Dr Anna Richards
Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO
See Dr Richards’ full research profile here.
Research outputs linked to policy change and decision-making
Bio
Dr Anna Richards is a plant and soil ecologist with a broad interest in ecosystem management; particularly, how the science of vegetation and soil dynamics, along with land management practices, can be used to better monitor, evaluate and manage ecosystem condition. She is a senior research scientist in the Ecosystem Dynamics team at the CSIRO Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre in Darwin, Northern Territory.
Anna develops frameworks for monitoring and evaluating natural resource management activities based on an understanding of dynamic ecosystem condition and set within a state and transition modelling context. As part of this work she has co-led a collaborative project (The Australian Ecosystem Models Framework) with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to develop dynamic ecosystem models for Australia’s ecosystems that incorporate both reference (endogenous) and recent (exogenous) disturbance regimes. The framework aims to improve decision making in natural resource management, and provide a conceptual underpinning to the development of SEEA-compliant (System of Environmental Economic Accounting) ecosystem accounts.
She has also undertaken research on land-based climate change mitigation methodologies for managing savanna fires (particularly soil carbon sequestration) and she is particularly interested in the impact of these methodologies on biodiversity and sustainable livelihood opportunities for remote indigenous communities.
Dr Richards also maintains an interest in plant ecophysiology related to plant nutrient and water use, and soil spectroscopy methods for rapid detection of soil carbon pools.
Current academic employment and positions
Highest Qualifications
Major prizes, medals and honours