The Ecological Analysis & Synthesis group are a multi-disciplinary research group comprised of ecologists, mathematicians, and software engineers.  We develop a wide variety of products to illustrate the values and functionality of the natural landscapes across south-eastern Australia.

Our products involve integrating ecological field data, remote-sensed, mapped and other digital data with innovative machine-learning techniques to produce spatially-explicit yet robust models or ‘maps’ of ecological phenomena across south-eastern Australia. These products provide strategic insights to Government agencies and other organisations for attention and support cost-effective investments in biodiversity conservation.

The old axoim of “necessity being the mother of invention” definitely applies to our work. We are continually developing new ways of doing things, as ‘off-the-shelf’ approaches are currently not available, and the conceptual frameworks for dealing with complex conservation issues are often found wanting when applied to the real world.   Many of the new approaches that we develop find direct application in both the policy and operational environments. There is considerable pleasure and challenge for us working at the intersection of applied ecology and informatics, with a view to improved policy development and regulatory mechanisms.

As an example of this type of work, we have made a short video that describes one small aspect of our work, why it is important, and how it can help in the understanding the distribution of plants, animals and whole ecosystems over time.

The group is part of the research branch the Victorian Government’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.  We are located and are part of the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Institute, based in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.

This website is a personal representation of the interests and professional work of members of the research group. Any opinions expressed here are either collectively or personal held by group members, but do not necessarily reflect those of our employer.