Researcher biography

Brodie is a UQ Honours student, who is passionate about investigating strategies to conserve biodiversity on farms at the smallest cost to agricultural productivity. Growing up and living on a dairy farm has inspired him to look for ways to produce high quality, nutritious and affordable food at a minimal cost to the environment. 

Brodie’s research is focused on integrating biodiversity conservation with productive and profitable grazing operations in the western Brigalow Belt. He is studying the value of retained strips of brigalow-dominated vegetation to declining woodland-dependant bird communities, and the impact that these strips have on pasture productivity. Understanding the costs and benefits that these strips provide from both an agronomic and ecological perspective is an essential part of improving uptake and in reducing the uncertainty facing land managers when engaging in on-farm conservation projects.  

 His thesis is supervised by Professor Martine Maron, Dr Bradd Witt and Dr Hayley McMillan, and his project is a collaboration between UQ and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.