Focusing on northern Australia, the project addressed the following questions:
Northern Australia is home to some of the most intact ecosystems in the world. There is already a significant agriculture sector in the north and there is a strong desire to promote further economic growth. Therefore, identifying ways to effectively protect biodiversity at the least cost and without imposing undue costs on the agricultural industry is vital.
Researchers analysed a range of social, financial and environmental data for a range of agricultural properties. One hundred and thirty seven properties from across North Queensland (above Rockhampton) and in the Daly catchment (NT) participated in land manager surveys which asked about a wide variety of financial, social and management questions. The land manager survey data was paired with environmental data for each property. This included charactertistics such as soil type, rainfall, vegetation types, and presence of weeds or pests. It also included various indicators of biodiversity.
The project was undertaken by researchers from James Cook University and led by Prof Natalie Stoeckl. Assistance thanks to Taha Chaiechi, Marina Farr, Michelle Esparon, Silva Larson, Diane Jarvis, Adriana Chacon, Lai Thi Tran, Vanessa Adams and Jorge Álvarez-Romeroc.
James Cook University
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