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David Bowman

Professor, Environmental Change Biology, University of Tasmania

Tasmania is a superb natural laboratory for ecological research and has stimulated the seminal research into the ecology and evolution of landscape fire. My research is focused on the ecology, evolution, biogeography and management of Australian forested landscapes. Specifically, I undertake pure and applied research to understand the effects of global environmental change, natural climate variability and the cessation of Aboriginal landscape burning on bushfire activity and landscape change.

My research programs, involving national and international collaborators, use an assortment of techniques, including remote sensing and geographic information analyses, stable isotopes, ecophysiological analyses, mathematical modelling, biological survey and molecular analyses.

‘It’s time to give up on normal’: what winter’s weird weather means for the warm months ahead

Sep 03, 2024 00:28 am UTC| Nature

Heavy winds struck south-east Australia over the weekend as a series of cold fronts moved across the continent. It followed a high fire danger in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales last week, and a fire in...

Climate Change Series

Our planet is burning in unexpected ways - here’s how we can protect people and nature

Sep 18, 2023 06:29 am UTC| Science Nature

People have been using fire for millennia. It is a vital part of many ecosystems and cultures. Yet human activities in the current era, sometimes called the Anthropocene, are reshaping patterns of fire across the...

Australia needs a national fire inquiry – these are the 3 key areas it should deliver in

Jan 23, 2020 10:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Australias bushfire crisis has been unprecedented, so it demands an unprecedented national response. Never before has such a large area been burnt by multiple fires in a single fire season, including bushland in...

A crisis of underinsurance threatens to scar rural Australia permanently

Jan 07, 2020 15:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

Australia is in the midst of a bushfire crisis that will affect local communities for years, if not permanently, due to a national crisis of underinsurance. Already more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed with months...

There's no evidence 'greenies' block bushfire hazard reduction but here's a controlled burn idea worth trying

Jan 07, 2020 15:32 pm UTC| Nature

The current bushfire crisis provides compelling evidence of the dangers posed by extremely dry landscapes and hot, windy conditions. While theres no evidence greenies precipitated the current crisis by blocking hazard...

Our land is burning, and western science does not have all the answers

Nov 19, 2019 02:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Last weeks catastrophic fires on Australias east coast and warnings of more soon to come will become all too common as climate change gathers pace. And as the challenges of modern hazard reduction become clear, there is...

The bitter lesson of the Californian fires

Nov 14, 2018 11:50 am UTC| Nature

California is burning, again. Dozens of peoples have been killed and thousands of buildings destroyed in several fires, the most destructive in the states history. The California fires are just the most recent in a...

Economy

Samsung Strike Talks Resume as South Korea Weighs Emergency Action

South Korea is considering all available measures, including emergency arbitration, to prevent a potential labor strike at Samsung Electronics, according to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. The government is aiming to minimize...

Australia Capital Gains Tax Reform Sparks Housing Market Debate

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has strongly defended the federal governments proposed overhaul of capital gains tax laws, arguing that major reform is necessary to address Australias worsening housing affordability...

Oil Prices Surge Above $109 as Strait of Hormuz Crisis and U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

Global oil prices soared Friday, posting strong weekly gains as tensions between the United States and Iran continued to intensify and the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, fueling fears of a prolonged global...

Gold Prices Post Worst Weekly Drop Since March as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Bets Pressure Metals

Gold prices tumbled sharply on Friday, recording their biggest weekly decline since mid-March as a stronger U.S. dollar and growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed heavily on the precious metals market....

Powell Named Fed Chair Pro Tempore as Trump Prepares to Install Kevin Warsh

The Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that Jerome Powell will serve as chair pro tempore until Kevin Warsh is officially sworn in as the next leader of the U.S. central bank. The move comes as President Donald Trump...

Politics

Colombia Election Violence: Two Campaign Workers for Abelardo De La Espriella Killed Ahead of Presidential Vote

Political violence in Colombia has intensified after two campaign workers supporting right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella were killed just weeks before the countrys 2026 presidential election. The...

Alex Saab Deported to U.S. as Maduro Investigation Deepens

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a close ally of former President Nicolas Maduro, has reportedly been deported to the United States, according to Venezuelas migration agency SAIME. The move marks another major development in...

Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Sales Remain Key to Regional Stability

Taiwan reaffirmed on Saturday that U.S. arms sales remain vital to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region after President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve a new weapons...

Amazon Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Trump Tariff Price Hikes

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit after consumers accused the company of inflating product prices due to tariffs later ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, filed in...

Alberta Separatist Movement Faces Major Legal Setback Ahead of Referendum Push

Albertas separatist movement has suffered a significant blow after a provincial court ruled against a petition campaign seeking a referendum on Alberta independence from Canada. The decision creates new uncertainty for...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Samsung Union Talks Enter Final Stage as Strike Threat Looms

Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union are set to resume critical wage negotiations on Monday as both sides race to prevent a major strike that could disrupt South Koreas economy and global semiconductor supply...

SpaceX Shareholders Approve 5-for-1 Stock Split Ahead of Potential IPO

A majority of SpaceX shareholders have reportedly approved a 5-for-1 stock split proposed by the companys board, according to a Bloomberg News report published Friday. The decision comes as interest continues to grow...

FTC Antitrust Probe Targets Arm Holdings Over Chip Licensing Practices

Arm Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: ARM) is reportedly under formal investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over concerns tied to its semiconductor licensing business, according to Bloomberg. The probe marks a...

Applied Materials Forecasts Strong Q3 Revenue as AI Chip Demand Accelerates

Applied Materials posted record fiscal second-quarter revenue on Thursday and issued a stronger-than-expected forecast for the third quarter, fueled by rising global investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and...

Anthropic Nears $30 Billion Funding Round at $900 Billion Valuation

AI startup Anthropic is reportedly close to securing a massive $30 billion fundraising deal that would value the company at approximately $900 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Friday. The new...