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Исследование ландшафтов всегда было традиционным научным направлением географии. В России подобная направленность исследований остаётся актуальной, несмотря на то, что термины «геоэкология» и «ландшафтная экология» сегодня более распространены в англоязычном научном сообществе. Наш краткий обзор показывает значительное ускорение антропогенных ландшафтных изменений в Европе, Центральной Азии и азиатской части России за последние пять десятилетий. Ландшафтные исследования в антропоцене должны быть направлены на достижение и сохранение устойчивости ландшафта при его высокой производительности, что включает в себя прекращение деградации ландшафтов, развитие культурных и сохранение природных ландшафтов. Чистая вода и чистый воздух, плодородные и здоровые почвы для производства продуктов питания и других экосистемных услуг, а также биологически разнообразная зеленая среда являются атрибутами ландшафтов, обеспечивающих выживание и благополучие населения. Дисциплинарные и междисциплинарные исследования должны генерировать знания, инновации и правила принятия действенных решений. Генерация знаний в глобализованном мире основана на сборе больших массивов данных и моделировании сценариев. Международные длительные полевые опыты и системы агроэкологического мониторинга будут предоставлять данные для экосистемных моделей и систем поддержки принимаемых решений. Landscape research has been a traditional scientific discipline of geography. This is still the case in Russia, whilst the terms geo-ecology and landscape ecology have become established in the English speaking scientific community. Our short review reveals huge and accelerating anthropogenic landscape transformations in Europe, Central Asia and Asian Russia since the end the 1960s. Landscape research in the Anthropocene has to focus on achieving landscape sustainability at high productivity. This includes halting landscape degradation, developing cultural landscapes, and maintaining semi-natural landscapes. Clean water and air, fertile and healthy soils for food and other ecosystem services and a green and bio-diverse environment are attributes of landscapes for the survival and well-being of humans. Research has to generate knowledge, innovations and decision rules by disciplinary, interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary work. Knowledge generation in a globalized world is based on big data gathering and scenario modelling. International long-term experiments and agri-environmental monitoring systems will deliver data for ecosystem models and decision support systems.

Исследование ландшафтов всегда было традиционным научным направлением географии. В России подобная направленность исследований остаётся актуальной, несмотря на то, что термины «геоэкология» и «ландшафтная экология» сегодня более распространены в англоязычном научном сообществе. Наш краткий обзор показывает значительное ускорение антропогенных ландшафтных изменений в Европе, Центральной Азии и азиатской части России за последние пять десятилетий. Ландшафтные исследования в антропоцене должны быть направлены на достижение и сохранение устойчивости ландшафта при его высокой производительности, что включает в себя прекращение деградации ландшафтов, развитие культурных и сохранение природных ландшафтов. Чистая вода и чистый воздух, плодородные и здоровые почвы для производства продуктов питания и других экосистемных услуг, а также биологически разнообразная зеленая среда являются атрибутами ландшафтов, обеспечивающих выживание и благополучие населения. Дисциплинарные и междисциплинарные исследования должны генерировать знания, инновации и правила принятия действенных решений. Генерация знаний в глобализованном мире основана на сборе больших массивов данных и моделировании сценариев. Международные длительные полевые опыты и системы агроэкологического мониторинга будут предоставлять данные для экосистемных моделей и систем поддержки принимаемых решений. Landscape research has been a traditional scientific discipline of geography. This is still the case in Russia, whilst the terms geo-ecology and landscape ecology have become established in the English speaking scientific community. Our short review reveals huge and accelerating anthropogenic landscape transformations in Europe, Central Asia and Asian Russia since the end the 1960s. Landscape research in the Anthropocene has to focus on achieving landscape sustainability at high productivity. This includes halting landscape degradation, developing cultural landscapes, and maintaining semi-natural landscapes. Clean water and air, fertile and healthy soils for food and other ecosystem services and a green and bio-diverse environment are attributes of landscapes for the survival and well-being of humans. Research has to generate knowledge, innovations and decision rules by disciplinary, interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary work. Knowledge generation in a globalized world is based on big data gathering and scenario modelling. International long-term experiments and agri-environmental monitoring systems will deliver data for ecosystem models and decision support systems.

This paper describes experiences in the development and testing of three distinct financial models to support farm forestry decisions involving non-traditional tree species in northern Australia and in the Philippines. A variety of options were examined with respect to model design, yield prediction, computing platform, forestry performance criteria and other features. Two of the models focus on the forestry enterprise in isolation, while the third evaluates forestry within the context of the overall farm business. It is found that choice of model design depends on the particular type of application intended and availability of financial data for this application. Some complementarities were gained in replicating features when progressing from one model to the next. Model construction and testing were challenging tasks requiring considerable funds and for two of the models proceeding over a number of years. Validation involved the gradual gaining of confidence in a model as it progressed through various versions. For the more complex models, greater effort in development of the user interface was found to be warranted. The models have proved more suitable for use by extension agents than individual landholders. Even with major resource inputs into model development, a number of desirable additional features can be identified.

This paper describes experiences in the development and testing of three distinct financial models to support farm forestry decisions involving non-traditional tree species in northern Australia and in the Philippines. A variety of options were examined with respect to model design, yield prediction, computing platform, forestry performance criteria and other features. Two of the models focus on the forestry enterprise in isolation, while the third evaluates forestry within the context of the overall farm business. It is found that choice of model design depends on the particular type of application intended and availability of financial data for this application. Some complementarities were gained in replicating features when progressing from one model to the next. Model construction and testing were challenging tasks requiring considerable funds and for two of the models proceeding over a number of years. Validation involved the gradual gaining of confidence in a model as it progressed through various versions. For the more complex models, greater effort in development of the user interface was found to be warranted. The models have proved more suitable for use by extension agents than individual landholders. Even with major resource inputs into model development, a number of desirable additional features can be identified.

The Southern Hemisphere extratropical westerly winds are the strongest time-averaged surface winds on Earth, having a profound impact on weather systems, ocean circulation, Antarctic sea-ice as well as oceanic uptake of heat and carbon. The westerly winds have shown poleward intensification in the last few decades driven primarily by stratospheric ozone depletion with a secondary role played by increasing greenhouse gases. In recent years we have seen early signs of ozone recovery as a result of the Montreal Protocol. Part 1 of this thesis demonstrates that by curbing CFC emissions, the Montreal Protocol also played a critical role in mitigating future surface climate change, equivalent to approximately 25% reduction in global surface warming by 2050. A major feature of the Southern Hemisphere extratropical atmospheric circulation is its strong zonal coherence. However, there are notable zonal asymmetries embedded in the flow, with two important examples being the zonal wave 3 (ZW3) and Amundsen Sea Low (ASL). Although these features have received significant attention from the scientific community, the mechanisms responsible for their presence are still not clear. In Part 2, model experiments suggest that the ZW3 pattern is generated remotely by tropical deep convection and not by the presence of three extratropical landmasses as had previously been assumed. Quantification of ZW3 impacts requires a way to consistently characterize this variability. In Part 3, I formulate a new index for ZW3 which accounts for variability in the structure, phase and amplitude of ZW3. In Part 4, I provide evidence that in contrast to ZW3, the ASL is generated primarily by the interaction between westerly winds and Antarctic orography. Zonally asymmetric features are not only present in the mean circulation but also in the past and projected westerly wind changes in the Southern Hemisphere. These are characterized in Part 5 in reanalysis and models. Following on from this, I demonstrate in ocean model simulations that future projected zonally asymmetric atmospheric changes can drive substantial changes in the ocean circulation in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, accounting for more than 30% of the projected surface ocean warming around parts of Australia (Part 6).

The Southern Hemisphere extratropical westerly winds are the strongest time-averaged surface winds on Earth, having a profound impact on weather systems, ocean circulation, Antarctic sea-ice as well as oceanic uptake of heat and carbon. The westerly winds have shown poleward intensification in the last few decades driven primarily by stratospheric ozone depletion with a secondary role played by increasing greenhouse gases. In recent years we have seen early signs of ozone recovery as a result of the Montreal Protocol. Part 1 of this thesis demonstrates that by curbing CFC emissions, the Montreal Protocol also played a critical role in mitigating future surface climate change, equivalent to approximately 25% reduction in global surface warming by 2050. A major feature of the Southern Hemisphere extratropical atmospheric circulation is its strong zonal coherence. However, there are notable zonal asymmetries embedded in the flow, with two important examples being the zonal wave 3 (ZW3) and Amundsen Sea Low (ASL). Although these features have received significant attention from the scientific community, the mechanisms responsible for their presence are still not clear. In Part 2, model experiments suggest that the ZW3 pattern is generated remotely by tropical deep convection and not by the presence of three extratropical landmasses as had previously been assumed. Quantification of ZW3 impacts requires a way to consistently characterize this variability. In Part 3, I formulate a new index for ZW3 which accounts for variability in the structure, phase and amplitude of ZW3. In Part 4, I provide evidence that in contrast to ZW3, the ASL is generated primarily by the interaction between westerly winds and Antarctic orography. Zonally asymmetric features are not only present in the mean circulation but also in the past and projected westerly wind changes in the Southern Hemisphere. These are characterized in Part 5 in reanalysis and models. Following on from this, I demonstrate in ocean model simulations that future projected zonally asymmetric atmospheric changes can drive substantial changes in the ocean circulation in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, accounting for more than 30% of the projected surface ocean warming around parts of Australia (Part 6).

The burial of the dead has been the concern of both mourners and civic authorities for as long as humans have lived in organised communities. Cemeteries have throughout history provided areas of open space to urban residents for civic activities and the maintenance of traditions, even in the most crowded areas. The emotional challenge of death is sometimes alleviated by traditionalism and continuity in burial forms which can be expressed through the perpetuation of 'collective representations', or patterns of ideas, values, beliefs and expectations that have emerged over time. It is generally easier when addressing the loss of loved ones to follow tradition or religion and normative social practices than to consider new procedures. Nevertheless normative burial practices are subject to cultural change over time. This paper argues that changes in contemporary burial practices in Australia can be understood as being mediated by tensions between cultural traditions, the act of mourning the dead, a regulated land market that restricts the space for attending to the dead, new demands for ecological sustainability, and state regulations relating to burial and mortuary processes. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The burial of the dead has been the concern of both mourners and civic authorities for as long as humans have lived in organised communities. Cemeteries have throughout history provided areas of open space to urban residents for civic activities and the maintenance of traditions, even in the most crowded areas. The emotional challenge of death is sometimes alleviated by traditionalism and continuity in burial forms which can be expressed through the perpetuation of 'collective representations', or patterns of ideas, values, beliefs and expectations that have emerged over time. It is generally easier when addressing the loss of loved ones to follow tradition or religion and normative social practices than to consider new procedures. Nevertheless normative burial practices are subject to cultural change over time. This paper argues that changes in contemporary burial practices in Australia can be understood as being mediated by tensions between cultural traditions, the act of mourning the dead, a regulated land market that restricts the space for attending to the dead, new demands for ecological sustainability, and state regulations relating to burial and mortuary processes. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

To quantify the climate change impacts of forestry and forest management options, we must consider the entire forestry system: the carbon dynamics of the forest, the life cycle of harvested wood products, and the substitution benefit of using biomass and wood products compared to more greenhouse gas intensive options. This paper presents modelled estimates of the greenhouse gas balance of two key native forest areas managed for production in New South Wales for a period of 200 years, and compares it to the option of managing for conservation only. These two case studies show that forests managed for production provide the greatest ongoing greenhouse gas benefits, with long-term carbon storage in products, and product substitution benefits critical to the outcome. Thus native forests could play a significant part in climate change mitigation, particularly when sustainably managed for production of wood and non-wood products including biomass for bioenergy. The potential role of production forestry in mitigating climate change, though substantial, has been largely overlooked in recent Australian climate change policy.