Bringing together leading ecological experts to deliver research to improve the management of Australia’s threatened species and ecological communities.
About this hub
Threatened Species Recovery Hub research ran from 2014-15 to 2020-21. Its research informed on-ground responses to reduce threats and promote recovery of threatened species, and build a better understanding of their status, threats and management options.
Threatened Species Recovery Hub impacts highlights some of the hub’s impacts across its 6-year research program.
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At a glance
| NESP funding | $29.98 million, plus up to $2 million additional funding for bushfire recovery science* |
|---|---|
| Host organisation | The University of Queensland |
| Hub leader | Professor Brendan Wintle |
| Hub partners |
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| Hub website | www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/ |
| Approved projects | Threatened Species Recovery Hub projects |
* The government provided additional National Environmental Science Program funding of $2 million to the Threatened Species Recovery (TSR) Hub to deliver wildlife, threatened species and habitat bushfire recovery research and scientific advice as an emerging priority.
- Additional funding for research on bushfire impacts on wildlife - media release 3 March 2020
Research snapshots
Monitoring the breeding of threatened black cockatoos
Glossy and Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos in southern Australia are endangered. One of the key problems is poor breeding success.
This research developed a new, efficient monitoring technique based on automatic recordings of cockatoo vocalisations at nest trees. The technique provided information to conservation managers in Victoria and may be used on Kangaroo Island.
Threatened animal reintroductions in national parks
Parks Australia has been tackling threats to pave the way to reintroduce animals such as the Long-Nosed Potoroo, Southern Brown Bandicoot and Eastern Quoll to Booderee National Park, and Blue-Tailed Skinks to Christmas Island.
The hub provided important support to these programs by carefully monitoring the reintroductions. This revealed valuable new insights into these species and the threats they face, and provided guidance to park managers about how to improve outcomes for future reintroductions.
Threatened plant translocation
Plant translocation is an important tool in the fight against extinctions. It can be used to strengthen wild populations of threatened plants and to set up new populations. But learning how to grow and establish different species can be challenging.
To learn from past experiences, hub researchers reviewed more than 1,000 threatened plant translocations in Australia. Hub researchers are also undertaking vital research on key factors critical for translocation success, including how to propagate and establish many at-risk species such as threatened orchids and banksias.
Identifying the species at greatest risk
Hub researchers identified the top 20 mammals, 20 birds and 100 plants at greatest risk of extinction in Australia. Early detection of species at risk is important to give conservation managers time to act.
The Christmas Island Flying-Fox was identified as having a 40% chance of becoming extinct in the next 20 years without active conservation investment. Its loss would impact the ecology of Christmas Island forests. This research provided information to allow for the better management of key threats, to help identify priority areas and actions for conservation attention, and to develop conservation management priorities.