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

Loss of terrestrial biodiversity in Australia: Magnitude, causation, and response

Australia's biota is species rich, with high rates of endemism. This natural legacy has rapidly diminished since European colonization. The impacts of invasive species, habitat loss, altered fire regimes, and changed water flows are now compounded by climate change, particularly through extreme drought, heat, wildfire, and flooding. Extinction rates, already far exceeding the global average for mammals, are predicted to escalate across all taxa, and ecosystems are collapsing. These losses are symptomatic of shortcomings in resourcing, law, policy, and management. Informed by examples of advances in conservation practice from invasive species control, Indigenous land management, and citizen science, we describe interventions needed to enhance future resilience. Many characteristics of Australian biodiversity loss are globally relevant, with recovery requiring society to reframe its relationship with the environment.

Indigenous knowledge is saving our iconic species

When a species' last strong foothold occurs on Country, empowering Indigenous-led actions under the collaborative management of culturally significant species is key to species persistence. We examine how Indigenous Australians are using Indigenous knowledge to save the greater bilby, a highly valued species to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.