Synthesis of Australian cross-cultural ecology featuring a decade of annual Indigenous ecological knowledge symposia at the Ecological Society of Australia conferences

Indigenous Australians are Australia’s first ecologists and stewards of land, sea and freshwater Country. Indigenous biocultural knowledge, as coded in story, song, art, dance and other cultural practices, has accumulated and been refined through thousands of generations of Indigenous tribal groups who have distinct cultural responsibilities for their ancestral estates. European colonisation of Australia had and is still having severe impacts on Indigenous cultural practice, knowledge, people and Country. In contemporary ecology and environmental management, re-recognition of the unique values of Indigenous biocultural knowledge and practice is occurring and increasingly being deployed alongside Western approaches in what has been described as cross-cultural, two-way or right-way work. This article describes the development of cross-cultural ecology and environmental approaches in Australia. We then provide an overview of 10 years of conference presentations associated with the annual Indigenous Ecological Knowledge symposiums of the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA). From 2010 to 2020, 173 people participated in the symposia from around Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand), of which 62% were Indigenous Australians and 3% Maori. Most participants were from Indigenous Ranger groups followed by University staff, with a roughly even split of men and women. A total of 100 presentations were given and a word frequency analysis of the presentation titles revealed the dominant words (themes) were: Indigenous, management, Country, fire, working, knowledge and cultural. The increasing Indigenous participation in the ESA conferences was coincident with increasing Indigenous-led projects across Australia, although we recognise that much more work needs to be done to increase Indigenous participation and control in Australian ecology and environmental management to move from cross-cultural to Indigenous-led approaches

Submission to the Review of the National Biodiversity Strategy: Indigenous people's involvement in conserving Australia's biodiversity

This submission to the Review of the National Biodiversity Strategy challenges the adequacy of the Consultation Draft's coverage of the roles of Indigenous peoples in biodiversity management, and makes a number of recommendations drawing on current initiatives and available research

Yugul Mangi Fire and Seasons Calendar

The 'Yugul Mangi Faiya En Sisen Kelenda' (Yugul Mangi Fire and Seasons Calendar) was developed by Indigenous Elders and Yugul Mangi Rangers in collaboration with non-Indigenous scientists, for the cross-cultural interpretation of savanna burning in the South East Arnhem Land (SEAL) Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), Northern Territory, Australia. The language and information, including its visual representation, contained in this publication includes the traditional biocultural knowledge, cultural expression and references to biological resources (plants and animals) of the peoples of the Ngandi, Wubuy (Nunggubuyu), Ritharrŋu/Wagilak, Marra, Ngalakan, Alawa, Rembarrnga, Warndarrang and Roper River Kriol language groups. The information was shared by Elders and rangers for the purposes of knowledge preservation, general education and language maintenance. 
 Yugul Mangi Rangers are using Indigenous and western knowledge to manage fire for multiple purposes, including ecosystem restoration, cultural maintenance and greenhouse gas abatement, in SEAL IPA. The Yugul Mangi Fire and Seasons Calendar presents biocultural indicators- defined as predictable, obvious, seasonal events that may or may not be culturally significant- to guide fire management. In addition, the calendar has potential for application in regional fire management planning, improved understanding of savanna burning and inter-generational transfer of Indigenous Knowledge

Catching Kordbolbok: From Frog Survey to Closing the Gap in Arnhem Land

This working paper introduces the first frog survey of the Arnhem Plateau, as far as we know, which was conducted by the Warddeken Indigenous Rangers and a western scientist employed by CAEPR. The survey methodology and outcomes are presented in conjunction with some comment on the socioeconomic benefits of such surveys in remote outstations of the Northern Territory. Thirteen native frog species known to western science were found, including one species that as far as we know is previously undescribed—as well as the exotic cane toad (Bufo marinus). This exercise highlighted the significant role already played by traditional owners in the management of Indigenous-owned Arnhem Land. A greater monitoring role—for example, through frog surveys—could be pursued given the right tools and training

Indigenous cultural and natural resource management futures

A version of this Topical Issue was provided as a submission to the Australian Government’s discussion paper Review of Caring for Our Country: Australia’s Natural Resource Management Investment Initiative. This paper has a specific focus on lessons we have learnt from working with Indigenous peoples engaged in cultural and natural resource management projects in northern Australia and New South Wales. It is based on action research currently being undertaken under the five-year research project People on Country, Healthy Landscapes and Indigenous Economic Futures (PoC) and a related three-year project investigating the socioeconomic benefits of Aboriginal people being involved in the sustainable management of their country in NSW

Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management Futures

This paper has a specific focus on lessons we have learnt from working with Indigenous peoples engaged in cultural and natural resource management projects in northern Australia and New South Wales. It is based on action research currently being undertaken under the five-year research project People on Country, Healthy Landscapes and Indigenous Economic Futures (PoC) and a related three-year project investigating the socioeconomic benefits of Aboriginal people being involved in the sustainable management of their country in NSW

Resource-use efficiency explains grassy weed invasion in a low-resource savanna in north Australia

Comparative studies of plant resource use and ecophysiological traits of invasive and native resident plant species can elucidate mechanisms of invasion success and ecosystem impacts. In the seasonal tropics of north Australia, the alien C4 perennial grass Andropogon gayanus (gamba grass) has transformed diverse, mixed tree-grass savanna ecosystems into dense monocultures. To better understand the mechanisms of invasion, we compared resource acquisition and usage efficiency using leaf-scale ecophysiological and stand-scale growth traits of A. gayanus with a co-habiting native C4 perennial grass Alloteropsis semialata. Under wet season conditions, A. gayanus had higher rates of stomatal conductance, assimilation, and water use, plus a longer daily assimilation period than the native species A. semialata. Growing season length was also ~2 months longer for the invader. Wet season measures of leaf scale water use efficiency (WUE) and light use efficiency (LUE) did not differ between the two species, although photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) was significantly higher in A. gayanus. By May (dry season) the drought avoiding native species A. semialata had senesced. In contrast, rates of A. gayanus gas exchange was maintained into the dry season, albeit at lower rates that the wet season, but at higher WUE and PNUE, evidence of significant physiological plasticity. High PNUE and leaf 15N isotope values suggested that A. gayanus was also capable of preferential uptake of soil ammonium, with utilization occurring into the dry season. High PNUE and fire tolerance in an N-limited and highly flammable ecosystem confers a significant competitive advantage over native grass species and a broader niche width. As a result A. gayanus is rapidly spreading across north Australia with significant consequences for biodiversity and carbon and retention

Building partnerships for linking biomedical science with traditional knowledge of customary medicines: a case study with two Australian Indigenous communities

Background: Customary medicine of Australia's Indigenous peoples draws upon knowledge developed through millennia of interaction with Australia's unique flora and fauna. Many Indigenous Australians are interested in developing modern medicinal and commercial translations of traditional knowledge; however, barriers of trust and benefit sharing often thwart progress. Methods: Using a participatory action research framework, university researchers collaborated with members of two Australian Indigenous communities to investigate selected medicinal plants and locally made bush products. A trusted community liaison facilitated the collaboration that was fostered through bilateral site visits. Material transfer and confidentiality agreements ensured that the plant materials were only used for the agreed purpose. Plain language written reports of the laboratory results were provided to the communities with follow up discussions. Results: In case study 1, only some of the traditional uses for the raw plants were shared with the researchers. Deidentified plants were assessed for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In case study 2, the plant names, traditional uses, and preparation methods were shared with the aim of learning more about their plants, potential uses, and optimising their bush products. Literature reviews were conducted that also helped guide in vitro testing of the crude and solvent partitioned extracts. These differences reflected the community's reasons for conducting the research and intellectual property considerations. In both cases, observed benefits included building trust and strengthening working relationships for ongoing collaboration, fostering enthusiasm for linking traditional and scientific knowledge, promoting cross-cultural learning about scientific methods and traditional medicine, maintaining the relevance of traditional knowledge in the modern world, and initiating community discussions around their bush medicine product development. Conclusions: Community-driven scientific investigation of traditional medicinal knowledge can facilitate culturally meaningful outcomes, with potentially wide-reaching direct and indirect benefits. Community liaisons were invaluable for establishment of strong relationships and ensured that the research was culturally and locally appropriate. The need for clearer guidelines and regulation around community-driven biomedical research of their plants was identified. Australia would benefit from a user-friendly, open-source toolkit that promotes use of local traditional medicines, contains information about processes and protocols that communities and scientists could use to develop collaborative projects, and guides regulation and ethical commercialisation. Close consultation and collaboration with communities and researchers will be needed to ensure that such a toolkit is culturally appropriate and fit-for-purpose

Applying biocultural research protocols in ecology: Insider and outsider experiences from Australia

Collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scientific researchers are increasingly mandated by global to local conservation policy and research ethics guidelines. Breakdowns occur due to misunderstandings around expected protocols of engagement and cooperation, which are compounded by lack of broader awareness of differences in cultural values, priorities and knowledge systems. Using first-hand experiences, we outline eight key protocols and guidelines that researchers should consider when undertaking research with Indigenous peoples, or on Indigenous Country, through exploration of biocultural protocols and guidelines within Australian and Indigenous customary laws. We use the onion as a metaphor to highlight the layers of protocols and guidelines that researchers can peel back to guide their research from international to local scales, with ethics around the research question at the core. This paper draws on the perspectives and experiences of an Indigenous researcher (as ‘insider’/‘outsider’) and non-Indigenous researcher (‘outsider’), working on a cross-cultural and multidisciplinary investigation of past Aboriginal dispersal of rainforest trees on the Australian east coast. This paper is part of the special issue ‘Indigenous and cross-cultural ecology - perspectives from Australia’ published in Ecological Management & Restoration

Indigenous plant recruitment limitation by bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata): effect on life history stages and allelopathic mechanisms

Exotic plant invasion, the consequent displacement of indigenous flora and subsequent effects on ecosystem health has become of increasing concern to land managers, conservationists and government agencies. Despite the concomitant attention of ecologists and invasion biologists, our empirical understanding of the impacts and mechanisms of exotic plant invasion remains rudimentary and fragmented and further complicated by species and site specific effects. Exotic plant invasion is of paramount concern in Australia due to the high species endemism and the recent settlement of Europeans (in 1788) which has been paralleled by vast, rapid modification of the landscape. Large expanses of land have subsequently been cleared for agriculture, residential and industrial areas and many exotic species have been introduced, both intentionally and accidentally. As a result, exotic species invasion has become an issue of national significance. In attempt to further our ecological understanding of the impacts, and macro and micro-mechanisms of exotic plant invasion, I have focused my research on the bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata (DC.) T. Norl.) invasion of the eastern Australian coastal dune systems. Bitou bush has been declared Australia\u27s sixth worst weed based on its invasibility and impacts on the environment. However there is a paucity of quantitative evidence to support these claims with substantiation being primarily anecdotal. Therefore I aimed to investigate the plant demographic impacts and soil chemistry changes imposed by the invasion and determined whether allelopathy and indirect soil chemical interference are mechanisms facilitating bitou bush invasion in Australia. The demographic response of indigenous plants to the invasion of exotic woody plants has rarely been quantified. I therefore aimed to determine which life history stages of three indigenous plant species: Correa alba var. alba (Andrews; Rutaceae), Monotoca elliptica ((Sm.) R.Br.; Epacridaceae) and Lomandra longifolia (Labill.; Lomandraceae), were more susceptible to the invasion of bitou bush. I also assessed whether various morphological and physiological parameters of the mature stage of these species were affected by the presence of bitou bush. Populations of all three indigenous species in bitou bush invaded habitats had significantly fewer small individuals and a lower population density than populations in non-invaded habitats. The mean flower production, growth, ratio of reproductive: vegetative buds and physiological stress of mature individuals of each of these species in bitou bush invaded habitat did not differ from those in the non-invaded habitat. However, the flower production of C. alba was significantly more variable in the bitou bush invaded habitat which suggested plasticity in resource allocation in response to the invasion. Increased trait variability was not found for M. elliptica and L. longifolia suggesting mature plant tolerance to the new neighbour. We therefore propose that bitou bush affected indigenous plant populations primarily by preventing recruitment through the germination or seedling growth stages and that older plants typically tolerated the presence of the exotic. The reduction in indigenous plant recruitment is likely to create space that would facilitate bitou bush monoculture formation in the new host environment. A more detailed assessment of the physiological health of mature indigenous plants in invaded habitats was conducted to determine whether there was seasonal effect of the invasion. The photosynthetic efficiency of plants was adopted as an indicator of physiological health. The seasonal photosynthetic patterns of C. alba, M. elliptica and L. longifolia in invaded and non-invaded habitats were assessed using chlorophyll fluorescence. I also examined whether bitou bush altered the habitat physico-chemical parameters which may have lead to any observed changes in the physiological health of mature individuals. All three species exhibited photosynthetic maxima during winter and minima in summer, in contrast to most other Northern hemisphere studies on seasonal photosynthetic patterns. Winter photosynthetic maxima are likely to be facilitated by the autumn rains and cooler winter temperatures of the eastern Australian coast. Differences in the photosynthetic capacity of individuals of all three species among different sites were also detected. Although the invasion of bitou bush significantly altered the canopy cover of C. alba and M. elliptica and moderated the ground level microclimate, I detected no effect on the seasonal photosynthetic patterns of the three species studied, suggesting physiological tolerance to the invasion by mature plants. The reductions in ground incident light and daily maximum temperatures associated with the invasion were likely to be responsible for the reduction in variability of Fv/Fm (physiological stress parameter) detected in autumn for all species. Therefore, I suggest that the photosynthetic patterns of Australian native plants is a function of seasonal climatic and site variability, which was not significantly affected by the microhabitat changes induced by the invasion of bitou bush. Chemical interference is increasingly suggested as a mechanism facilitating exotic plant invasion. I therefore devised a comprehensive bioassay technique that promoted detection and differentiation of phytotoxicty, allelopathy and indirect soil effects of exotic plants by comparing extract inhibition with that of a dominant indigenous plant. Comparison of the bioactivity of comparable extracts from plant parts and soil was integral to the technique. Hydrophilic to hydrophobic solvent extracts of indigenous acacia and exotic bitou bush leaves and roots all exhibited differential phytotoxic effects on a range of indigenous plants. Chemical interference, or allelopathy, between co-evolved plants was found by the hydrophobic extracts of the roots and soil of acacia against a sedge, Isolepis nodosa (Rott.) R. Br. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic extracts of the roots and soil from the exotic bitou bush elicited allelopathic effects against four indigenous species. Additionally, the hydrophobic soil extracts of bitou bush inhibited the germination and growth of Banksia integrifolia and A. longifolia var. sophorae, while the acacia soil extract inhibited the germination of B. integrifolia and Lomandra longifolia. Therefore I suggest that both the indigenous acacia and exotic bitou bush have the potential to chemically inhibit the establishment of indigenous plants, with an additive effect. Eventual monoculture formation by bitou bush is likely to be facilitated by allelopathy against indigenous species and the residual soil inhibition of dominant A. longifolia var. sophorae establishment. To determine whether bitou bush exuded novel compounds into the soil that were not present in the acacia dominated indigenous system, I compared the root and soil chemical profiles of these species. I focused on the hydrophobic extracts of the roots and soil as these were found to be most inhibitory in the laboratory based bioassays. Using solvent based extraction and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques, I detected three compounds that were exclusive to the bitou bush root and soil, and seven compounds that were common to the bitou bush and acacia roots but only present in the bitou bush soil. The compounds unique to the bitou bush invaded soil were all sesqui- and diterpenes. Several of these compounds were found to inhibit the seedling growth of a native sedge, Isolepis nodosa. Of particular interest were the sesquiterpenes: β-maaliene, α-isocomene, β-isocomene, δ-cadinene, 5-hydroxycalamenene and 5-methoxycalamenene which were found in high concentrations in the bitou bush root and soil and exhibited phytotoxic activity. To confirm that bitou bush alters the soil chemistry of the sand dunes of the eastern Australian coast, we also designed a novel technique to assess the field soil chemical profile. The technique employed adsorbent resin filled bags intended to trap hydrophobic compounds in-situ which were then tested for bioactivity in the laboratory. I compared the hydrophobic chemical profile of soil below bitou bush and acacia to that of unvegetated soil. Similar GC profiles were found to those detected via the solvent extraction method; however, the resin bag technique showed that the alkane series was present in both the bitou bush and acacia soils. Using the resin bag technique, the chemical profile of the bitou bush invaded soil was characterised by a high concentration of sesquiterpenes and was distinct from the indigenous plant soil and bare sand, which were similar except for the presence of a higher concentration of phenolic compounds in the acacia soil and a higher concentration of hexadecanoic acid in the un-vegetated soil. Bioassays of these hydrophobic mixtures showed that the soil inhabited by plants, whether exotic or native, was inhibitory to the growth of an indigenous sedge, compared to the unvegetated soil. Based on the series of experiments conducted, and described above, I suggest that the bitou bush invasion of the eastern Australian coast is likely to affect the recruitment limitation of indigenous species, rather than effects on fecundity and mature plant health. Bitou bush was found to induce a unique soil hydrochemical chemical profile, via two different techniques, which was characterised by high concentrations of several sesquiterpenes and low concentrations of a phenolic compound compared to the acacia profile. Although hydrophobic extracts both the bitou bush and acacia soils inhibited the growth of some indigenous species, the bitou bush inhibited more, including the dominant acacia, which is likely to result in the creation of vacant space and increased opportunities for bitou bush establishment and hence proliferation. Therefore, I suggest that allelopathy is a key mechanism driving the recruitment limitation of indigenous flora and invasion of bitou bush on the eastern Australian coast