Postdoc Fellow
Conservation in human-modified landscapes

Phone: +61 (0)2 612 54612
Fax: + 61 (0)2 6125 0746
E-mail: Joern.Fischer@anu.edu.au

I completed my PhD in 2004. It focused on reptiles in two different human-modified landscapes – the Nanangroe grazing landscape, and the Tumut plantation landscape.

I then worked on a postdoc project for two years. During this time, I reviewed and synthesized existing datasets collected by Professor David Lindenmayer and his team, and I co-wrote a book on habitat fragmentation together with David.

I have recently begun a new project funded by the Australian Research Council to investigate regional-scale patterns of tree regeneration (and regeneration failure).

See more research details at: http://people.anu.edu.au/joern.fischer

Professional Activities

My current research will investigate trends in tree regeneration under different livestock grazing regimes near Canberra. Fauna surveys also will be conducted, and habitat associations will be determined for selected fauna. Specifically, we will:

• determine the extent of tree regeneration and regeneration failure across the region;
• identify management practices associated with sustainable levels of tree regeneration;
• establish links between fauna and tree cover;
• project tree cover into the future on the basis of past regeneration rates, and under different management scenarios; and
• project the distribution of selected fauna species into the future, given their habitat associations with tree cover.

Academic Highlights

A recent highlight has been that the Australian Research Council listed my recent ARC project as one of the three most innovative ones from the Australian Capital Territory, out of over 300 applications from all academic disciplines.

In September 2007, I visited Stanford University for one month to collaborate with Gretchen Daily, Paul Ehrlich, Hal Mooney and several other members of Gretchen's lab on a collaborative paper. The visit was funded by the Australian Academy of Science.

Selected Publications

Fischer, J. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2007). Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation: A synthesis. Global Ecology & Biogeography 16, 265-280.

Lindenmayer, D. B. and Fischer, J. (2007). Tackling the habitat fragmentation panchreston. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 22, 127-132.

Fazey, I., Fazey, J., Fischer, J., Sherren, K., Warren, J., Noss, R., Dovers, S. (2007). Adaptive capacity and learning to learn as leverage for social-ecological resilience. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, in press.

Manning, A. D., Fischer, J. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2006). Scattered trees are keystone structures – implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 132, 311-321.

Lindenmayer, D. B. and Fischer, J. (2006). Habitat fragmentation and landscape change: an ecological and conservation synthesis. Island Press, Washington D.C.