Donald Butler | ANU College of Law

Professor

Donald Butler

Professor

B.Sc. (Hons 1) UQ; PhD UQ

Biography
Research
Public policy

I am an ecologist and biogeographer working to support evidence based solutions to key challenges in landscape management and biodiversity conservation through policy, regulation, and market-based incentives. Before joining ANU I worked for many years in the Queensland Government developing and applying biodiversity information to policy and regulation, and facilitating environmental benefits from the emerging carbon market. This included leading the ecosystem suvey and mapping team at the Queensland Herbarium, and also helping to establish the Land Restoration Fund (LRF) as its first Chief Scientist. While at the LRF I lead the development of a standard to verify co-benefits from carbon projects, and helped to establish Accounting for Nature. Since joining ANU my work has focussed on design, and support for delivery, of Australian Government pilot programs for biodiversity stewardship in Australia’s agricultural landscapes, including ongoing development of the National Stewardship Trading Platform.

Research biography

My research interests are broad, from fundamental issues in ecology and biogeography, to applied work developing environmental markets, mainly for climate and biodiversity benefits.

Research projects & collaborations

Biodiversity stewardship in Australia's agricultural landscapes, specifically design and delivery of new market opportunities for landholders, is the focus for ongoing collaboration with the Commonwealth Government, Regional Natural Resource Management bodies, Haizea Analytics, Carbon Plus, the Mullion Group, and a team at the ANU lead by Prof. Andrew Macintosh, with A/Prof Dean Ansell (ANU), Dr Pablo Larraondo (Haizea Analytics) and Marie Waschka (ANU). This work has delivered the National Stewardship Trading Platform, supported investment through pilot programs for Carbon plus Biodiversity and Enhancing Remnant Vegetation in 12 NRM regions, and designed an Australian Farm Biodiversity Certification Scheme. My particular focus has been on efficient tools for assessment of biodiversity outcomes from proposed land management changes.
Integrity problems in Australia's carbon market are an ongoing research focus. Collaborators include Prof. Andrew Macintosh (ANU), Dr Megan Evans (UNSW), A/Prof Dean Ansell (ANU), Dr Pablo Larraondo (Haizea Analytics) and Marie Waschka (ANU).

Consultancies

Andrew Macintosh, Marie Waschka, Don Butler and Dean Ansell (2023) NSW Nature Carbon Markets Digital and Data Landscape Analysis The Australian National University, Canberra, prepared for New South Wales Office of Energy and Climate Change.
Andrew Macintosh, Jo Ryan, Dean Ansell, Graham Phelan, Tim Cummins, Marie Waschka, Don Butler (2022) Designing a stewardship payment program for private protected areas in Queensland. The Australian National University and Frontier Economics, Canberra. Prepared for Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

Books & edited collections

Neldner, V.J., Wilson, B.A., Dillewaard, H.A., Ryan, T.S., Butler, D.W., McDonald, W.J.F, Richter, D., Addicott, E.P. and Appelman, C.N. (2022) Methodology for survey and mapping of regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland. Version 6.0. Updated April 2022. Queensland Herbarium, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane.

Refereed journal articles

Glanville K., Sheldon F., Butler D. and Capon S. (2023) Effects and significance of groundwater for vegetation: A systematic review. Science of The Total Environment, 875, 162577, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162577.
Andres, S.E., Standish, R.J., Lieurance, P.E., Mills, C.H., Harper, R.J., Butler, D.W., Adams, V.M., Lehmann, C., Tetu, S.G., Cuneo, P., Offord, C.A., & Gallagher, R.V. (2022). Defining biodiverse reforestation: Why it matters for climate change mitigation and biodiversity. Plants, People, Planet, 1– 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10329
Brown, A., Butler, D.W., Radford-Smith, J. and Dwyer, J. (2022) Changes in trait covariance along an orographic moisture gradient reveal the relative importance of light- and moisture-driven trade-offs in subtropical rainforest communities. New Phytologist 236, 839-851
McMahon, J.M., Smart, J.C.R. Stewart-Koster, B., Hasan, S, Venables, W., Smolders, A., Stewart, M., Butler, D., Olley, J.M., Hamilton, D.P., Bunn, S. (2022) Is Ecosystem Rehabilitation a Panacea? Exploring its Benefits from Drinking Water Quality to the Wider Economy. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4230104
Lovelock C.E., Adame M.F., Butler D.W., Kelleway J.J., Dittman S., Fest B., King K.J., Macreadie P.I., Mitchell K., Newnham M., Ola A., Owers C.J., Welti N. (2022) Modelled approaches to estimating blue carbon accumulation with mangrove restoration to support a blue carbon accounting method for Australia. Limnology and Oceanography, 9999 special issue ‘Carbon in aquatic ecosystems’, 1-11.
Neldner V.J.N. and Butler D.W. (2021) Dynamics of the ground layer communities of tropical eucalypt woodlands of northern Queensland. Australian Journal of Botany, 69(2), 85-101.

Book chapters

Ansell D., Waschka M., Butler D. and Macintosh A. (in press) Developments in agri-environment schemes (AES): Australia. In “Managing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes” ed. N. Reid, R. Smith and D.C. Paton, BDS Publishing, Cambridge.
Fensham R.J., Biggs A., Butler D.W. and MacDermott H.J. (2017) Brigalow forests and associated eucalypt woodlands of subtropical eastern Australia. In "Australian Vegetation" edited by D.A. Keith. Cambridge University Press, New York.

Government submissions

ANU-UNSW ERF research team submission to Senate standing committee on environment and communications inquiry into the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022
ANU-UNSW ERF research team submission to Chubb Review (2022)

Other

Macintosh, A., Butler, D., Evans, M. C., Ansell, D., Waschka, M. (2022) Tortured recommendations, incomplete and unsubstantiated findings: an analysis of the report of the Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units. Australian National University, Canberra.
Macintosh, A., Butler, D., Evans, M. C., Ansell, D., Waschka, M. (2022) Fixing the Integrity Problems with Australia’s Carbon Market. The Australian National University, Canberra.
Macintosh, A., Butler, D., Evans, M. C., Larraondo, P., Ansell, D., Waschka, M. (2022) Integrity and the ERF’s Human-Induced Regeneration Method: The Additionality Problem Explained. The Australian National University, Canberra.
Macintosh, A., Butler, D., Evans, M. C., Larraondo, P., Ansell, D., Waschka, M. (2022) Integrity and the ERF’s Human-Induced Regeneration Method: The Measurement Problem Explained. The Australian National University, Canberra.
Butler D. and Elmer C. (2022) Regional-scale method to monitor vegetation condition using condition models and expert elicitation (AfN-METHOD-NV-09) February 2022. Accounting for Nature Limited, Sydney, Australia.

How my works connects with public policy

My work connects strongly to public policy on biodiversity, particularly managmeent for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. I am an advocate for evidence based policy, including the development of natural capital accounting as a tool to improve reporting and assessment of nature-related dependencies and impacts.