Head's Welcome
Forests play a vital role in the maintenance of a healthy global environment. They are the planet's green lungs, regulating atmospheric greenhouse gases. They are home to much of our terrestrial biodiversity and provide a wide range of other environmental services on which our society depends, such as clean water and soil protection. Forests also provide the raw materials for one of world's (and Australia 's) largest manufacturing industries and a large number of people around the world are dependent on forests for their basic survival: for food, shelter and medicines.
The provision of a broader range of benefits and services is increasingly recognised in forest management. In times past, forests were often seen as an impediment to economic development and cleared and converted to agriculture. Where forests were under management, the focus was primarily wood production. However, governments, forest industry and society now set high priority on the sustainable management of forest landscapes and the responsible use of their resources. This paradigm shift has required substantial changes in forest practices. To facilitate this rapid evolution in forestry, novel research is required to improve our understanding of the forest biological processes, forest ecosystem functioning, the interaction of humans with forests and to develop improved uses for forest resources. The goal is to develop sustainable forest management practices to maximise the ecological, economic and social value of the world's forests. The need for research in this area is further underlined by the challenge of global climate change.
I invite prospective students, colleagues, and collaborators to contact us and visit the School and meet our staff. We have an extensive network of national and international collaborators and are always looking for new opportunities to build on and expand these relationships. I believe you will find that we meet or exceed your needs and expectations in educational opportunities or in research quality and the breadth of research interests.
Rod Keenan (Head of Department)