Professor David Lindenmayer AO is one of the world’s leading forest scientists, ranked among Australia’s top 50 scientists. Over more than four decades he has led landmark research programs, authored 49 books and over 1,000 scientific articles and reports. His research has shaped how governments, conservationists and communities understand the links between forests, biodiversity and fire.

In his latest peer-reviewed paper in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Lindenmayer shows how logging and other disturbances are magnifying the risks of bushfire by creating younger, drier, more flammable forests. At the same time, these altered fire regimes are pushing many species and ecosystems to the brink.

The paper sets out a practical framework for action — resistance, resilience and response — to protect fire-sensitive species and restore ecosystems in a changing climate. This conversation will bring the latest science directly to the community, at a time when the stakes for fire safety, wildlife and climate have never been higher.

At a time when communities across NSW and Australia are facing escalating fire danger, Lindenmayer will explain the science in plain language:

• Why logged forests burn hotter and spread fires faster
• How salvage logging and other post-fire practices worsen biodiversity loss and community risk
• What strategies can reduce fire danger while protecting species, from allowing forests to mature, ending industrial native forest logging, or the targeted planting of
  more fire-resistant trees

This is a vital conversation for anyone concerned about fire safety, wildlife and the future of our forests