Urban expansion is a risk to biodiversity at a global scale, with cities all over the world facing challenges of balancing urban growth and conservation. The expansion of the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia and the conservation of Banksia woodlands within which Perth exists is a prime example of this challenge. In this review, we present a case study of advances in science for a threatened ecological community, and provide research priorities and future directions that will advance conservation and management of this ecosystem.

Are the species-rich herbaceous layers of the tropical savannas changing over time due to the impacts of the magnitude of the wet season, the frequency of fires or the invasion of non-native species? In this study conducted over a 23-year period it was found that the ground layer communities appear to be very stable, with the cover and composition of the ground layer consistently dominated by perennial grasses, and annual plants only contributing low proportions to the overall cover. The study shows that repeat samplings over time, or additional samplings in space, are required to capture the full floristic variation.