Visiting Fellow
Greenhouse
Phone: +61 (0)2 6274 1926
Fax: + 61 (0)2 6125 0746
E-mail: Gary.Richards@deh.gov.au

After completing his bachelor's degree in 1983 Gary was a founding partner in a small forest silvicultural business, later joining the ACT Parks and Conservation Service where he remained until 1991. Over this time he also completed both a Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Recreation and a Master of Applied Science in Resource Management at the University of Canberra. In 1990 Gary commenced his PhD in the then Forestry Department at ANU, while also joining the ACT Planning Authority to assist in developing the legislation and administration for environmental impact assessment.

On completing his PhD in 1993 Gary joined the National Capital Planning Authority and worked as a consultant to the Department of Housing and Regional Development in developing multi-disciplinary regional planning strategies. In his time with the Authority Gary co-authored the national evaluation of the Commonwealth Government's Better Cities Program. In 1996 Gary left the Commonwealth Government to join local government, taking charge of planning for a Southern Tablelands Council.

Since 1998 Gary has been the Director and Principal Scientist for the development of Australia's National Carbon Accounting System. Gary is also an active participant with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recently completing a role as Coordinating Lead Author on the development of definitions and methodologies for accounting of greenhouse gases from forest degradation and devegetation of other vegetation types. Gary is currently working on the IPCC revision to international accounting guidelines for Agriculture, Land Use and Forestry.

Gary has received achievement recognition awards including a Public Service Medal for contribution to greenhouse accounting and sustainable land management, and was a member of a team that won the 2004 CSIRO Chairman's Medal.

Professional Activities

My work has primarily been around multi-disciplinary planning and policy related issues, previously heavily oriented toward the human dimensions of natural resource management. Recent work has oriented toward applications of GIS systems and remote sensing techniques for land use modeling and decision making. Specific research interests focus on the development of GIS-based carbon budget models to assess the greenhouse gas emissions implications of land use and forest management activities.

Academic Highlights

Selected Publications

Lowell, K., Richards, G.P., Woodgate, P., Jones, S. and Buxton, L. 2005. Fuzzy Clasification for Assessing the Reliability of Multi-Period Landcover Change Maps.Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 71 (8) 939-945.

Richards, G.P. and Brack, C. 2004. A Continental Biomass Stock and Stock Change Estimation Approach for Australia. Australian Forestry 67 (4) 284-288.

Richards, G.P., and Evans D.W. 2004. Development of the FullCAM Carbon Accounting Model, (FullCAM vers. 1.0) for the Australian Continent. Australian Forestry 67 (4) 277-283.

Richards, G.P., and Brack, C.L. 2004. A Modelled Carbon Account for Australia's Plantation Forests. Australian Forestry 67 (4) 289-300.

Richards G.P., J.O. Skjemstad, R.S. Swift and W. McDonald 2003. What are the Current Impediments and Research Needs to Improving Soil Carbon Measurement. OECD Conference on Soil Carbon Indicators (Ottawa, 2002).

Paul, K.I. Polglase and P.J. Richards G.P. 2003. Predicting Change in Soil Carbon following Afforestation or Reforestation. Forestry Ecology and Management:177 2003. 485-501

Paul, K.I. Polglase and P.J. Richards G.P. 2003.. Sensitivity Analysis of Predicted Change in Soil Carbon following Afforestation and analysis of controlling factors by linking a C accounting model (CAMFor) to models of forest growth (3PG), litter decomposition (GENDEC) and soil C turnover (Roth C). Ecological Modelling, 164 2003. 137-152

Cacetta, P.A., Bryant, G., Campbell, N.A., Chia, J.,Furby, S., Kiiven, H.J, Richards, G.R., Wallace, J. and Wu, X. 2003. Notes on Mapping and Monitoring Forest Change in AustraliaUsing Remote Sensing and Other Data. 30th International Symposium of Remote Sensing and the Environment, Hawaii, October 2003.

Richards, G.P. The Expanding Role of Remote Sensing in Greenhouse Gas Accounting. 30th International Symposium of Remote Sensing and the Environment, Hawaii, October 2003.

Karjalainen, T., Richards, G.P., et. al., 2003. Definitions and Methodological Options to Inventory Emissions from Direct Human-Induced Degradation of Forests and Devegetation of Other Vegetation Types. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report(IPCC). Published by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) for the IPCC, Japan 32pp.

Lowell, K, Woodgate, P., Jones, S., and Richards, G. 2003. Continuous Improvement of the National Carbon Accounting System Land Cover Change Mapping. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 39, Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra, 28pp.

Brack, C.L., and Richards, G.P 2002. Carbon Accounting Model for Forests in Australia, J. Environment and Pollution 116:187-194.

Richards, G.P. (ed.) 2001. Biomass Estimation: Approaches for Assessment of Stocks and Stock Change. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 27. 160pp. Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra.

Richards, G. P. 2001. The FullCAM Carbon Accounting Model: Development, Calibration and Implementation for the National Carbon Accounting System. National Carbon Accounting System Technical Report No. 28 (50pp), Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra.