Leader: Hugh Possingham

Contributed by Hugh Possingham

Name: Hugh Possingham

Job (title and organization):
I am the director of the Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Queensland, as well as the director of a Commonwealth Environment Research Facility called Applied Environmental Decision Analysis.  I am also a Federation Fellow for the Australian Research Council (ARC)

Where do you work (city and country):
Brisbane, Australia

Describe your research:
My lab includes eight postdoctoral researchers and fourteen PhD students working on empirical and theoretical aspects of the applied population ecology of plants and animals. Particular areas of recent research include marine reserve design (including development of MARXAN, the software that underpinned the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park), optimal landscape reconstruction for birds, meta-population dynamics of plants and animals, population viability analysis, kangaroo and koala management, and optimal weed control (as part of the Weeds CRC).

What inspires you in your work?
Our lab has a unifying interest in environmental applications of decision theory.

Degree(s):
I completed Applied Mathematics Honours at The University of Adelaide in 1984. After attaining a Rhodes Scholarship in 1984, I completed my D.Phil at Oxford University in 1987. Postdoctoral research periods followed at Stanford University and the Australian National University (as a QEII Fellow). 

What are the highlights of your career accomplishments? 
As a conservationist I was the lead scientist behind the campaign to stop land clearing in Queensland.  This has been successful and has saved about 50 million hectares of native vegetation – this is bigger than the average state in the USA!  As a member of the Wentworth group http://www.wentworthgroup.org/ we have achieved land clearing legislation in NSW and water reforms across Australia.  For many years I have chaired a diversity of federal and state government advisory committees that have had a broad impact on state and national biodiversity policy.

I have published over 145 Web of Science publications and 25 book chapters.  I have  also recently been awarded:

• POL Eureka Prize for Environmental Research (for collaborative work with Dr David Lindenmayer) – 1999
• Inaugural Fenner medal for plant and animal biology from the Australian Academy of Sciences – 2000
• Australian Mathematical Society Medal – 2001
• General Systems medal from MSSANZ – 2003
• ARC Professorial Fellowship – 2003
• UQ Higher Degree Supervision Excellence Award – 2005
• ARC Federation Fellowship - 2006
  

In 2005, I was elected to the Fellowship of The Australian Academy of Science

Why is the Global Mediterranean Action Network exciting to you?
Mediterranean systems are unique in their diversity and suite of common threats – despite being so geographically disparate.  If there is one biome in the world that needs an international network that crosses social and cultural divides – this is the one.

PersonalInterests (please answer at least three):

How did your early experiences in nature influence you?

I have been an obsessive birdwatcher since the age of 12.  This lead to a love of plants and now I am moving to butterflies.  I have always been obsessive about diversity – understanding it, defining it, enjoying it.  This may be a mental disease, but I am happy to have that disease.

What are your favorite species and/or landscapes?
My favorite bird is the southern scrub-robin, favorite habitat is mallee in Australia, favorite tree is Eucalyptus incrassata, and my favorite orchid is the Pterostylis plumosa.

Why are you passionate about conservation?

If we wipe out half the species in the world it will be several million years before that diversity recovers.  This means that about 100 trillion people will suffer our stupidity.  This is about 1000 times more people than have ever existed.  All other environmental issues pale into insignificance compared to biodiversity loss.  My life is devoted to the 100 trillion people, 10 trillion of whom will probably be birdwatchers – who haven’t been born.

What gives you hope?

The dedication and sacrifices of people.

What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
I suffer from obsessive bird watching.  Playing computer games.  Drinking cheap red wine.