Computing, Health and Science

Centre for Ecosystem Management

"foster an awareness and understanding of the environment and demonstrate a commitment to the maintenance of biodiversity and improvement in the quality of life through appropriate environmental management."

Ecosystem management involves carefully collecting all the relevant pieces of the environmental jigsaw, from the chemistry of the water, the soil and the air we breathe to populations of species and ecological communities, to environmental law and to peoples beliefs and attitudes to the past and the possible future.

The Centre's unique approach develops the partnership between ecology and management and believes the best solutions for environmental problems can only be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach.

Research is applied to resolving problems of habitat degradation, minesite rehabilitation, pollution, forest management, threatened species and cultural perceptions of the environment.

Centre members work closely with industry and government partners and have strong collaborative research programs with colleagues at other universities.

Research expertise of the Centre lies in:

• Marine and estuarine ecology
• Freshwater ecosystems
• Ecological water requirements
• Conservation biology
• Semi-arid environments
• Ecology of forests and woodlands. Funded research projects include:
• Environmental impact assessment
• Assessment and management of wetland and marine ecosystems
• Management of terrestrial ecosystems
• Assessing the impacts of groundwater abstraction on ecosystems
• Conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity
• Investigation of broad-scale environmental problems using remote-sensing technology and spatial information systems
• Development and application of suitable environmental technologies for conservation and restoration of ecosystems.

Contact

Professor Will Stock
Telephone: (61 8) 6304 5758
Email: w.stock@ecu.edu.au