unique group of endemic fauna: arboreal marsupials. Arboreal marsupials are dependent on trees for part or all of their lifecycle, including for foraging, sheltering and/or breeding. Given the extensive loss of forest habitat in Australia and declines in many arboreal marsupial populations, there has long been public and political scrutiny into the management of remaining forests and the wood production industry. I conducted a systematic review of research examining both arboreal marsupials and wood production in Australia, to identify key research themes and knowledge gaps. Literature was sourced from Scopus and Web of Science, with 201 journal articles identified as meeting the research criteria out of 1014 publications. From this literature, I answer questions revolving around whether research effort matches industry output, including the amount of research into plantations compared to native wood production forests, and the amount of research per state. I also examine whether the threatened status of arboreal marsupials influences research output and topics of research. Research topics are further examined in the context of different phases of wood production, such as pre-, during and post-harvest, to identify knowledge gaps. Lastly, I examine management strategies proposed in the literature to improve conservation and sustainability outcomes. As Australia transitions from native forest to plantations as the main source of wood production, understanding knowledge gaps and pathways towards long term sustainability are more critical than ever.

The 400 million pressed plant specimens housed in herbarium collections around the world constitute the greatest repository of plant knowledge on Earth, yet herbaria are often undervalued and many are under threat of closure as funding becomes increasingly hard to secure. Traditionally these collections, which can span bryophytes, lichen and fungi as well as vascular plants, were primarily used to underpin taxonomic knowledge, but new approaches and new technologies such as climate change modelling and DNA analysis, are extending their scientific reach. Herbarium collections, which are increasingly digitised, are a valuable resource for ecologists. Data comes in the form of the specimen label, which typically includes date of collection, precise location and habitat, but also the physical entity of the specimen itself, which can contribute a range of morphological data, from root depth, to leaf shape, or pollen and seed. This poster will review cutting edge ecological applications of herbarium collections such as: analysing eDNA gleaned from specimens to infer animal-plant interactions; extracting DNA to create modern phylogenies; and using spatial information to understand changes in species range due to climate changes. Collections can also be used to track changes in flowering time and duration; to analyse changes in microbial associations or pathogen evolution over time and space; and responses to changes in air pollution. Protecting herbarium collections will enable an increasingly wide range of studies aimed at better understanding plant ecology and conservation in the light of climate change and habitat loss.

Acoustic monitoring is a noninvasive technique for monitoring biodiversity, particularly for echolocating bats whose calls can reveal presence, activity, and species identity. There is no coordination in bringing these call records together, so sound calls can be used by the wider community to identify species and analyse the large collection of sound files collected during monitoring. In collaboration with bat acoustic data collectors, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) builds processes to ingest a large collection of sound call files and build a data dashboard to search and access those sound calls.
The portal enables users to search for sound calls based on countries, regions, including administrative regions like IBRA, sub-IBRA, NRM, states, and territories, species name, record duration and time records were collected. The file format is kept in the format provided by the providers. Currently, files are in zc and wav format.
Currently, the dashboard features around 3.2 million sound calls from nine countries, including a substantial collection from Australia. These data form the foundation of an emerging global bat call library, supporting species-level identification and demonstrating the value of long-term acoustic monitoring.
This poster will show how researchers can access and explore the portal, filter bat echolocation recordings using advanced pulse metrics, prepare and contribute their own datasets, and gain insight into the technical workflow that enables efficient storage, standardisation, and visualisation of high-volume sound data. Researchers are encouraged to contribute their bat acoustic recordings to help expand this shared resource, improve species detection, and support broader biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning efforts.

Native mammal ecosystem engineers, such as bilbies and bettongs, mechanically shape arid ecosystems through digging as they forage for food. Research has examined how this digging influences soils, vegetation, and invertebrate emergence, but no one has looked at their potential effects on pollination. Invertebrate pollinators, like bees and flies, play a vital role in plant reproduction and ecosystem function, yet their responses to restoration and rewilding remain poorly understood.
To address this knowledge gap, I compared insect pollinators and their floral resources at two semi-arid Mallee properties in western New South Wales: Scotia Sanctuary with a large predator-proof fence and reintroduced native mammals present (inside), and Nanya Station without reintroduced mammals (outside), across three years (2022–2024). I conducted timed pollinator observations on flowering shrubs both inside and outside the predator-proof fence, with habitat and floral species composition matched between locations.
Preliminary results indicate significantly higher pollinator abundance on flowers inside the predator-proof fence, although this varied by year. Outside the fence showed fewer pollinators but had less year-by-year variation. The causes of these differences are unclear, given floral resources are similar inside and outside the predator-proof fence. Digging increases bare ground, which may provide more nesting sites given many native Australian bees nest in soil. However, the exact mechanism is unclear.
These findings highlight previously unexplored ecological links between Australian ecosystem engineer mammals and pollinator communities. Understanding these links can provide crucial insights for restoration ecology, and I look forward to discussing and gaining insights from conference participants.

Gentiana baeuerlenii L.G.Adams is an EPBC Act-listed Endangered herb endemic to southeastern Australia, yet its reproductive ecology remains mostly undocumented. This study provides preliminary insights into its potential pollination dynamics, contributing important data to support the conservation of this poorly known species. Using Raspberry Pi camera traps over 18 flowering days across October, November, and December 2024, we documented flower-opening behaviour and insect visitation at one of its only known locations, Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria.

We modelled nastic floral movements, pollinator presence, visitation rates and assemblage structure in response to climatic and temporal predictors. Gentiana baeuerlenii was visited by three pollinator groups over the sampled period: two hoverflies (Simosyrphus grandicornis, Melangyna viridiceps) and a morphologically variable group of unidentified Diptera species. Temperature and humidity were important variables influencing flower opening, with flowers closing under suboptimal conditions. Visitation rates peaked during warmer hours and earlier months, with hoverflies accounting for most observed visits.

Although G. baeuerlenii appears to rely on a generalist fly pollinator assemblage, late-season pollinator composition remains uncertain. Floral closure likely represents a protective strategy that enhances reproductive success under wet or cold conditions but may reduce reproductive output under prolonged unfavourable weather. Reliance on common, generalist pollinators may facilitate reproduction in its isolated habitat. These findings provide the first insights into G. baeuerlenii pollination ecology and offer a valuable baseline to inform future research into other aspects of the species’ reproductive biology and conservation.

The increasing frequency of large-scale, high-severity fire threatens global biodiversity. Conservation efforts must be targeted to mitigate accelerating extinction rates. In this study we developed a spatial conservation prioritisation framework to identify areas of high biodiversity value for fire management. We used the Otways region, Victoria, Australia as a case study for spatial conservation prioritization. We established 80 field sites in the Great Otway National Park for empirical validation of model outputs, split equally between heathland and moist foothills vegetation. We used the Zonation tool coupled with habitat distribution models of 406 vertebrate fauna and predicted future fire severity over 50 years to rank priority areas for biodiversity conservation. Specifically, we identified areas of high biodiversity (‘hotspots’) and low fire risk (‘fire refuges’) and evaluated the performance of current and potential protected area networks in conserving them. To validate the model we used linear regression to determine the relationship between empirical data reflecting reptile species diversity and Zonation derived biodiversity value. Our study provides a spatial conservation prioritisation framework for incorporating large quantities of species data with associated threats to identify and evaluate areas important for conserving biodiversity, especially from catastrophic fire.

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are intensifying due to rapid urbanization and climate change, contributing to increased thermal stress and energy demand in cities. As a nature-based solution, street trees are widely recognized for their role in ameliorating urban microclimates. This study aimed to empirically evaluate the cooling effects of street trees on ambient temperature and heat stress during summer, while analyzing how tree species and growth characteristics influence these effects.
From July 30 to August 15, 2024, field measurements were conducted in three urban sites in Cheonan, South Korea. Four street tree species—Prunus yedoensis, Platanus occidentalis, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Salix spp.—were selected for the experimental group (n = 14), while five open and non-shaded areas near streetlights served as control sites. Air temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) were recorded at 1-minute intervals using HOBO thermohygrometers (MX2301A) equipped with radiation shields. Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), an integrated heat stress index, was estimated using the KMA2016 model. Tree-specific variables such as height, crown width, and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured to assess their correlation with cooling performance.
Results showed that, during the peak heat period (12:00–17:00), street tree sites exhibited significantly lower temperatures (by 1.8 °C) and WBGT values (by 1.5 °C) compared to control sites (p < 0.05). Among the species, Metasequoia and Platanus—characterized by broader crowns and greater height—demonstrated the most pronounced cooling effects. These findings highlight that the microclimatic benefits of street trees are closely linked to species-specific traits and tree size.
We conclude that strategic species selection and growth management are critical for maximizing the cooling potential of urban green infrastructure under increasing climate stress.

In the context of climate change, species distribution models have played a pivotal role in the realm of ecosystem management and the conservation of biodiversity. However, previous works tend to project each species and climatic scenario, which often creates opposite vulnerability reports for different species/scenarios, leading to a confusing situation as to which species or scenario should be selected. The objective of this study was to assess the integrated vulnerability using multiple species/scenarios into one map.
The target taxa were Japanese forest tree species, which included tall trees, shrubs, and vines. A total of 498 species presence/absence data were derived from the national vegetation survey data. The mean temperature in the coldest month, summer/winter precipitation, land use, geological features, topography, and water surface rate were designated as explanatory variables. The biomod2 package was utilized to construct a five-algorithm-based ensemble model. Future climatic scenarios for 2 GCM (MIROC5, MRI-CGCM3), 2 RCP (2.6, 8.5), and 2 time-slices (2031-2050, 2081-2100) were prepared. In each 1×1 km mesh, future loss in species richness was calculated for each climatic scenario. Partial correlations (slopes) were calculated between the loss of species richness and future changes in the three climatic variables. The slope was treated as a future vulnerability index, hypothesizing that steep slopes (i.e., higher species loss per unit climate change) should be vulnerable.
While the impact of two precipitation values on species loss was relatively small, the temperature exhibited a substantial nationwide effect. The lowlands exhibited minimal species loss, while the mountains demonstrated a higher degree of species loss, potentially influenced by species-rich mountain mesh and ecotones of forest functional types. The present approach has the potential to facilitate conservation activities under unstable future climate conditions.

In modern tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus spp.), foraging ranges vary significantly between Australia and New Guinea species. However, it remains unclear whether these differences reflect, species-level behavioural variation, habitat modification in Australia, or hunting pressures and habitat quality in New Guinea. Therefore, establishing a baseline of pre-human traits in Dendrolagus is critical to evaluate the extent of anthropogenic influence on current behaviours. Fossil morphospecies alone offer limited insights into life histories, as much of our understanding relies on modern species observations that may be spatiotemporally and anthropogenically biased. Instead, independent isotopic proxies preserved in fossils provide an opportunity to reconstruct behaviours in past environments free from human influence. We use strontium (Sr) and carbon (C) isotopes in fossil tooth enamel to reconstruct the foraging ranges, dispersal capacity, and dietary preferences of Middle Pleistocene tree kangaroos from Mount Etna Caves, Queensland, Australia. Carbon isotopes reveal consistent C3 specialisation across all individuals, reinforcing modern interpretations of arboreal browsing. Sr isotope data indicate that most individuals had foraging ranges tenfold larger than those reported in modern D. lumholtzi and D. bennettianus, and more comparable to D. matschei in New Guinea. This indicates that small ranges in Australian Dendrolagus may reflect significant anthropogenic modification, specifically clearing of closed-forest habitat. Considering total dispersal capacity, most individuals ranged within a 16 km radius of the fossil bearing caves, on par with estimated dispersal based on body mass. While male-biased dispersal has been theorised for modern Dendrolagus, this result represents the first quantifiable measure of movement between core rainforest habitats, suggesting that, highly vagile individuals may facilitate genetic connectivity between meta-populations. These findings highlight the need to determine if dispersal events >10 km can be observed in modern Dendrolagus, and whether current or historical corridors can be restored to maintain gene flow and long-term species resilience.

Urban heat islands (UHIs) significantly affect biodiversity by altering microclimates, fragmenting habitats, and reducing ecological resilience in urbanizing areas. Despite increasing attention to urban heat adaptation, few studies have examined the spatial and temporal dynamics of urban thermal structures and their potential linkages to biodiversity. This study applied Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to identify thermal landscape patterns in Cheonan-si, South Korea, and evaluated their ecological connectivity using Circuit Theory. Land surface temperature (LST) data from 2013 and 2023 Landsat 8 imagery were used to generate binary UHI raster maps based on the mean LST. MSPA classified thermal patches into seven distinct types and extracted urban thermal sources. To better represent thermal movement potential, a resistance surface was constructed using elevation, slope, land cover, NDVI, and LST. This resistance map and thermal patches were used in Circuitscape and Linkage Mapper to simulate thermal corridors and identify pinch points.
Core-type UHI patches were the most dominant, clustered in the northern and southeastern areas, and expanded significantly over the decade, indicating intensified heat accumulation. Urban thermal sources became increasingly concentrated within densely built-up zones in 2023, intensifying thermal flow and contributing to stronger connectivity, as reflected by higher current densities across broader urban areas compared to 2013. Pinch point analysis revealed that thermal bottlenecks were concentrated in areas of high building density, with a slight spatial shift from northern to southern and peripheral zones across the decade. These thermal patterns reflect increasing intensity and complexity in urban heat environments, overlapping with ecologically sensitive areas and heightening biodiversity risks in urban cores. This study presents a foundational, data-driven framework for integrating thermal-ecological connectivity into future urban biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation strategies. It is expected to inform scientific planning and evidence-based policy development.

Australia’s biodiversity has been severely impacted by habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change, prompting widespread ecological restoration efforts. However, restoration projects often prioritise plant establishment, overlooking structural features within habitats critical for supporting faunal communities. Tree guards are commonly used to enhance seedling survival, yet most are made from single-use plastic, contributing to global plastic pollution and offer limited ecological function beyond plant protection. To address these limitations, ReHabitat has developed a biodegradable tree guard designed to support seedling development while enhancing habitat structure for terrestrial fauna during early stages of restoration projects. A five-month field trial was conducted at a degraded site in Sydney, NSW using a randomised block design to evaluate the ecological performance of these guards compared to traditional plastic corflute guards and unguarded controls. Seedling survival, height, and above-ground biomass across five native species was monitored, alongside microclimatic variables (soil moisture, temperature, pH, light, humidity). Wildlife surveys included invertebrate pitfall traps to assess abundance and diversity, and motion-activated cameras to assess vertebrate activity and diversity. Our findings highlight the value of multifunctional restoration tools to improve ecological restoration efforts, providing a pathway toward a sustainable solution that aligns with global conservation priorities.

Walking Together was a four year collaborative research project based at the University of Western Australia in Kinjarliny/Albany. It brought together Noongar, Ngadju and Badimia Elders, along with their families and conservation scientists to explore biodiversity conservation through multiple knowledge perspectives. The project was initiated in response to a need to document, preserve and revive traditional ecological knowledge of southwest Australian biodiversity and has included collaborations that address cultural fire, sustainable approaches to caring for southwest Australian plants, granites and other important places. It has resulted in multiple collaborative publications and non-academic outputs. So much of what Walking Together achieved was built on previously established relationships and the setting up of future collaborations. We present the snowball outcomes possible from a longterm, well-funded and flexible project. Walking Together collaborations, including numerous shared experiences on-Country, have resulted in the building of an Indigenous Elder-led, cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary research community able to take on further challenges and build on the work we've started.

In Tasmania, forestry operators must consider their potential impacts on biodiversity, and implement specific management actions to mitigate the risks to threatened species. However, it is important that management actions are not static, but adapt to new information that comes from many sources including species surveys, citizen science and published research. The adaptive management process involves consultation with scientists, government bodies and forestry industry practitioners, and is most successful when combined with on-ground training to explain and demonstrate a change of approach. This talk shows an example of adaptive management, with Tasmanian devil as a case study, including our learnings on techniques to help maximise uptake and achieve positive environmental outcomes.

Invertebrate species diversity is frequently understudied and mygalomorph spiders are often poorly described at the species-level due to the laborious task of delineating and describing species. Despite this, mygalomorphs remain an important functional group within their respective ecosystems by controlling prey species and through acting as ecosystem engineers. Yet, conservation interventions are often insufficient or delayed by the current shortfalls in species description and lack of specific survey effort to quantify extinction risk. Compounding these issues, these overlooked species are often short-range endemics (SREs) and require prompt and specific management actions to ensure their long-term persistence. Spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae) of the genus Cataxia have previously only been recorded along the east coast of Australia and in a few small areas in southwestern Western Australia, with the genus currently consisting of fifteen species. In this project, we describe a new species of Cataxia that is endemic to the Mount Lofty bioregion of South Australia, situated between the two previously established assemblages; this represents the first species of its genus formally described from the state. We will use molecular phylogenetics with the COI and CytB markers to help us understand the biogeography of the genus. We discuss appropriate and best-practice taxonomic description and suggest management strategies for SREs, such as this new species.

Invasive alien species are a major driver of global biodiversity loss, contributing to 60% of documented plant and animal extinctions and costing the global economy an estimated $423 billion annually. Despite their profound impacts, the absence of a standardized monitoring system limits our ability to track invasion trends, assess management effectiveness, and align biosecurity responses with conservation priorities.
In Australia, building on the success of the Threatened Species Index (TSX), which provides reliable measures of change in threatened species populations, we propose the development of an Invasive Species Index (ISX).
The ISX will tackle terminological challenges in the field of invasion science, complexities on impact assessment and the inclusion of abundance and spread metrics. It will systematically track the prevalence of invasive species across ecosystems and over time. This will offer a powerful tool for policymakers, conservationists, and land managers.
Importantly, by integrating ISX with TSX, we can create a complementary framework that strengthens the alignment between conservation priorities and biosecurity actions, enhancing both threat mitigation and biodiversity protection.
This presentation will outline the rationale, conceptual framework, and initial design of the ISX, making special emphasis in the complexities and challenges encountered so far.
It will also highlight the potential for ISX to transform invasive species monitoring and revolutionize biosecurity strategies at national and global scales, and will give the audience a chance to contribute to make this happen.

Heatwaves, which are becoming more intense and more frequent due to global warming, are a major threat to the stability of plant systems. Safeguarding ecosystem function requires a clear understanding of which plant species are most vulnerable to these extreme events. However, the impacts of heatwaves on plants cannot be reliably inferred from warming experiments that apply mild temperatures or simple plant thermal tolerance tests, prompting a growing body of studies simulating heatwaves on plants over the past two decades. Here, we present a systematic review of these studies. Our synthesis revealed significant biases in study regions, plant types, and life stages. We also identified a high diversity of heatwave simulation types and experimental designs, with the former likely representing a major obstacle to cross-study comparisons. Notably, nearly half of the studies incorporated at least one interacting factor, with drought being by far the most frequently included co-factor, while other important interactions, such as grazing and microbes, remain underexplored. This review offers a comprehensive resource to guide the next generation of heatwave experiments, highlighting underrepresented plant groups and geographic regions, and underscores the pressing need for greater standardisation in experimental approaches. Such coordination will improve our ability to identify heatwave-sensitive species and better predict ecological responses to climate extremes.

Coastal dolphins are increasingly exposed to multiple, interacting human-induced pressures. In South Australia, key threats to Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) include interactions with fisheries, vessel traffic, habitat degradation, and climate change. Such pressures can lead to direct (e.g. entanglement in fishing gear, avoidance of an area), and indirect impacts (e.g. reduced fecundity, compromised health). This study aims to develop a spatial risk assessment of cumulative impacts on these dolphin species across Gulf St Vincent, Spencer Gulf, Investigator Strait, and adjacent coastal and shelf waters designated as Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) by the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force. The research integrates data on dolphin distributions with information on diverse anthropogenic threats to model spatial overlap and evaluate cumulative risk. Understanding spatial overlap between dolphin habitats and human activities is crucial for informing effective and efficient conservation strategies. Spatial risk assessments enable comparisons and rankings of threats, helping to identify the most severe risks and pinpoint specific areas where dolphins are expected to experience the highest levels of impact. Cumulative impact assessments further allow the quantification of how individual pressures contribute to the overall cumulative risk. By identifying hotspots of high dolphin presence that coincide with intense human activity, this research will inform spatial conservation prioritisation and guide the implementation of protective measures and mitigation strategies in South Australian waters. The outcomes are expected to enhance regional marine spatial planning efforts and contribute to the long-term conservation of these dolphin populations. Here preliminary results are presented on collated spatial data for species and threats, development of integrated species-specific distribution models, and approach to the cumulative risk analysis, offering early insights into spatial priorities for dolphin conservation in the region.

This poster presentation outlines the key findings that the Ginninderry Conservation Trust, a small NGO based in Canberra, found in relation to engaging three different institutions to analyse and present data on Environmental DNA collected through water samples. The results vary and show that even when samples were collected next to each other, when analysed by a different institution, completely different results can and have occurred. The poster presentation is mostly highlighting the observations found between varying results and prompts consideration for how environmental DNA should be used into the future- with the amount of accuracy it portrays, particularly for smaller NGO's with smaller budgets.

Various marine mammals inhabit South Australian waters, but the specific species present in the Australian Defence Force’s Restricted Access Zone (RAZ) of Upper Gulf Saint Vincent (GSV) remains unknown. In January and July 2025, boat-based surveys were conducted in this region to investigate the occurrence, abundance, behaviour and spatial use of marine mammals. Surveys followed a zig-zag transect design, allowing for sightings and photographs for photo-identification, as well as environmental conditions sampled at designated stations. Data analyses included photo-identification of individuals and mark-recapture analysis to estimate abundance and GIS-based spatial analysis using kernel density estimators to assess core and representative areas of use. During the summer, only Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins were observed. These dolphins were found in small groups ranging from 1 to 18 individuals, with about one-third of the groups containing at least one calf. Dolphins used the area for various critical activities, including foraging and socialising. Most groups were located to the northwest of the RAZ. The representative range of the dolphins was estimated at 7 km2, with a core area of use estimated at 2 km2. Their abundance was estimated at 85 dolphins (95% C.I. = 66-119), with 61 individual dolphins identified in the area, the majority of which were observed on multiple occasions. Findings from this study provide valuable information about marine mammals in upper eastern GSV and the RAZ, supporting the Australian Defence Force with their environmental risk assessments and potentially aiding in the mitigation of impacts to these species within the RAZ and adjacent areas.

Soil water availability in the Australian Alps is predicted to decrease in the coming years due to earlier snowmelt and more frequent summer droughts. This has the potential to effect plant growth and cause shifts in community composition. We tested the temporal effects of decreased water availability by conducting manipulative field experiments using rainout shelters to intercept precipitation and thereby reduce the soil moisture underneath in alpine and sub-alpine grassy herbfield vegetation. We studied above-ground growth and plant community composition by measuring the above-ground biomass production of shrubs, forbs and graminoids, and by recording species composition under the rainout shelters and in adjacent control plots from 2017 to 2025. The drought treatment had inconsistent effects on the floristic composition and above-ground growth, but significant temporal shifts were observed. Shrub cover increased over time, primarily due to an increase in abundance of Grevillea australis, Melicytus dentatus and Asterolasia trymalioides. Celmisia costiniana, a forb, also became more abundant over time, while graminoid cover did not differ significantly between treatments or years. The resilience of these alpine communities to reduced water availability appears to be driven by the dominant drought-tolerant species such as C. costiniana and Poa hiemata, which may also out-compete and restrict the establishment of other species. The observed increase in shrub cover aligns with broader trends in nearby alpine ecosystems and provides important insights into future shifts in community composition under changing climatic conditions.

The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are putting people’s well-being and the economy at risk. With more than half of global economic outputs relying on nature, there is increasing demand for the private sector to understand and manage biodiversity impacts and nature-related risks and dependencies. Addressing this double materiality – of both impacts and reliance on nature – is crucial. Ecological risks, including risks of species extinction and ecosystem degradation and collapse, must be managed to avoid commercial risks to individual companies and the broader economy, including physical, transitional and systemic risks.
Several private sector-led frameworks assist corporations to measure and disclose their nature-related impacts, dependencies and risks. Current nature metrics are predominantly based on global species metrics or broad provision of ecosystem services. These are inadequate to understand and quantify impacts, or the link between ecological and commercial risks, because they do not account for the diversity of ecosystem types and their functions that underpin the benefits they provide.
Here we present an ecosystem-focussed approach informed by global ecosystem standards that are recommended for use in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and in corporate nature-related disclosure frameworks such as the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). The approach can support companies to meet disclosure standards, screen impacts, assess nature risks and dependencies, and evaluate conservation actions leading to ecosystem recovery. This provides opportunities for strategic planning of nature positive business investments across sectors in line with global biodiversity goals.

Climate change has increased the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves, highlighting the need to understand how plants respond to cumulative thermal stress. While many studies use a single critical thermal limit to assess photosynthetic heat tolerance, physiological damage is often cumulative and depends on both the intensity and duration of exposure. Here, our aim is to quantify species differences in thermal tolerance and heat sensitivity by capturing species’ thermal tolerance landscapes. We measured the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) in leaves exposed to combinations of temperatures (28–54 °C) and durations (30–256 minutes) across 34 urban tree species in Sydney, Australia. We determined the leaf temperature at which Fv/Fm declined 50% (T50) to compare species’ thermal tolerance. We also measured leaf physiological and functional traits on hot days throughout the austral 2024-2025 summer. A three-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects of exposure time (F₄,₆₆₃₄, p < 0.001), temperature (F₁₂,₆₆₃₄, p < 0.001), and species (F₃₃,₆₆₃₄, p < 0.001), as well as all interaction terms. Thermal sensitivity was estimated by modeling species-specific T₅₀ as a function of log₁₀-transformed exposure time. The slope of this relationship (z) reflects thermal sensitivity, with steeper slopes indicating greater susceptibility to heat duration. Across species, T₅₀ ranged from 28 °C to 46 °C. While some species reached a 50% decline in Fv/Fm within 30 minutes, others took over 250 minutes. A bootstrap approach (1,000 iterations) provided uncertainty estimates for T₅₀ and z. Species were categorized as sensitive (12), moderate (10), or tolerant (11). Leaf size influenced thermal tolerance: larger leaves damaged above 34 °C, while small-leaved damaged below 36 °C. We recommend the use of thermal tolerance landscapes in plant ecology to compare species’ maximum heat tolerance along with their thermal sensitivity, which would allow for more direct comparisons of different species across studies.

Knowledge of pollination ecology, particularly for rare and threatened flora, is important for guiding conservation efforts. The success of plant translocations relies on several factors, including the presence of pollinators at a translocation site. We sought to identify pollinators for several of Victoria’s threatened plant species, with the aim of informing translocation site selection. Through a combination of field observations, pollinator baiting, camera trapping, and pollen swabbing, we have been able to identify pollinators across a diverse range of plant species in Victoria, including Sphaerolobium acanthos, Spyridium furculentum, Thelymitra mackibbinii, and Caladenia spp. We also conducted experiments to fill in knowledge gaps in the pollination biology of these species, such as their ability to self-pollinate and rates of seed set. This work, along with genetic analyses, site surveys, as well as seed, rhizobia and mycorrhiza collections, are part of the ‘Preventing the extinction of Victoria’s threatened flora’ project led by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. This information is being fed into conservation translocation planning to establish self-sustaining populations and conserve these species into the future.

Restoring biodiversity at a landscape scale requires more than ecological expertise, it depends on people, culture, and collaboration. The Marna Banggara project on Guuranda (Yorke Peninsula, South Australia) demonstrates this integrated approach, embedding community involvement and Narungga cultural leadership at the heart of ecological restoration efforts. This innovative initiative blends scientific practice with citizen science, Traditional Owner knowledge, and place-based education to foster shared custodianship of Country.

The project’s objectives include empowering local communities, supporting biodiversity stewardship across public and private lands, and embedding Narungga knowledge in restoration planning and delivery. Key strategies involve partnerships with local volunteer groups, encouraging landscape scale predator control programs, ongoing cultural consultation, and hands-on environmental education for school students. Local volunteers contribute hundreds of hours annually to threatened species monitoring and conservation, while community group led predator control is reducing threats to native wildlife.

The project is underpinned by effective landscape scale fox and feral cat management, which protects vulnerable native fauna including hooded plovers (Thinornis rubricollis), and malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata), and benefits agricultural productivity. This also provides the platform to reintroduce locally extinct and functionally important species such as the brush-tailed bettongs (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi), known locally as yalgi.

Marna Banggara offers a replicable model for mixed use dryland agricultural landscape-scale biodiversity recovery; one that foregrounds inclusive governance, cross-sector partnerships, and cultural authority. It demonstrates that enduring ecological outcomes are more achievable when restoration programs are developed and delivered with the communities and Traditional Owners who live on and care for the land. For ecologists, this project underscores the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need to embed social-ecological systems thinking in conservation practice.

The Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) woodlands are a temperate biodiversity hotspot,
comprising remnant vegetation across South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula which
intersects with Adelaide’s peri-urban region. Over 90% of the MLR woodlands have
been cleared, largely for agricultural land uses. The remaining vegetation is confined
to relatively small patches with some limited connectivity provided by narrow strips of
vegetation, usually located along roadsides. Residential development continues to
threaten remnant vegetation, as Adelaide’s urban sprawl reaches deep into the
region. Despite the ecological significance of the region, there is currently no record
of how total vegetation extent has changed through recent decades. Although
off-the-shelf vegetation change detectors work well for ecosystems with high
biomass or canopy cover, these methods are not sufficiently sensitive to characterise
vegetation change in MLR woodlands, where canopy cover does not typically
exceed 30%.
This project aimed to detect spatial and temporal patterns of sparsely wooded
vegetation loss in the MLR. LiDAR imagery from 2019 and 2022 was used to train
predictive models of tree presence by calibrating relationships between tree cover
and spectral responses in Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery. The approach was
validated using government records of legal clearance events. Finally, we applied
these methods across the multispectral archive to track total vegetation cover
change and identify clearance hotspots.
The method developed is being used to assess total loss of vegetation within the
MLR. By contrasting outputs to recorded clearance events, unrecorded (potentially
including illegal) clearance is being detected. This project is also contributing to
methodological development in remote sensing by evaluating how vegetation indices
can be calibrated to detect canopy loss in low-density woodlands.

Ecological research generates diverse datasets, often collected across different regions, timeframes and disciplines. Consistent terminologies and metadata standards are essential to ensure these datasets are discoverable, interoperable and reusable. Controlled vocabularies play a key role in enabling the categorisation, indexing and retrieval of information. The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) utilises controlled vocabularies to represent different data artefacts, enhance data discoverability, interoperability, and accessibility within its ecological research data infrastructure. These vocabularies are expressed using the Simple Knowledge Organisation System (SKOS), a W3C-recommended framework for representing structured knowledge systems–and are implemented as an instance ontology class. TERN’s vocabularies encompass terms from a wide range of ecological data types ranging from in-situ survey data (e.g., carbon, energy fluxes, vegetation and soil), to landscape-scale earth observations. They are organised into platform, instruments, features of interest, attributes, parameters and methods, etc. This standardisation follows the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles of vocabulary management and facilitates data sharing, integration, and reuse across different TERN projects and the wider ecological research community. This poster will showcase the development and implementation of TERN Controlled Vocabularies, highlighting the process involved in the standardisation and reuse via the TERN’s Linked Data Viewer Portal. The TERN vocabularies are openly accessible for wider community use.

Following decades of clearing, fragmentation, and degradation of coastal heath in southeast Queensland, many unique species are now threatened with extinction, including the vulnerable sand yabby Cherax robustus, a freshwater crayfish restricted to 200 km² of acidic wallum wetlands. The geological and ecological history of these wetlands on K’gari (Fraser Island, Queensland) spans more than 750,000 years, during which the coastline and surrounding heathlands have shifted dramatically. Changes in sea levels, particularly during the glacial cycles of the Pleistocene, altered biogeographical barriers across the region, at times connecting
areas that are now isolated, including K’gari and the adjacent mainland. These fluctuations likely shaped the distribution and genetic structure of wallum-specialist species, yet their historic and contemporary connectivity remains poorly understood.

Here, we investigate the genetic structure of four C. robustus populations using DArTseq next-generation DNA sequencing. As a species with limited dispersal ability and highly specialised habitat requirements, C. robustus is particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and environmental change. Analysis of over 7,000 SNP markers indicates that each population has been isolated for thousands of years, with no detectable gene flow between sites. Geographic proximity did not predict genetic connectivity due to persistent dispersal barriers such as K’gari’s central dune ridge.

Despite this long-term isolation, we found no evidence of inbreeding or genetic bottlenecks, suggesting that populations remain genetically healthy where suitable habitat persists. Within these stable environments, sand yabbies are abundant: they are not naturally rare, but have become vulnerable through anthropogenic pressures of habitat loss and degradation. The strong population structuring observed means
that each population represents a unique genetic lineage, and each lost is
irreplaceable. Protecting all remaining habitat and preventing any further degradation is therefore critical to the conservation of this species and the wallum ecosystems it represents.

This study captures the structure of the population of trees in a remnant patch of Dirty Gum-White Cypress Pine-Buloke-Ironbark woodland to interpret the possible effect of and response to the 2017-2020 drought and the following La Nina period, on the Liverpool Plains. Diameter at breast height (DBH) measures and densities were collected for live and dead individuals of the dominant overstorey and midstorey species. These were recorded for two different age categories, 2-10 cm DBH (sapling) and >10 cm DBH (adult). Seedling (<2 cm DBH) counts were also done for individuals of the target species. There were high densities of dead White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) in both larger size categories, indicating that this species is drought-intolerant. In contrast, there were significantly more Acacia saplings (<10 cm DBH) than adults (>10 cm DBH) in the remnant patch, demonstrating extensive and successful post-drought recruitment and rapid growth for these species (A. leiocalyx and A. salicina). Although only found in relatively low density (73 trees ha-1), there were few instances of dead adult Acacia sp., suggesting that older trees can withstand drought conditions. Live adult trees of Dirty Gum (Eucalyptus chloroclada) and Grey Box (E. moluccana) had similar densities compared to adult Acacia, with no evidence of drought mortality. Only three saplings of Eucalyptus were found, contrasted by a high density of Eucalyptus seedlings (2,700 stems per ha-1). This suggests that adult Eucalyptus trees can withstand drought and post-drought conditions (high rainfall) promoted germination of these species. To verify the relationship between DBH and age, wood cores and stems of saplings and seedlings of Callitris, Acacia, and Eucalyptus will be examined. This study contributes to the understanding of small remnant patches and their response to disturbance, supporting effective management.

Over the past 2 years, Mimal Rangers, Elders (leading the Learning on Country Program in Bulman-Weemol community) and Bush Heritage Australia have been working together to digitise the Dalabon and Rembarrnga Seasonal Calendars as an interactive website. This showcases Indigenous Knowledges shared by Elders including photos, stories, language words and voice recordings in these endangered languages. The calendars are a vital tool for rangers in conducting culturally based healthy Country monitoring to assess the presence and abundance of seasonal bush foods and other indicators. The Learning on Country Program is also using the calendars to support intergenerational knowledge around taking care of Country good-way.
We can now support other groups to create your own seasonal calendars and are excited to share our journey from bush workshops, to cultural database, to website creation – to inspire your own journey.

Uncertainty poses a significant challenge in the conservation planning landscape, particularly in regions with limited data and rapid environmental changes like Antarctica. Protected area design in terrestrial ecosystems requires robust methods for addressing uncertainty, yet comprehensive assessments of applied approaches across global contexts remain scarce. Here we show through systematic review of 344 studies that while sensitivity analysis (82.8%), precautionary approaches (80.5%), and scenario planning (76.5%) dominate globally, Antarctic applications remain underdeveloped despite facing exceptional uncertainty challenges. Our findings reveal a three-phase methodological evolution culminating in a dominance of ensemble multi-model integration. These results provide a framework for incorporating uncertainty in Antarctic terrestrial conservation planning, emphasizing explicit uncertainty acknowledgment, precautionary buffers, stakeholder integration, and adaptive management approaches. This research bridges conservation science and policy implementation, offering strategies to strengthen Antarctic protected area design in extreme environments where scientific information is limited but conservation urgency is high.

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are listed as endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, with eastern and western populations recovering at different rates. While several coastal calving areas have been identified in southern Australia, little is known about movements outside these areas, or their overlap with anthropogenic activities. To address this, we satellite-tagged four whales in Encounter Bay, South Australia (SA), in June 2024 — an area seasonally used by individuals from the slower-recovering eastern population. The tags provided data for up to 200 days and tracks of up to 11,000 km. The whales exhibited transiting and area-restricted search behaviours, moving in westerly or south-then-westerly directions and occupying latitudes between 31° -47°S and longitudes between 96° - 138°E. Two whales with calves spent extended periods in coastal reproductive areas in SA and Western Australia, as well as previously unrecognised sites along the SA coast. Over 20,000 dive profiles were recorded, with average depths ranging from 8.4-20 m, and maximum of about 300 m in the subtropical convergence zone. Tracking confirms overlap with significant marine industry activity, highlighting risks to this recovering species and providing information to support conservation under the southern right whale National Recovery Plan.