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Within this section:
 Introduction
Some recent papers
Biodiversity
Conservation
Phylogenetic
inference
Biological
monitoring
The PNG papers
Some older papers
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Home Research and CollectionsBiodiversity & Systematics
Biodiversity and Systematics
Dr Dan Faith's research at the Australian Museum is concerned with theory and applications of quantitative biodiversity assessment. This work extends from the scale of genes to whole countries. Special emphasis has been given to the best-possible use of Museum collections in regional biodiversity assessment, and to the links from biodiversity assessment to sustainability and economics. Applied biodiversity research also includes work on methods for detecting environmental impacts.
A phylogenetic component of Dr. Faith's biodiversity research arises through investigations of "phylogenetic diversity" and conservation. Other work in phylogenetics concerns development and application of phylogenetic methods, philosophy of science, and editorial work for Systematic Biology.
Recent research reports highlight the core research theme of biodiversity assessment and museum collections (click here for other recent papers):
- Faith DP (2008) Threatened species and the preservation of phylogenetic diversity (PD): assessments based on extinction probabilities and risk analysis. Conservation Biology
- Barton, D.N., Faith, D.P. Rusch, G., Acevedo, H., Paniagua, L., Castro M. (2008) Environmental service payments: Evaluating biodiversity conservation trade-offs and costefficiency in the Osa Conservation Area, Costa Rica, Journal of Environmental Management, doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.02.010
- Faith, DP (2008) Phylogenetic diversity and conservation. In (eds: SP Carroll and C Fox) Conservation Biology: Evolution in Action. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
- Faith DP, Ferrier, S., Williams, KJ (2008) Getting biodiversity intactness indices right: ensuring that "biodiversity" reflects "diversity" Global Change Biology 14, 207-217. download pdf
This is an electronic version of an article published in Global Change Biology: complete citation information for the final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of Global Change Biology, is available on the Blackwell Synergy online delivery service, accessible via the journal's website at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/GCB or http://www.blackwell-synergy.com.
- Faith DP (2007) Phylogeny and conservation. Systematic Biology 56:690-694.
- Faith, D. P. (2007) Biodiversity. In: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/biodiversity/
- Williams, K.J., Mitchell, D.K., James, R., Cameron, S.E., Faith, D.P., Storey, R., de Fretes, Y., Sumantri, H., Margules, C. (2006) Milne Bay Province Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes: A pilot for the New Guinea Wilderness. CSIRO and Conservation International Melanesia CBC, Atherton.
- Knight, AT., RJ Smith, RM. Cowling, PG. Desmet, DP. Faith, S Ferrier, CM Gelderblom, H Grantham, AT. Lombard, JD Parrish, K Maze, J Nel, GQK Pence, B Reyers, M Rouget, D Roux and KA. Wilson (2007) What is the Role of the Key Biodiversity Areas Program in Effective Conservation Planning? Bioscience 57: 256-261
- Botkin, DB et al. (2007) Forecasting effects of global warming on biodiversity. Bioscience. 57:227-236. http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-press-releases/070301_improved_predictions_of_warminginduced_extinctions_sought.html
- Forest, Félix, Richard Grenyer, Mathieu Rouget, T. Jonathan Davies, Richard M. Cowling, Daniel P. Faith, Andrew Balmford, John C. Manning, Serban Proches, Michelle van der Bank, Gail Reeves, Terry A. J. Hedderson and Vincent Savolainen (2007) Preserving the evolutionary potential of floras in biodiversity hotspots. Nature 445:757-760.
- Hajkowicz, S., A.Higgins, K. Williams, D. P. Faith and M. Burton (2007) Optimisation and the selection of conservation contracts. The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 51: 39-56.
- Faith, DP (2006) Insights from an Australian planning framework for biodiversity and ecosystem services. PLoS Biology http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=read-response&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040379#r1378
- Sarkar, S., Pressey, R.L., Faith, D.P., Margules, C.R., Fuller, T., Stoms, D.M., Moffett, A., Wilson, K.A., Williams, K.J., Williams, P.H., and Andelman, S. (2006) Biodiversity Conservation Planning Tools: Present Status and Challenges for the Future. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 31:123–59
- Faith D.P (2006) The role of the phylogenetic diversity measure, PD, in bio-informatics: getting the definition right. Evolutionary Bioinformatics Online 2006: 2 301–307. available at: http://la-press.com/cr_data/files/f_EBO-2-Faith-2_171.pdf [this paper clarifies the definition of PD and provides other background]
- Faith, D. P and Baker A. (2006) Phylogenetic diversity (PD) and biodiversity conservation: some bioinformatics challenges" in Evolutionary Bioinformatics Online http://la-press.com/journals.php?pa=abstract&content_id=148
- Faith, DP (2006) 2010 indicators for overall biodiversity. In: Actions for the 2010 biodiversity target in Europe – how does research contribute to halting biodiversity loss? Report of an e-conference. (eds. Young, J., Ahlbeg, M., Niemelä, N., Parr, T., Pauleit, S. and Watt, A.D.), pp. 94-95. Available at: http://www.epbrs.org/PDF/EPBRS-FI2006-EU2010TargetLong.pdf
- Faith, DP (2006) Taxonomic research and 2010. In: Actions for the 2010 biodiversity target in Europe – how does research contribute to halting biodiversity loss? Report of an e-conference. (eds. Young, J., Ahlbeg, M., Niemelä, N., Parr, T., Pauleit, S. and Watt, A.D.), pp. 70-71. Available at: http://www.epbrs.org/PDF/EPBRS-FI2006-EU2010TargetLong.pdf
Upcoming reports under this theme focus on biodiversity hotspots of Australia (report for Humane Society International) and on Options for the Future, an Australia-wide biodiversity assessment project through the Australian Museum partnership with Rio Tinto, co-developed by Dr. Faith. more information
Dr. Faith is part of a new Australian Research Council funded network that seeks to integrate biodiversity research programs of Australian museums and other institutions. One new Network working group
(ARC Environmental Futures Network working group)
explores the 2010 biodiversity target, land-use change, carbon accounting, PD and other topics. For more information about, "Discovering the past and present to shape the future: networking environmental sciences for understanding and managing Australian biodiversity", see http://www.ees.adelaide.edu.au/nesuab/main.html. The network encompasses several major areas of research strength in Australia. For examples, see http://www.ees.adelaide.edu.au/nesuab/audit.html
At the global scale, Dr. Faith was a Coordinating Lead Author for a report on strategies for biodiversity conservation for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. more information
He serves on the editorial board of Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy Dimensions, a journal covering biodiversity and other aspects of global change over multiple spatial, temporal and socio-political scales. more information. He is on the National Committee for DIVERSITAS, an international program for biodiversity science and is on the Scientific Committee for a new DIVERSITAS Programme, called bioGENESIS; see http://www.diversitas-international.org/
Dan serves as:
- Honorary Associate, Sydney University
- Adjunct associate professor, University of New England
- Honorary associate, Macquarie University
New GBIF2010 Campaign
Dan Faith co-leads the new GBIF2010 Campaign which will mobilise and apply GBIF data in order to address the globally recognised biodiversity target for 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels. At the core of the campaign is better measurement of biodiversity patterns (by integrating GBIF and other data) and better support for the decision-making and planning needed to reduce biodiversity loss (by using systematic conservation planning).
While many have regarded the 2010 target as difficult to achieve, a reduced rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 is possible, based on the core idea of systematic conservation planning (SCP). Simply put, land-use planning and other decision making that more efficiently balances conservation with other needs of society implies reduced biodiversity losses, compared to business-as-usual. Through that important core idea of finding a balance, the GBIF2010 Campaign provides links to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of sustainability at global and regional scales.
The SCP approach depends on GBIF primary data as the basis for good measures of overall (wholesale) biodiversity. These data are integrated with environmental data to extend the predictive power of the biodiversity models. These models then must be integrated with socio-economic, threats, and land use data for SCP decisions and indicators of achievement against the 2010 target. In this way, the Campaign hopes to promote, demonstrate, and enable application of GBIF primary biodiversity data to not only measure progress towards, but actually achieve the 2010 biodiversity target.
The GBIF2010 Campaign received formal endorsement from GBIF in December 2007. Following planning meetings in 2008, the Campaign will develop case studies and communication of methods.
For background to one developing case study, see link below (and see also link within that document to a figure showing 2010 scenarios).
Faith, DP, Williams, KJ (2006) Research needs and challenges for the “systematic conservation planning” approach to the 2010 biodiversity target. In: Actions for the 2010 biodiversity target in Europe – how does research contribute to halting biodiversity loss? Report of an e-conference. (eds. Young, J., Ahlbeg, M., Niemelä, N., Parr, T., Pauleit, S. and Watt, A.D.), pp. 27-29. Available at: http://www.edinburgh.ceh.ac.uk/biota/Archive_2010target/8217.htm
The Campaign is interested in proposals for new case studies based on new and existing GBIF data.
Contacts -
Daniel P Faith
The Australian Museum
Sydney, NSW 2010
Email: dpfaithma@yahoo.com.au
Claire Brown
Ecosystem Assessment Programme
UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
219 Huntingdon Road
Cambridge, CB3 0DL
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277 314 (extension 237)
Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277 136
Email: claire.brown@unep-wcmc.org
New Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery grant:
DP0665761 Dr LA Hughes; Prof AJ Beattie; Dr DP Faith; Prof RL Kitching
A new phylogenetic framework for estimating local, regional, and global biodiversity
Project Summary
Australia is one of the 12 megadiverse countries that together account for 75% of global biodiversity. Invertebrates comprise the single largest component of biodiversity. The Australian invertebrate fauna is poorly known and therefore most conservation planning takes place in the absence of knowledge about the group that contributes most to biodiversity. This project will provide novel methods for estimating invertebrate species richness for conservation planning as well as contributing to the important debate about the magnitude and distribution of global biodiversity.
"The Auction for Landscape Recovery in Western Australia
A partnership project between Australian Museum, Avon Catchment Council, CALM, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Environment, Greening Australia WA, North East Wheatbelt Regional Organisation of Councils, Murdoch University, University of Western Australia, WA Farmers Federation and WWF Australia. The project is supported by the State and Commonwealth through the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP). Trade-offs complementarity-based methods, as implemented in TARGET software (see Faith 1995; Barton et al., 2003), are used for "targeting" private lands for biodiversity conservation."
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