Dr Peter Bayliss presents ‘Using the iconic magpie goose and barramundi to quantify ecological risks to Daly River aquatic ecosystems’, on Friday 23 November from 1pm to 2pm.
Tropical rivers of northern Australia, such as the Daly River, have largely unmodified flow regimes and are relatively free from intensive land use impacts. This is in stark contrast to many tropical rivers worldwide and most eastern Australian rivers.
The Daly region, however, is under increasing pressure to expand agricultural production, which in turn may impact on highly valued recreation, conservation and Indigenous cultural assets already at risk from other threats. The challenge facing stakeholders is to determine the right balance or trade-offs between competing land uses, and more often than not in the face of uncertainty.
Peter Bayliss manages the Ecological Risk Assessment Program at the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (ERISS), Department of Environment and Water Resources. His team undertakes research to help protect the environment of the Alligators Rivers Region, which encompasses World Heritage Kakadu National Park and the Ranger uranium mine.
Peter has national and international research experience in population and landscape ecology, mostly in arid and tropical environments. Research interests include conservation biology, consumer-resource dynamics, ecosystem modelling, use of bioeconomic and risk assessment frameworks and community participation in resource management. He has a recent interest in modelling the influence of decadal trends in climate on rainfall and river flow.
This lecture takes place in room 1, building 22, Casuarina Campus, Charles Darwin University.