Ecological research on private land: lessons from the farm

Abstract

Conservation on private land is a major challenge for ecologists, policy makers and landholders. This paper presents an example of ecological research on private land in southeastern Australia where landholder involvement was central. An ethical approach to ecological research on private land is presented as well as some lessons learnt from landholder involvement. With consideration of these issues ecologists working on private land are likely to be in a better position to make management recommendations for conservation that are meaningful, agriculturally practical and possible for landholders to apply.