Flooded Forest and Desert Creek: Ecology and History of the River Red Gum

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The river red gum has the most widespreadnatural distribution of any Eucalyptus species;from Geraldton to Grafton, from the YorkePeninsula to the Cape York Peninsula. Asextensive forest and woodland it formsthe structural and functional elements ofimportant floodplain and wetland ecosystems.

This tree has played a central role in thetension between economy, society andenvironment. Since the 1870s it has been thesubject of repeated government enquiriesover its conservation, use and management.We have now begun to move from a culture ofwholesale exploitation of river red gum forestsand woodlands to one of sustainable usesand conservation. The author traces this shiftthrough the depiction of river red gums andinland floodplains in art, literature and themedia.

Author Bio

Matthew J. Colloff is a Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. He currently researches floodplain ecosystem function and biodiversity. He has worked on ecosystem services, soil nutrient cycling, restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes, environmental weeds, and the interface between natural resource management science, policy and practice. His interests are in how ecosystems work, how they are changing, and what we can do about managing them.