The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board is holding a series of free Community Science Forums across the Murray-Darling Basin region for the community to hear about the latest scientific research on the natural resources of the region.
These Community Science Forums will be held during Science Week, 19th – 24th August 2008. Come along and participate in the debate on what this science means for your community!
The Community Science Forums are free and all are welcome, however seats are limited so please RSVP to Miranda Leckie on 08 8532 1432.
Community Science Forum Flyer (130kb)
Mount Barker Science Forum - Tuesday 19 August 2008 Flyer (158kb)
Hosted By The Ranges To River Natural Resources Management Group
Woodland Recovery: Securing regional biodiversity, Prof David Paton AO, Uni. Adelaide
David Paton is one of South Australia’s leading environmentalists and a Professor at the University of Adelaide with research interests in conservation biology, the ecology and behavior of birds and restoration ecology.
David will present a new, world-class model to revegetate large areas of land, based in the Mount Lofty Ranges:
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help re-establish native vegetation to 30% of the Mt Lofty region – an unprecedented scale globally;
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prevent the loss of native flora and fauna;
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promote the return of some native species that have disappeared across the Ranges;
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provide major environmental outcomes that will benefit the State and local communities for generations to come.
This is your chance to hear about an exciting new model for bringing about large scale revegetation.
Water in the Adelaide Hills, Dr Steve Barnett, DWLBC
Steve Barnett is South Australia’s most influential hydro-geologist, whose work has underpinned the development of water allocation plans and policies across the state. He leads a team of hydro-geologists in the Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation who are currently working on understanding water resources in the Adelaide Hills.
Steve will provide an update of current investigations into water sources, uses and storages in the Adelaide Hills and what this means for the future management of water in the region, particularly with the threat of climate change.
Impact of carbon trading in the Mt Lofty Ranges, Dr Mike Bennell, DWLBC
Mike Bennell is a Program Leader in the CRC for Future Farming Systems and Group Leader within the Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation. Mike is one of the state’s most experienced researchers in farm forestry and woody plant production in rainfed systems.
Mike and his team have been modeling the impact of carbon trading on the economics of woody plant production for biofuels and other products across South Australia. They will present their research on their modeling for the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Biodiversity credits and trading, Dr Patrick O’Connor, O’Connor NRM
Patrick O’Connor from O’Connor NRM is a nationally recognized expert in biodiversity credits and trading and has recently delivered training across Australia on these issues.
Patrick will present his research and experience on implementing biodiversity trading systems.
Biocontrol of feral plants and animals, Dr John Virtue, DWLBC
John Virtue is one of South Australia’s leading researchers in feral plant and animal control, based in the Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation.
John will present recent advances in biocontrol for both feral plants and animals.
Tailem Bend Science Forum - Wednesday 20 August 2008 Flyer (175kb)
Hosted by the Mallee & Coorong Natural Resources Management Group
Acid sulphate soils…so what? Dr Rob Fitzpatrick, CSIRO
Rob Fitzpatrick leads the Soil Biogeochemistry/Advanced Analytical Techniques in Biogeochemistry research areas, within the Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research theme and Environmental Biogeochemistry program. Rob is also the inaugural Director of the Centre for Australian Forensic Soil Science (CAFSS). He is based in Adelaide and is an Affiliate Associate Professor in Geology & Geophysics and Soil & Land Systems disciplines within the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences of the University Adelaide. Dr Fitzpatrick’s research interests are principally in pedology, mineralogy, biogeochemistry and spatial analysis as applied to soil-landscape processes, and advanced techniques to characterise, map and monitor acid sulfate soils in the environment.
Rob will be speaking about the evolution and extent of acid sulphate soils in the region and will be able to answer your questions on the risk of the formation of these soils to the River Murray and Lower Lakes.
What climate change? Dr Peter Hayman, SARDI
Peter Hayman is a Principle Scientist and Applications within SARDI. Peter’s expertise is in assessing and managing climate risk in agricultural systems, decision analysis and agronomy and modeling.
Peter has played a leading role in helping the Australian grains industry manage the risk of climate change. He was recently awarded the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s Seed of Light Award for the role he has played in working with researchers and the grains industry to relate findings of the Corporations Managing Climate Variability Program.
Peter will present on how climate change is likely to effect dryland farming in South Australia and what farmers can do to adapt and thrive in this new environment.
The changing state of the Lower Murray Lakes, Dr Kane Aldridge, University of Adelaide
Kane Aldridge is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Adelaide, working on the Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Ecology project. Kane has expertise in river and lake ecology and biochemistry, and has spent much of his research career working on the Lower Lakes in particular.
Kane will present the results of his research on the changing state of the Lower Murray lakes and give some ideas on how it can be managed into the future.
Birds in the Coorong - past, present, future? Dr Dan Rogers, University of Adelaide
Dan Rogers is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Adelaide, working on the Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Ecology project, that is funded through CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country. Dan’s research expertise is in bird biology and ecology.
Dan will present the results of his research on birds in the Coorong, how they have responded to the last few decades of management and give his ideas on how birds can be best managed in this region in the future.
Modelling the states of the Coorong – ecological responses, Dr Rebecca Lester, Flinders University
Rebecca Lester is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Flinders University, working on the Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Ecology project, that is funded through CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country. Rebecca’s research expertise is in ecological modeling.
Rebecca will present what she has discovered by modeling different future scenarios for the Coorong and what that means for the management of the Coorong right now.
Renmark Science Forum - Thursday 21 August 2008 Flyer (148kb)
Hosted By The Riverland Natural Resources Management Group
Environmental flows: Assessing the benefits, Dr Rod Oliver, CSIRO
Rod Oliver is a Principal Research Scientist in the Aquatic Biogeochemistry and Ecology research group of CSIRO Land and Water. He is also Project Leader of the Ecological Outcomes Project in CSIRO's Water for a Healthy Country Flagship. Dr Oliver is a freshwater ecologist with expertise in:
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Physical and chemical conditions influencing algal ecology in rives and lakes
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River metabolism and sources of organic material supporting aquatic food webs
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Fluorescence techniques for rapidly assessing biomass and physiological condition of microalgae
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The ecology of toxic cyanobacterial blooms.
Rod will talk about how scientists quantify the volumes of water required to support ecological outcomes.
A healthy river supports healthy communities, Prof Wayne Meyer, University of Adelaide
Wayne Meyer is the Professor for Natural Resource Science at the University of Adelaide. Professor Meyer was the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Irrigation Futures and has been the CRC's Chief Research Scientist. He is one of Australia’s leading irrigation scientists.
Wayne will present on the value that the irrigation industries provide to Australia and will discuss how the industry might best adapt to a River that has less water available in the future.
Current status of fish in the River, Mr Mike Hammer, University of Adelaide
Mike Hammer is a PhD student at the University of Adelaide and also a consultant in fish biology and ecology with Native Fish SA. Mike has done extensive research on fish biology in the South Australian River Murray system.
Mike will talk about how the current drought has affected native fish populations in the River Murray system of South Australia and what can be done about the threats to some of the rarer species.
Irrigation and salinity management for permanent horticulture, Dr Tapas Biswas, SARDI
Tapas Biswas is a Senior Irrigation Scientist with SARDI. Tapas manages the root zone salinity risk and deep percolation assessment projects. Tapas's research areas include irrigation, soil chemistry and physics with special emphasis on root zone solute and water dynamics and modelling.
As irrigated horticulture has become more efficient in its use of water, there has been a corresponding increase in the risk of salinity building up in the rootzone of plants, because leaching of salt is reduced. Tapas will discuss how to manage salinity in the rootzone under highly efficient irrigation practices.
Vegetable irrigation with saline water, Dr Rob Stevens, SARDI
Rob Stevens manages the Saline Horticulture and Estimating Horticultural Drainage Production projects. Rob has 22 years experience in researching the effects of salinity, drought and waterlogging on the yield and quality of horticultural crops and the growth of native trees.
Rob will present research results on how vegetables can be irrigated successfully using higher saline water.
The impact of a highly regulated river on iconic fish species Sandra Leigh, SARDI
Sandra Leigh is a Freshwater Fish Ecologist at SARDI Aquatic Sciences studying a broad range of aspects of fish biology including movement, habitat, spawning and recruitment.
Sandra will present current research on the ecology of two iconic fish species of the Lower Murray River.
Burra Science Forum - Friday 22 August 2008 Flyer (144kb)
Hosted By The Rangelands Natural Resources Management Group
Ecosystem services and carbon credits, Dr Anita Smyth, CSIRO
Dr Anita Smyth is a Senior Research Scientist leading and conducting multidisciplinary and inter-agency research based at the Waite Research Institute, in Urrbrae, Adelaide, South Australia.
Her work aims to uncover a balance between ecosystem services, sustainable harvesting of biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem function in production landscapes.
Anita will talk about how payments for ecosystem services can be used to improve the balance between production and conservation and environmental sustainability, with particular reference to carbon credits.
No Till Farming Trials, Mr Greg Butler, SANTFA
Greg Butler is the Research and Development Manager of the South Australian No-Till Farmers Association (SANTFA). Greg will present highlights of recent research that has delivered advances in No-Till management practices.
Future Scenarios for the Mallee, Dr Brett Bryan, CSIRO
Dr Brett Bryan is an Integration Scientist working in the Policy and Economic Research Unit (PERU) which is part of the Society, Economy and Policy research program of CSIRO.
Brett’s current research is focused on integrated modelling, assessment, decision analysis and policy design for multiple objective natural resource management.
Brett will present some exciting research, recently completed, which investigated future scenarios for dryland farming in the SAMDB NRM region. He identified some interesting opportunities under climate change scenarios if a carbon market develops and matures, and shows how good planning in advance can make the difference between economic prosperity and major economic loss.
Riparian Grazing Management, Ms Sarah Kuchel, SAMDB NRM Board
Sarah Kuchel from the SAMDB NRM Board was a leader of the Riparian Grazing Management Project.
The project investigated the impact of grazing on riparian systems and she will present her recommendations on how to manage riparian grazing to ensure the protection of important riverine environments.
Native grassland management, Dr Jose Facelli, University of Adelaide
Risks to the region from pest plant, animals and diseases incursions, Prof Andy Lowe, State Herbarium and Bioknowledge and University of Adelaide
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