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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

Social Security Overhaul Passes in Congress Leaving Experts Divided Over Program’s Financial Future

The Social Security Fairness Act has cleared Congress, offering increased benefits for retirees with public pensions. Critics warn the $196 billion measure could deepen financial instability in the already strained Social...

Holiday Travel Faces Turmoil as TSA Warns Shutdown Could Trigger Airport Delays Across the US

The TSA has warned that a government shutdown could severely disrupt airport operations during the holiday season. With 59,000 essential staff working unpaid, record passenger volumes may result in longer wait times unless...

Starbucks Union Strike Expands Nationwide as Baristas Demand Higher Wages, Better Schedules, and Fair Staffing

Unionized Starbucks workers walked off their jobs Friday, closing cafes in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. The five-day strike escalates nationwide, with baristas demanding higher wages, better staffing, and improved...

2025 Housing Market Outlook Brings Glimmers of Optimism but Affordability Concerns Still Loom Large

The U.S. housing market in 2025 offers cautious optimism, with Bank of America predicting better supply and steady mortgage rates. However, affordability and inventory shortages are expected to limit the pace of recovery,...

Soaring EV Sales Spark Scramble for Lithium and Graphite as 2030 Supply Pinch Looms

A booming market could drive electric vehicle sales from 4.5 million this year to nearly 28 million by 2030, pressuring scarce battery resources. A new McKinsey analysis highlights looming shortages in lithium, manganese,...

Politics

Jack Posobiec Vows to Sue 'Every Member' of Jan. 6 Committee, Starting with Liz Cheney'

Political commentator Jack Posobiec has announced plans to file a class-action lawsuit against all members of the January 6th Committee, beginning with former Representative Liz Cheney. Posobiecs declaration follows recent...

Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Derek Chauvin a 'Political Prisoner' and Demands His Release'

In a recent social media post, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) referred to Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, as a political prisoner and called for his...

US Targets Huawei Ties in TSMC AI Chip Scandal Sparking Fresh Tech Showdown

The US is preparing to blacklist Sophgo for its involvement in supplying TSMC chips found in Huaweis AI processors. This decision intensifies Washingtons campaign against Chinas tech ambitions and raises new challenges for...

Donald Trump's Alleged Plans to Fire Elon Musk Spark Controversy Over Administration Rift and Business Ties

Speculation is mounting over reports that former President Donald Trump is considering removing Elon Musk from any future role in his administration. The rumors, amplified by a post on Polymarket predicting only a 13%...

Mitt Romney Claims 'Democrats Will Save Johnson' Sparking Outrage Over 'Speaker's Leadership and Bipartisan Politics'

In a striking statement, Senator Mitt Romney suggested that Democrats may intervene to keep Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. The claim, shared in a tweet by conservative commentator Laura Loomer, has sparked a fiery...

Science

Emergency Declared as Bird Flu 'Spreads' to California Dairy Cows

California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially declared a state of emergency in response to the rapidly escalating bird flu outbreak. The declaration comes after avian influenza was detected in dairy cows, a rare and...

Missing Radioactive Material in New Jersey Sparks Panic — Are Drones ‘Hunting for It’?

A small amount of radioactive material went missing in New Jersey earlier this month, raising concerns over public safety and potential security risks. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) confirmed on December 2,...

Some black holes at the centers of galaxies have a buddy − but detecting these binary pairs isn’t easy

Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two yolks. In a similar way, astrophysicists like us who study supermassive black holes expect to...

Astronomers have pinpointed the origin of mysterious repeating radio bursts from space

Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022. In new research, we have for the first time tracked one of these pulsating signals back to its...

How is Donald Trump prioritizing funding for cancer research in 2025?

President-elect Donald Trump has announced a major initiative to prioritize funding for cancer research in 2025, pledging billions in federal support to combat one of the worlds leading causes of death. The plan includes...

Technology

Samsung Plans Ultra-Thin Galaxy S25 Slim to Rival iPhone 17 Air in 2025 Flagship Battle

Samsung is reportedly preparing to unveil its thinnest flagship yet, the Galaxy S25 Slim, early next year. The device, with a rumored sub-7mm thickness, is aimed at challenging Apples iPhone 17 Air while pushing the...

OpenAI Heats Up AI Race with o3 Models Aiming to Outperform Google’s Gemini in Complex Problem Solving

OpenAI is raising the stakes in AI innovation with its o3 and o3 mini models, designed for superior reasoning and complex problem-solving. Scheduled for early 2024 releases, these models target leadership in the fierce...

Tesla Addresses 'Cell Dent' Issues in Cybertruck Batteries, Sends Units Back to Gigafactory Texas

Tesla has discovered cell dent problems in its Cybertruck battery packs, prompting the automaker to send affected vehicles back to Gigafactory Texas for replacement. The issue affects inventory vehicles and highlights...

US Grants $6.75 Billion in Chips Awards to Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Amkor for Manufacturing Boom

The US Commerce Department has finalized $6.75 billion in chips funding, granting billions to Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Amkor in a major push to secure domestic semiconductor leadership. Samsung Secures Largest Share...

Top AI Chip Stock Positioned for Explosive 2025 Growth, Jefferies Signals Major Upside

A top-performing AI chip company has emerged as Jefferies standout stock for 2025, fueled by groundbreaking advancements in custom chip designs. Analysts predict the firm could achieve record-breaking revenues and market...