Objectives
We have identified the most important knowledge gaps from the four key themes in the strategy as high-priority initial activities. Stage 1 will deliver cross-cutting research that touches on multiple strategy themes. Stage 1 priorities will address the following five shared objectives:
Objective I: Strengthening Aboriginal knowledge and practices
Connection to Country for Aboriginal peoples is important for cultural, social and environmental reasons. Aboriginal practices have been developed over a long history of living with, managing and serving the land. It is critical to reconnect to the knowledge and practices belonging to Country through the revival of Aboriginal languages and song lines, and enhancing knowledge of and respect for Aboriginal practices with people on the lands. This objective delivers research prioritised in strategy subthemes 1.1 to 1.4, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.4
Objective II: Prioritising sites for shared cultural, conservation and restoration values
Social and cultural research is needed to align the conservation and restoration work with the shared values of Aboriginal groups and the local community. Basic research is needed on the distribution and abundance of diversity within and surrounding the Cumberland Plain to determine where to prioritise conservation and restoration efforts. This will also allow us to benchmark good-condition habitats to inform restoration outcomes and produce clearer guidelines on how to prioritise sites to meet cultural and social needs as well as conservation and restoration goals. This objective delivers research prioritised in strategy subthemes 1.1, 1.4, 2.1 to 2.3, 3.1 to 3.3 and 4.5.
Objective III: Enhancing the health and resilience of ecosystems
Healthy ecosystems are more likely to be self-sustaining, resist global changes, require less human intervention and be more valued by the local community. The specific ways in which biological diversity creates healthy, functioning and resilient ecosystems are still uncertain. Research is needed to define, measure and achieve this and to inform conservation, restoration and land management. This objective delivers research prioritised in strategy subthemes 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 4.2 and 4.3.
Objective IV: Improving management of climate change risks
The vulnerability of species to climate change is determined by their innate sensitivity and exposure to changing conditions. This includes the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, heatwaves and droughts. Information on threatened species’ vulnerability to climate change is limited to climate-niche predictors (for example, maximum temperatures experienced across a species) and life-history (for example, time to reproduction) predictors. There are still major gaps in our understanding of how climate change will impact species. Filling these gaps will help us establish adaptation and mitigation strategies to build community resilience under climate change. This objective delivers research prioritised in strategy subthemes 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2 and 4.5.
Objective V: Identifying cost-effective management practices to enhance biodiversity
Cost-effective management is key to enhancing conservation and restoration outcomes. However, the effectiveness of current practices, including those associated with fire regimes, suppression of pests and restoration and reconstruction of degraded land, is not well documented. Evaluating the effectiveness and cost of current and novel practices on private and public land is key to improving the management of the Cumberland Plain’s biodiversity. This objective delivers research prioritised in strategy subthemes 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 3.5 and 4.1 to 4.5.