Managing natural landscapes on Australian cotton farms to increase the provision of ecosystem services

This project will provide a comprehensive assessment of values and management strategies relevant to natural landscapes on Australian cotton farms to protect, restore and enhance the delivery of ecosystem services.

The project will address two major questions: (i) what natural and human factors drive the provision of ecosystem services by natural landscapes on Australian cotton farms?; and (ii) what management strategies best promote the maintenance, restoration and enhancement of ecosystem services provided by the natural landscapes of Australian cotton farms? These questions will be addressed by reviewing existing knowledge, synthesising and modelling of existing spatial data and information from field studies, and the conduct of field studies to investigate outcomes of specific on-ground management action. The research will inform decision-making at farm and regional scales to maximise the benefits of management actions and minimise the risk of perverse outcomes.