Distinguished Professor
"BA (Hons) PhD Melbourne, D.Sc. UTas
| Contact Campus | Sandy Bay Campus |
| Building | Geography-Geology Building |
| Room Reference | Room 425 |
| Telephone | +61 3 6226 2460 |
| Fax | +61 3 6226 2989 |
| J.Kirkpatrick@utas.edu.au |
KGA172 Space, Place and Nature
KGA300 Environmental Research project
KGA331 Fire, Weeds and Ferals: Conserving Nature in Protected Areas
I am a primarily a geographer. Within geography my research and teaching transgresses the normal intradisciplinary boundaries in that much of it integrates social and physical geography to solve problems in nature conservation. I am also an ecologist, having been president of both the Institute of Australian Geographers and the Ecological Society of Australia. I am pretty good at plant identification, multivariate analyses of data and writing up academic stories. I am also occasionally pretty good at communicating the results of my research to governments and the public. This has not helped me gain funds.
The projects and interests listed below are those I am working on in 2012 that do not have research students currently attached to them, although all involve collaboration with past research students and other colleagues. See below for the research projects research students undertake and I supervise.
The life and death of trees and gardens in suburban and exurban areas
… The interagency between the non-human and human in urban contexts puts nature conservation in a different frame. This research involves relating qualitative and quantitative social data to changes in urban forests, gardens and dependent biota.
The effects of fire and animals on vegetation dynamics
I am particularly interested in the ways in which grazing modifies outcomes from burning, the ways in which animals create or maintain suitable habitat by grazing, and the ways in which the mechanical activities of animals, such as trampling and digging, influence plant species composition.
The effects of fire and trampling on organic soils and landforms
This project, important for understanding the effect of planned fire regimes on carbon balance, includes long term studies on the string fens of the Tasmanian alpine zone and patterned ground in the lowland moorlands.
The influence of geology, vegetation and topography on the characteristics of Australian alpine soils
This Australia-wide project tests generalisations that have been made about the genesis and character of alpine soils.
Explaining failures and successes in nature conservation
We ask: what social, cultural and political circumstances result in the destruction of nature and which have the reverse effect?
Trees in cities are mostly killed by tree lovers, who just happen to hate particular types of trees that they replace when moving house.
Grazing increases blazing in tussock grasslands because animals remove the live shoots, leaving a mass of flammable dead material.
Since 1972, when I first moved to Tasmania, my research has been largely directed towards providing a scientific basis for the reservation and conservation management of plant species and communities. This work has had some considerable influence on the configuration of reserves in Tasmania, the management regimes adopted within them and national policy development related to biodiversity and world heritage. I have also worked on the politics of environment and the quantification of intangible values, such as wilderness and scenery and the interactions between cultures, societies, politics and nature conservation. A complete list of my publications can be accessed here. WARP can also be accessed for recent publications and grants.
I received the Eureka Prize for Environmental Research in 1997 for my development of novel techniques to locate nature reserves, and an Order of Australia (General Division) for service to forest and world heritage conservation in 2003. I received the gold medal of the Ecological Society of Australia and was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Australian Geographers in 2009.
During the past decade I have been the supervisor of 25 successful PhD students, 2 successful research Masters students and 32 successful honours students. I was given a UTAS supervisor award in 2006.
Jayne Balmer: Landscape disturbance effects on wet eucalypt forest composition
Jen Styger: Flammability of rainforest
Madiha Farag-Miller: Quantifying the analysis of 19th century landscape art in Hobart
Anna Egan: Environmental history of street trees in Melbourne
Chris Ware: Invasive organisms in the Norwegian Arctic
Lawrie Conole: Understanding variation in bird species composition in Melbourne
Damien Catchpole: Microclimatology of epiphytes in Peruvian rainforest
Mike Driessen: Fire and the ecology of invertebrates in buttongrass moorlands
2012 Jane Bryan: The Potential Role of Cessation of Logging in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Papua New Guinea
2012 Karen Johnson: Pollination Ecology and Evolution of Epacrids
2011 Grant Daniels: Ecological Implications of Exurban Development- The Effects of People, Pets and Paddocks on Avian and Mammalian Wildlife
2011 Melanie Kelly: Integrated Catchment Management and Natural Resource Management- A Case Study of the Little Swanport
2011 Kevin Leeson: Gauging Environmental Variation in the Rejuvenation Potential of Disturbed Natural Ecosystems
2009 Peter Ashley: The Spiritual Values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and Implications for Wilderness Management
2009 Steven Leonard: Effects of Vertebrate Grazing and Environmental Factors on Fuel and Fire Potential in Tasmanian Native Grasslands
2009 Cynthia Roberts: Marsupial Grazing Lawns in Tasmania- Genesis, Biota and the Effects of Climate Change
2008 Sapphire MacMullan-Fisher: Surrogates for Cryptogam Conservation - Associations Between Mosses, Macrofungi, Vascular Plants and Environmental Variables
2008 Julie von Platen: A History and Interpretation of Fire Frequency in Dry Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands of Eastern Tasmania
2008 Anita Wild: Vegetation Recovery Following Disturbance in Alpine and Treeless Subalpine Communities in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
2007 Maj-Britt di Folco: Tasmanian Organic Soils
2007 Amelia Koch: Tree Hollows in Tasmanian Eucalyptus obliqua Forest and their Use by Vertebrate Fauna
2007 Thadeus Zagorski: Gardens and Stewardship
Professor Dave Bowman, University of Tasmania
Professor Katherine Dickinson, University of Otago
Dr Rod Fensham, University of Queensland
Dr Ian Thomas, University of Melbourne
Dr Jocelyne Hughes, Oxford University, UK
Dr Fiona Coates, Arthur Rylah Institute
Dr Johny Tasirin, University of Monado, Indonesia
Driscoll, D.A., Kirkpatrick, J.B., McQuillan, P.B. and Bonham, K.J., 2010. Classic metapopulations are rare among common beetle species from a naturally fragmented landscape. Journal of Animal Ecology 79, 294-303.
McMullan-Fisher, S.J.M., Kirkpatrick, J.B., May, T.W. and Pharo, E.J., 2010. Surrogates for macrofungi and mosses in reservation planning. Conservation Biology 24, 730-736.
Morgan, S., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and di Folco, M-B, 2010. Wind-controlled linear patterning and cyclic succession in Tasmanian Sphagnum mires. Journal of Ecology 98, 583-591.
Ferguson, A., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Pharo, E.J., 2010. Variability in the incidence and characteristics of animal paths in montane vegetation. Plant Ecology and Diversity 3, 9-17.
Bryan, J., Shearman, P., Ash, J. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2010. Estimating rainforest biomass stocks and carbon loss from deforestation and degradation in Papua-New Guinea 1972-2002: Best estimates, uncertainties and research needs. Journal of Environmental Management 91, 995-1001.
Leonard, S.W.J., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Marsden-Smedley, J.B., 2010. Variation between grassland structural types in the effects of vertebrate grazing on fire potential. Journal of Applied Ecology 47, 876-883.
Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2010. Conserving grassy woodland in Tasmania. In Lindenmayer, B.D., Hobbs, R. & Bennett, A. (eds.) Temperate Woodland Conservation and Management. pp. 93-100. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.
Kirkpatrick, J.B., Bridle, K.L. and Dickinson, K.J.M., 2010. Decades-scale vegetation change in burned and unburned alpine coniferous heath. Australian Journal of Botany 58, 453-462.
Bryan, J., Shearman, P., Ash, J. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2010. Impact of logging on above ground biomass stocks in lowland rainforest, Papua New Guinea. Ecological Applications 20, 2096-2103.
Roberts, C, Kirkpatrick, J.B. and McQuillan, P.B., 2011. Tasmanian lentic wetland lawns are maintained by grazing rather than inundation. Austral Ecology 36, 303–309
Johnson, K., McQuillan, P.B. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2011. Nocturnal mammals, diurnal lizards and the pollination ecology of the cryptic flowering Acrotriche serrulata (Ericaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 172, 173-182.
Styger, J., Kirkpatrick, J.B., Marsden-Smedley, J.B. and Leonard, S.W.J., 2011. Fire incidence, but not fire size, affects macropod densities. Austral Ecology 36, 679-686.
Conole, L.E. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2011. Functional and spatial differentiation of urban bird assemblages at the landscape scale. Landscape and Urban Planning 100, 11-23.
Kirkpatrick, J.B., Marsden-Smedley, J.B. and Leonard S.W.J., 2011. Influence of grazing and vegetation type on post-fire flammability. Journal of Applied Ecology 48, 642-649.
von Platen, J., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Allen, K.J. 2011. Variation in decadal fire frequency in southeastern Tasmanian dry eucalypt forest 1740 – 2004. Australian Forestry 74, 180-189.
Kirkpatrick J.B., Daniels, G. D. and Davison, A., 2011. Temporal and spatial variation in garden and street trees in six eastern Australian cities. Landscape and Urban Planning 101, 242-252.
Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2011. The political ecology of soil and species conservation in a 'Big Australia'. Geographical Research, 49, 276-285.
Bryan, J., Kirkpatrick, J.B., Shearman, P. and Ash, J., 2011. On estimating tropical forest carbon dynamics in Papua New Guinea. Annals of Forest Science 68, 213–216.
Kirkpatrick, J.B. and DellaSala, D.A., 2011. Temperate rainforests of Australasia. In DellaSala, D.A. (ed.) Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World. Island Press Washington, pp. 195-212.
DellaSala, D.A., Alaback, P., Craighead, L., Goward, T., Hakon, H., Kirkpatrick, J.B., Krestov, P.B., Moola, F., Nakamura, Y., Nauman, R.S., Noss, R.E., Paquet, P., Ronneberg, K., Spribille, T., Tecklin, D. and von Wehrden, H., 2011. Crosscutting issues and conservation strategies. In DellaSala, D.A. (ed.) Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World. Island Press Washington, pp. 243-259.
di Folco, M-B. F. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2011. Topographic variation in burning-induced loss of carbon from organic soils in Tasmanian moorlands. Catena 87, 216-225.
Daniels, G.D. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2011. Attitude and action syndromes of exurban landowners have little effect on native mammals in exurbia. Biodiversity and Conservation. 20, 3517-3535.
Turner, P.A.M., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Pharo, E., 2011. Dependence of bryophyte species on young, mature and old growth wet eucalypt forest. Biological Conservation 144, 2951-2957.
Prahalad, V., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Mount, R., 2011. Tasmanian coastal salt marsh community transitions associated with climate change and relative sea level rise 1975-2009. Australian Journal of Botany, 59, 741-748.
Dean, C., Wardell-Johnson, G.W. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., 2012. Are there any circumstances in which logging primary wet-eucalypt forest will not add to the global carbon burden? Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 161, 156-169.
Bar-Ness, Y.D., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and McQuillan, P.B., in press. Crown structure differences and dynamics in mature and old-growth Eucalyptus obliqua. Australian Forestry. accepted 5/10/2011
Romanski, J., Pharo, E. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. Epiphytic bryophytes and habitat variation in montane rainforest, Peru. The Bryologist accepted October 2011
Daniels, G.D. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. The influence of landscape context on the distribution of flightless mammals in exurban developments. Landscape and Urban Planning. accepted 4/10/2011
Allchin, R., Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Kriwoken, L., in press. On not protecting the parrot - the impact of conservation and planning legislation on the survival of a Tasmanian endangered species. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy. Accepted 24/1/2012.
Farag-Miller, M, Miller, K. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. Determining the accuracy of historical landscape paintings. Geographical Research. Accepted 12/3/2012.
Hayes, M. and Kirkpatrick, J.B., in press. Influence of Ammophila arenaria on half a century of vegetation change in eastern Tasmanian sand dune systems. Australian Journal of Botany. Accepted 21/5/2012.
I helped form the present shape and interests of the school as head for 12 years from 1987 onwards and developed an innovative degree, the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies and many units, including KGA213 Natural Environment Field Techniques. I have served on many university committees, including, currently, the Academic Workload Development Committee and the Environment Committee.
I have contributed to many committees and processes concerned with sustainability, nature conservation and my disciplines. These have included: Secretary, Tasmanian Conservation Trust Inc.;
Member of Environmental Protection Advisory Council, Tasmania; Member of Australian Heritage Commission State Technical Advisory Committee; Member of Australian Heritage Commission State Review Panel, Tasmania; Member of Tasmanian National Estate Grants Assessment Committee; Chair of Australian Heads of Geography Departments Committee; Chair, Worldwide Fund for Nature Scientific Advisory Council; Member, Executive Worldwide Fund for Nature, Australia; President, Ecological Society of Australia; Member Biological Diversity Advisory Council, Tasmania; Member, Track Assessment Group; Member, Editorial Board of Journal of Biogeography; Chair, Threatened Species Scientific Advisory Council, Tasmania;Member, Tasmania Together Environmental Benchmarking Committee; Member, Editorial Board of Geographical Research (current); President, Institute of Australian Geographers; Member, University of Tasmania Council; Member, Board of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Tasmania; Member of Commonwealth Endangered Species Advisory Council; Member, Member, Ecologically Sustainable Development (Forestry) Working Group; Member Biological Diversity Advisory Council; Member of South West Tasmania World Heritage Area Consultative Committee; Member, Expert Panel on Implementation of World Heritage Assessment; Member, Australian Antarctic Division Biological Sciences Program Advisory Committee; Member, Life Sciences Antarctic Research Assessment Committee; Member, Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee; Member Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Council; Editorial Board of Landscape and Urban Planning (current); Member Scientific Advisory Committee, Tasmanian Land Conservancy (current); Member of National Parks Advisory Council, Tasmania (current);