Overview

Australia is known for its spectacular and diverse natural environment, from sweeping landscapes to unique flora and fauna. It is a place that invokes wonder and demands protection in equal measure. Its ecology matters, as do the people who have dedicated their careers to understanding it – ecologists. But what do ecologists do? How do they end up studying strange and obscure species? What is it like to work in remote and unusual environments? What happens when disaster strikes? And what are their hopes and concerns for the future? In Ecology Matters, Australia’s preeminent ecologists explain why nature truly matters across 30 enlightening essays. Learn about crayfish and climate change, seed banks and seagrass restoration, floods and fire ecology, ants and Antarctic mosses, whales, waterways and wallabies, and frogs, feral cats and fungi. Featuring interviews with students, Indigenous rangers, restoration ecologists and leaders in the field, this collection of conversations spans the breadth and diversity of Australian ecology. Accompanied by spectacular images from around Australia, many captured by ecologists in the course of their work, Ecology Matters showcases a unique perspective of Australian nature.

Full Product Details

Author:   The Ecological Society of Australia ,  Grace Heathcote
Publisher:   CSIRO Publishing
Imprint:   CSIRO Publishing
Dimensions:   Width: 23.50cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 27.60cm
Weight:   1.125kg
ISBN:  

9781486319732

ISBN 10:   1486319734
Pages:   184
Publication Date:   03 November 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Foreword – Professor Stephen van Leeuwen and Dr Teagan Shields Foreword – Dr Ann Jones Introduction – Dr Perpetua Turner Part 1 The path less travelled: leaders, pioneers and trailblazers The importance of tea and Tim Tams – Professor Stephen van Leeuwen A career in a changing climate – Professor Lesley Hughes Asking the big questions in ecology – Professor Angela Moles Australia, kingdom of the ants – Professor Alan Andersen Part 2 Finding a flock: networks and partners Two-way knowledge sharing in conservation – Shandell Cummings and Dr Alison Lullfitz Restoring habitat for the giant freshwater crayfish – Fiona Marshall Rodent control on Norfolk Island – Mel Wilson and Dr Allie Andersen Land management on a large scale – Dr Heather Neilly Mulyamiji March: collaborative threatened species monitoring – Dr Rachel Paltridge Part 3 Way out back: working in remote or unusual environments Managing Sea Country in the Torres Strait – Don Whap and Madeina David The highs and lows of work on remote islands – Dr Jenn Lavers Amazing Antarctic mosses – Professor Sharon Robinson Working with one of Australia’s most elusive birds – Saskia Gerhardy Part 4 A bump in the road: challenges and loss The impact of fire on Australian ecology – Professor Don Driscoll Fieldwork in floodwaters – Ariana La Porte The impact of feral cats – Professor John Woinarski Long-term wetlands surveys – Professor Richard Kingsford Part 5 Forgotten species: species that are often overlooked Towns and cities, the forgotten pockets of biodiversity – Dr Caragh Threlfall The mysterious spider crab – Dr Elodie Camprasse The pivotal role of mycorrhizal fungi – Dr Adam Frew Invertebrate conservation: we know enough to act! – Associate Professor Kate Umbers Part 6 On the brink: threatened species Australian sandalwood, a keystone species in trouble – Dr Richard McLellan Fascinating frogs – Dr Jodi Rowley The role of seed banks – James Wood Conserving the eastern quoll – Dr David Hamilton Part 7 Hope: stories of success and progress Recovery on Macquarie Island – Associate Professor Justine Shaw How do herbivores find food? – Dr Patrick Finnerty The return of humpback whales to Northern Territory waters – Dr Carol Palmer Reviving threatened Indigenous languages to Care for Country – Lynda Maybanks and Eleanor McCall Seagrass restoration – Associate Professor Jason Tanner Eyes to the future: words of advice List of photographers List of contributors Index

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Author Information

The Ecological Society of Australia is the peak body for ecologists in Australia. For over 60 years it has supported ecologists, promoted the scientific study of organisms in relation to their environment, and encouraged the application of ecological principles in the development, use and conservation of Australia’s natural resources. Grace Heathcote is an Australian writer and science communicator. From 2020 to 2025, she was the Communications Coordinator for the Ecological Society of Australia.

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