A new CRC for tomorrow's foods
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The Hawkesbury Institute confirms its place in world research excellence:
26 February 2021
Researchers at Western Sydney University in partnership with Cornell University, the University of Wollongong and the Australian National University, have found that male superb lyrebirds create an astonishing acoustic illusion of a flock of alarm-calling birds.
12 February 2021
The world’s most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power - buit heat impacts from large-scale solar could add to climatic changes.
14 January 2021
Remnant emu populations are right at the limit of their climatic suitability as the changes in rainfall patterns and threats from predation, habitat loss and other causes is putting pressure on these populations.
9 November 2020
Research at Western Sydney University into flowering plant pollination has shown that native bees and exotic European honeybees can support plant pollination together, with different crops and plants attracting different varieties of insect pollinators.
6 November 2020
Two of the Institute's early career researchers have received prestigious Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (ARC DECRA), to focus on priority areas of research for the benefit of Australia and its international communities.
21 August 2020
New research led by scientists at Western Sydney University and published in BMC Biology shows that flying-foxes are always on the move among a vast network of roosts, creating key challenges for their management and conservation in Australia.
17 August 2020
Researchers in the Which Plant Where project based at Western Sydney University have assessed urban tree species to select species that are more likely to cope with heat and drought as they mature.
Australian-led advancements in indoor cropping technologies provide hope for an increasingly strained agriculture sector...
Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn leads a study into why grass turns brown and what it means for grassland productivity is vital to Australian ecosystems and industry...
Prof Brajesh Singh is developing microbial engineering tools that could sustainably increase agricultural output to produce food for a rapidly increasing population....
Dr Paul Rymer is searching for genetic features that contribute to trees’ adaptation to climate change, so that they can be taken into account for forest management...
Professor Belinda Medlyn and colleagues have been developing models of forests that can be used to predict how they will be affected by changes in temperature, rainfall and carbon dioxide...
Assoc Prof Matthias Boer and colleagues are developing a computer tool that maps where prescribed burning may be most effective...
Prof James Cook is leading a five-year, $19 million research push to better understand bees’ role in crop pollination, so that when Varroa arrives, Australia is prepared to minimise the damage...
“It has been very rewarding to be at the forefront of climate change science and see that this work has been valuable to scientists and citizens alike.” - Distinguished Prof David Tissue
The international Quacarelli Symonds Subject Rankings are a worldwide ranking of major disciplines. The criteria for designating a ranking are:
Forestry and Agriculture - Top 150 in the world
Western Sydney University is ranked in the top 3% of universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Our research was rated at 5 Stars for Ecological Applications, Soil Sciences, Ecology, Plant Biology, Forestry Sciences by the 2018 Excellence In Research Australia rankings conducted by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
Western Sydney University is ranked among the top 20 Australian universities for achievements in the prestigious Australian Research Council major grants. Nearly a third of the University's ARC grant income is achieved by the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Find out more...
Our Soil Biology and Genomics theme focuses on how environmental change influences the amazing diversity of life in soils, including its fungi, bacteria and animals... Read more about Soil Biology And Genomics
Our Plants, Animals and Interactions theme explores how these changes affect the ecology and physiology of plants and animals... Read more about Plants, Animals and Interactions
We explore how changes in climate, land use and cover affect the exchanges of carbon, nutrients, water, and energy. Using models, we integrate processes at scales ranging from leaf to globe. Read more about Ecosystem Function and Integration
