In this issue

	Issue 167

Features

Native forest management and greenhouse gas emissions – how much do we really know? Harvesting of native forests needs to be included in the carbon accounting process in Australia. But, do we know enough about the greenhouse gas and carbon cycling implications of this kind of forestry? Learn more

Payback time for carbon-neutral housing? Cost can often be a turn-off factor when it comes to sustainable building. But, a study of the proposed Cape Paterson Ecovillage in South Gippsland, Victoria, suggests the tables are turning – building green can take years off the average mortgage and save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Learn more

Australian bird status survey a call to action
So often in conservation debates regarding birds, common terms such as ‘endangered species' are bandied about without any great knowledge of what they actually mean. With the publication of the third Action Plan for Australian Birds we now have an up-to-date snapshot of the conservation status of every species and subspecies of Australian bird.
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Outsmarting cane toads: lessons from a small marsupial It seems that small dasyurids in northern Australia instinctively know how to avoid being poisoned by cane toads. Their example is behind an unusual experiment to ‘train' endangered northern quolls to become ‘toad-smart'. Learn more

Managing the future of the north’s aquatic biodiversity
Northern Australia features prominently in visions for Australia's future. Plans for capturing, storing and transporting the region's water to make it available for increased agricultural development in the region and elsewhere are frequently proposed. But what is our current understanding of the biodiversity, and the ecological functions and services and of the northern region, and how might these assets be affected by such development?
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100% Renewable campaign powered by grassroots Australia's 2011 Young Environmentalist of the Year is achieving national impact by uniting community climate campaigners with her inclusive, solutions-based approach. Learn more

Northern Australia's disappearing native mammals The Northern Australian landscape is a spectacular, vast and wild place. It is a land of crocodiles, dingoes and endless bush. It forms a refuge for many wildlife species that have disappeared or declined in other parts of the continent, such as bush stone-curlews and nailtail wallabies. Learn more