New policy and programs need to take a holistic approach to address societal challenges at the same time as conserving biodiversity, in an equitable and inclusive manner. This requires research that is able to collect and draw on many kinds of data – social data to understand peoples’ values and preferences, economic data to understand patterns of inequity, and ecological data to understand ecosystem diversity and function, and biophysical data to understand climate and soils.
Projects
Future Urban Forest climate suitability assessments for urban trees and horticultural plants for the:
- Climate Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens/Botanic Gardens Conservation International (the Climate Assessment Tool)
- City of Melbourne
- City of Auckland
- Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
- City of Newcastle
- Knox City Council
- Green Riyadh
These assessments have informed the tree planting decisions of municipalities and other land managers across Australia and around the world.
Surveys of people’s environmental values for the Victorian environment department, the Corangamite and Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Authorities and the City of Melbourne using a range of social survey data collection and analysis methods.
Analysis of inequity in the distribution of urban forests across Melbourne.
Surveys of people’s preferences for different kinds of native and exotic vegetation in urban landscapes