Research Fellow Forest Conservation Biologist
Sue Baker is a forest ecologist and conservation biologist. She and her students investigate drivers of biodiversity patterning in managed wet eucalypt forests where fire history is an important influence on structure and species composition.
Much of her applied research involves quantifying plant and animal responses to forest harvesting, and assessing effectiveness of mature forest reserves in production landscapes. Because eucalypt forests have evolved with wildfire as the dominant natural disturbance regime, Sue uses recent and past wildfire regrowth forests as benchmarks for assessing the impacts of forest harvesting practices.
She is also interested in how the severity and frequency of fires impact biodiversity, and understanding post-fire recovery over the short- and long-term. This research informs the development of ecologically sustainable forest policy and management protocols.
