Research outputs per year
Research outputs per year
Personal profile
Biography
I'm fascinated by the role of disturbances in ecosystems, in particular the effects of fire on the landscape. I have two main areas of research. The first is focused on understanding how ecosystems respond to disturbance, and what this means for ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, habitat values and water resources. The second research area I focus on is developing models of forest flammability due to dynamics in fuel loads and fuel moisture content.
I enjoy being out in the bush, so much of my research often involves fieldwork. I also work on remote sensing and modelling.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Related links
Qualifications
Bachelor of Environmental Science, Monash University
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Melbourne
Research keywords
- fire
- forests
- carbon
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Rachael Nolan is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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A generalised model of rainforest vulnerability to fire in eastern Australia
Gordon, C. E., Khanal, S., Nolan, R. H., Peacock, R. J. & Boer, M. M., Oct 2025, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 393, 12 p., 126799.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)1 Downloads (Pure) -
Bark type as an indicator of pyro-ecological strategy in the eucalypts
Fuller, K. J., Nolan, R. H., Aspinwall, M. J., Tjoelker, M. G., Calders, K. & Boer, M. M., Sept 2025, In: Journal of Biogeography. 52, 9, 14 p., e70000.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)11 Downloads (Pure) -
From plant traits to fire behavior: Scaling issues in flammability studies
Schwilk, D. W., Alam, M. A., Gill, N., Murray, B. R., Nolan, R. H., Ondei, S., Perry, G. L. W., Smith, A. M. S., Bowman, D. M. J. S., Fidelis, A., Jaureguiberry, P., Oliveras Menor, I., Rosado, B. H. P., Roland, H., Yebra, M., Yelenik, S. G. & Curran, T. J., Oct 2025, In: American Journal of Botany. 112, 10, e70040.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Fuel moisture moderates wildfire resistance in rainforests of south-east Australia
Gordon, C. E., Boer, M. M., Griebel, A., Yebra, M., Sturgess, A., Collins, L. & Nolan, R. H., 1 Aug 2025, In: Environmental Research Communications. 7, 8, 11 p., 081006.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Remotely sensed fire heterogeneity and biomass recovery predicts empirical biodiversity responses
Gibson, R. K., Driscoll, D. A., Macdonald, K. J., Williamson, G. J., Nolan, R. H., Doherty, T. S., Nimmo, D. G., Ritchie, E. G., Tozer, M., Tasker, L., Greenville, A., Roff, A., Callen, A., Maisey, A., Thomsen, A., Arriaga-Jimenez, A., Foster, A., Hewitt, A., Gilpin, A. M. & Denham, A. & 57 others, , Apr 2025, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 34, 4, 15 p., e70040.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)9 Downloads (Pure)
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Managing resilient green spaces in Australian cities
Pfautsch, S. (PI), Morrison, G. (Investigator), Piracha, A. (Investigator), Nolan, R. (Investigator), Noroozinejad Farsangi, E. (Investigator) & Haji Rasouli, A. (Investigator)
Horticulture Innovation Australia, Penrith City Council, Campbelltown City Council, Wyndham City Council
27/06/24 → 10/07/26
Project: Research
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Quantifying the recovery trajectory and aboveground productivity in rainforest species after fire on rich versus poor soils
Crous, K. (PI), Ellsworth, D. (Investigator), Nolan, R. (Investigator) & Choat, B. (Investigator)
1/07/22 → 31/01/27
Project: Research
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Physics-aware machine learning for data-driven fire risk prediction
Boer, M. (PI), Nolan, R. (Investigator), Hurley, P. (Investigator) & Bradstock, R. (Investigator)
1/01/22 → 30/06/26
Project: Research
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Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan - Research Strategy and Implementation
Rymer, P. (PI), Nielsen, U. (Investigator), Powell, J. (Investigator), Carrillo Espanol, Y. (Investigator), Macdonald, C. (Investigator), Boer, M. (Investigator), Pendall, E. (Investigator), Nolan, R. (Investigator), Moore, B. (Investigator), Riegler, M. (Investigator), Salazar Sutil, J. F. (Investigator), Perry, N. (Investigator) & Pisetta Raupp, P. (Scholarship Recipient)
Department of Planning and Environment
1/05/21 → 30/11/26
Project: Research
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Forecasting live fuel moisture content, the on/off switch for forest fires
Nolan, R. (PI), Boer, M. (Investigator), Medlyn, B. (Investigator) & Choat, B. (Investigator)
Australian Research Council, Australian National University (non ACRG), New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Department of Planning and Environment, University of Lleida, ACT Parks and Conservation Service
31/10/20 → 30/10/26
Project: Research
Datasets
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Data for: Bark attributes determine variation in fire resistance in resprouting tree species
Nolan, R., Bradstock, R., Simpson-Southward, H. M., Rahmani, S., Boer, M. & Samson, S. A., Mendeley Data, 2020
DOI: 10.17632/4nn7d4d2vk.1, http://www.doi.org/10.17632/4nn7d4d2vk.1 and one more link, https://research-data.westernsydney.edu.au/published/b13226a04d4911efafda1feff82ccf89/ (show fewer)
Dataset
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Forest responses to megadisturbance
Nolan, R. & Bendall, E., figshare, 26 Feb 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24540127.v2, https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24540127.v2
Dataset
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Data from Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die-off in eucalypt forest during extreme drought
Nolan, R., Fuller, K., Chhajed, S., Song, M., Li, X., Medlyn, B., Smith, R., Boer, M. & Choat, B., Mendeley Data, 2021
DOI: 10.17632/6j6fp3jhgj.1, http://doi.org/10.17632/6j6fp3jhgj.1 and one more link, https://research-data.westernsydney.edu.au/published/300291e04d7211ef978799cbf5ccbd8c/ (show fewer)
Dataset
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Observations of live fuel moisture content, water potential, specific leaf area and associated meteorological data
Griebel, A., Ellsworth, D. & Nolan, R., Western Sydney University, 17 Aug 2022
DOI: 10.26183/bf6d-kh20, https://research-data.westernsydney.edu.au/published/1d3667601c6611ed911963163ec815f7
Dataset
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AusTraits: a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Falster, D., Gallagher, R., Wenk, E., Sauquet, H., Wright, I. J., Indiarto, D., Andrew, S., Baxter, C., Lawson, J., Allen, S., Fuchs, A., Monro, A., Kar, F., Adams, M. A., Ahrens, C. W., Alfonzetti, M., Amini, S., Angevin, T., Apgaua, D. M. G., Arndt, S., Ash, J., Atkin, O. K., Atkinson, J., Auld, T., Baker, A., Balthazar, M. V., Bean, A., Blackman, C. J., Bloomfield, K., Boreham, T., Bowman, D. M. J. S., Bradstock, R., Bragg, J., Brand, W. A., Briggs, A., Brock, J., Brodribb, T. J., Buckton, G., Burrows, G., Butler, D., Caldwell, E., Camac, J., Carpenter, R., Catford, J. A., Cawthray, G. R., Cernusak, L. A., Chandler, G., Chapman, A. R., Cheal, D., Cheesman, A. W., Chen, S.-C., Chinnock, R., Choat, B., Clarke, P., Clayton, D., Clemants, S., Clifford, H. T., Clinton, B., Clode, P. L., Cochrane, M., Coleman, H., Collins, B., Conti, A., Cooper, W., Cooper, W., Cornwell, W. K., Cosgrove, M., Cowie, I., Craven, L., Crisp, M., Cross, E., Crous, K. Y., Cunningham, S., Curran, T., Curtis, E., Davidson, I., Daws, M. I., de Salas, M., de Tombeur, F., DeGabriel, J. L., Denton, M. D., Dong, N., Du, P., Duan, H., Duncan, D. H., Duncan, R. P., Duretto, M., Dwyer, J. M., Eamus, D., Edwards, C., Egan, J., Esperon-Rodriguez, M., Evans, J. R., Everingham, S. E., Fahey, C., Falster, D., Farrell, C., Firn, J., Fonseca, C. R., Forster, P. I., Foster, J., French, B. J., French, T., Frith, A., Frood, D., Funk, J. L., Gallagher, R., Gardiner, R., Geange, S. R., Ghannoum, O., Gill, M., Gleason, S. M., Goble-Garratt, E., Gosper, C. R., Gray, E., Groom, P. K., Grootemaat, S., Gross, C., Grubb, P., Guerin, G., Guilherme Pereira, C., Guinane, C., Guja, L., Hahs, A. K., Hall, T., Hallet, M., Harrison, M. T., Haslehurst, T., Hassiotou, F., Hayes, P. E., Henery, M., Herbohn, J., Hochuli, D., Hocking, P., Howell, J., Hu, J., Huang, G., Hughes, K., Hughes, L., Huisman, J., Ilic, J., Islam, M., Jagdish, A., Jin, D., Jordan, G., Jurado, E., Kanowski, J., Kasel, S., Kealley, I., Keighery, G., Kellermann, J., Kenny, B., Kirkpatrick, J., Knox, K., Kohout, M., Kooyman, R. M., Kotowska, M. M., Kovac, L., Kreger, K., Kuo, J., Lai, H. R., Laliberté, E., Lambers, H., Lambert, M., Lamont, B. B., Lanceman, D., Lanfear, R., Laughlin, D. C., Laugier-Kitchener, B.-A., Laurance, S., Lawes, M., Laws, C., Lawson, J., Laxton, E., Lehmann, C. E. R., Leigh, A., Leishman, M. R., Lenz, T., Lepschi, B., Lewis, J. D., Lim, F., Lindsay, L., Liu, U., Londono, D. M., López Martinez, A., Lord, J., Ludwig, C., Lunt, I., Lusk, C. H., Maconochie, M., Macinnis-Ng, C., McPherson, H., Magallón, S., Manea, A., Marais, K., Maslin, B., Mason, R., Mayfield, M., Mazanec, R., McC Overton, J., McCarthy, J. K., McFarlane, E., Meers, T., Metcalfe, D., Milberg, P., Mokany, K., Moles, A. T., Moore, B. D., Moore, N., Morgan, H., Morgan, J. W., Morris, W., Muir, A., Munroe, S., Myerscough, P., Nelson, D., Neyland, D., Nicholson, Á., Nicolle, D., Nicotra, A. B., Niinemets, Ü., North, T., O'Reilly-Nugent, A., O'Sullivan, O. S., Oberle, B., Olsen, M., Onoda, Y., Ooi, M. K. J., Orscheg, C., Osborne, C. P., Paczkowska, G., Peeters, P., Pekin, B., Perry, G., Phillips, A., Pickering, C., Pickup, M., Pollitt, L., Pollock, L. J., Polmear, R., Poot, P., Possingham, H., Powell, J. R., Power, S. A., Prentice, I. C., Price, A., Prior, L., Prober, S. M., Pyne, T., Read, J., Reynolds, V., Rice, B., Richards, A. E., Richardson, B., Rigg, J. L., Roberts, B., Roderick, M. L., Rosell, J. A., Rossetto, M., Rye, B., Rymer, P. D., Salomaa, A., Sams, M. A., Sanson, G., Sauquet, H., Schmidt, S., Schöenenberger, J., Schulze, E.-D., Schulze, I., Schulze, W., Scott, A. J., Sendall, K., Shapcott, A., Shaw, V., Shoo, L., Sinclair, S., Sjostrom, A., Smith, B., Smith, R., Soliveres, S., Soper, F., Sparrow, B., Spooner, A., Standish, R. J., Staples, T. L., Stephens, R., Stewart, G., Suda, J., Szota, C., Tait, C., Taseski, G., Tasker, E., Taylor, D., Thomas, F., Thompson, I., Tissue, D. T., Tjoelker, M. G., Tng, D. Y. P., Toelken, H. R., Tomlinson, K., Trudgen, M., Turner, N. C., van der Merwe, M., van Langevelde, F., Veneklaas, E. J., Venn, S., Vesk, P., Vlasveld, C., Vorontsova, M. S., Warren, C. A., Warwick, N., Weerasinghe, L. K., Wells, J., Westman, W. E., Westoby, M., White, M., Williams, E., Williams, N. S. G., Williams, R. J., Willis, K., Wills, J., Wilson, J. B., Wilson, P. G., Wright, I. J., Yates, C., Yen, J., Zanne, A. E., Zemunik, G., Ziemińska, K., Nolan, R., Boer, M. M., Robinson, A., Welsh, N., Messina, A., Stajsic, V., Ohlsen, D., Klazenga, N., Coleman, D., Coleman, D., Dun, L., Yang, S., Barrett, R., Lu-Irving, P., Sommerville, K., Wenk, E. & Falster, D., ZENODO, 14 May 2024
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11188867, https://zenodo.org/records/11188867
Dataset
Press/Media
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Drought and climate change were the kindling, and now the east coast is ablaze
1/01/00
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Climate change is testing the resilience of native plants to fire, from ash forests to gymea lilies
1/01/00
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Entire hillsides of trees turned brown this summer. Is it the start of ecosystem collapse?
1/01/00
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Dry winter primes Sydney Basin for early start of bushfire season,
1/01/00
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media