Finding an answer to the modern extinction crisis is a tall order, but it's the motivation driving award-winning Albury-based CSU scientist Dale Nimmo.
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And as a nod to his work so far, the ecologist and conservation biologist was named a NSW Young Tall Poppy by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science in Sydney on September 29.
There have been five mass extinctions which have occurred throughout the geological history of Earth.
The most famous of these is the K-T extinction of about 66 million years ago, where up to 80 per cent of all species of animals were wiped out, including dinosaurs.
A well-known theory is that a meteorite hit the earth and spread sediment throughout the atmosphere, plunging the planet into darkness and disrupting photosynthesis for months on end.
But Dr Nimmo said many scientists alarmingly think a sixth mass extinction event is under way now, unlike the previous five.
“The big difference is that this new one is caused by an individual species: human beings,” he said.
“All the previous ones have been caused by some kind of geological event, whether it’s a meteorite hitting the Earth or the releases of gasses into the atmosphere.”
This modern crisis has come about by land clearing, urbanisation, and releasing species into areas they haven’t evolved in which become invasive, among other factors.
Dr Nimmo said the extinction rate at the moment was 100 to 1000 times the normal background rate.
“There is always extinctions occurring and new species evolving, but we’re seeing a rapid accumulation of extinctions at the moment,” he said.
And Dr Nimmo said it was this often-neglected crisis which had inspired him to pursue this particular area of study.
“There’s always some potential to lessen the impact if landowners can implement particular approaches,” he said.
“I collect large data sets on ecosystems to build complex statistical models that allow me to identify the best ways of managing landscapes to protect wildlife.
“By understanding how ecosystems are affected by disturbances, my research aims to find ways of balancing the needs of humans and nature.”
For now, Dr Nimmo is researching how to plan regional cities such as Albury to house people but also allow for biodiversity conservation.
An upcoming project, which will be funded by the Australian Academy of Science, will survey different streets of Albury and then use modelling to figure out how to best place people throughout a landscape and provide wildlife habitat at the same time.
