Michael’s Cumberland Plain research is aimed at improving the health and resilience of endangered ecosystems in the Sydney region, and optimising management strategies to enhance their biodiversity. He is investigating ecological processes and interactions involving plants, soils and land use legacies in Cumberland Plain Woodland, at multiple spatial scales and using data captured through field surveys and remote sensing. This work will support restoration and conservation outcomes for the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan. Michael also conducts research into the responses of birds to altered fire regimes under climate change.