A group of researchers look up from the forest floor in Victoria.

Forests & fire

About

Forests provide ecosystem services that are critical to humans and the sustainability of our environment. Our research focuses on management of critically important native forests and woodlands, including forest ecology, landscape restoration, wildlife conservation, ecologically sustainable forestry, and the effects of fire and climate.

Projects

Researchers undertake projects to study biodiversity and the impacts of fire and invasive animal and plant control on mammals, birds and reptiles inhabiting a range of vegetation types.

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

The Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics (WALD) sits within the Fenner School of Environment & Society, and combines satellite observations, field data and prediction models to measure, monitor and forecast natural hazards, natural resources and the environment.

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

Widespread death of eucalypts has been observed in forested landscapes across Australia, including the alpine regions of Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

Developing machine learning algorithms to identify forest structural characteristics from earth observation data on a regional scale, Australia

Student intake

Open for Honours students

People

The Fenner School has a number of projects that examine bushfires – how it behaves, its effects on the landscape and ecosystems, and how we can monitor and manage it in natural and built environments.

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

A PhD candidate at the ANU Fenner School is conducting research to find ways that will reduce the risk mature eucalypts pose to people and infrastructure in urban environments. One part of this study will calculate how many potentially dangerous branches are dropped by mature eucalypts over the period of a year.

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

  • Dr Darren Le Roux, ACT Government
  • Assoc Prof Samantha Capon, Griffith University

Members

Affiliate

Honorary Senior Lecturer

Photo of Associate Professor Cris Brack

Honorary Associate Professor

Emeritus Professor

Honorary Senior Lecturer

Honorary Senior Lecturer

Academic staff

Senior Lecturer

Photo of Claire Foster

Research Fellow

Photo of Associate Professor Gibbons

Professor

Peter stands and faces the camera in a blue shirt.

Professor

Research Fellow

Student

Articles

A birds eye view of a Victorian Mountain Ash forest. Mist cloaks tall trees and and the ground cover is dense with ferns.

What does the evidence say about what tall, wet forests actually looked like 250 years ago? The answer matters because it influences how these forests are managed.

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We are all about wicked problems.

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Two parallel major new donations from HVP Plantations and the Kloeden Foundation, established by ANU Forestry graduate Adrian Kloeden and his family, enable ANU to offer four new $5000 awards for students with interests in plantation forestry.

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Snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) thrive in cooler, wetter conditions. But as temperatures warm, these iconic trees are being threatened by drought, fire and disease.

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Two juvenile swift parrots sit in the hands of a researcher. They are lime green in colour.

Bruny Island is virtually the only remaining habitat left where swift parrots can safely raise their hatchlings. Fenner School Researcher Dr Stojanovic tells his story about how his team has been trying to protect them for more than a decade.

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More than a dozen years later, and after detailed studies following the 2009 fires and again after the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, the science shows that logged forests always burn at greater severity than intact forests.

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