Dr Tanya Doody
Senior Research Scientist
Contact details:
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LOCKED BAG 2
GLEN OSMOND SA 5064 AUSTRALIA
Biography
Dr Doody joined CSIRO’s Division of Forestry in Mount Gambier, South Australia in 1993. In 2007 she relocated to CSIRO Land and Water in Adelaide, where she is now a Senior Research Scientist. She also leads the Environmental Water Team and has been involved in a broad range of projects over the last 25 years. Her core science has been quantifying water requirements and determining water impacts of native and invasive species and plantation forests across Australia; to provide management options to natural resource managers, local industry and government bodies.
Dr Doody provides integrative science linking ecological response of riparian vegetation to floodplain inundation and remote sensing to investigate impacts of water reform policy within the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The aim is to understand what a range of floodplain environmental watering management options might have on vegetation health. She recently completed a publication to determine the water requirements of riparian River Red Gum in the Murray-Darling Basin. This work continues, with upscaling the results to provide a remote sensing tool to aid with water accounting and decisions related to environmental water allocations to relieve floodplain tree stress. Dr Doody also leads the Ecology component of the Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio project in Nepal to link river flow and ecology to protect aquatic ecosystems in the future in the face over hydro-power and agricultural development.
Dr Doody’s recent PhD Thesis involved quantifying evapotranspiration (water use) of willow stands and potential water savings from willow removal (water savings from willow removal) to create management tools to predict water savings across climatic zones. Results were integrated using a remote sensing tool (developed by Dr Doody) to map willow canopy area; allowing accurate estimates of willow water use across climatic zones nationally.
Research undertaken in the Green Triangle in plantation forestry water use of regional groundwater, underpins the Forest Water Licensing Programme in South Australia which recently won a United Nations World Environment Day Award for Excellence in Water Management, demonstrating the long-term impact of the work Dr Doody undertakes.
Other Interests
Dr Doody has a very broad research base with skills in remote sensing, GIS, floodplain inundation modelling as well as measurement/modelling of evapotranspiration. She has also undertaken several studies using ecological response models to provide management solutions to water managers. She is currently developing capability in remotely sensed evapotranspiration across riparian areas in Australia with a method suitable for application world wide.
Dr Doody is also involved in research to address the water-food-energy nexus. This involves populating and validating a framework which presents well-being of study areas (i.e Murray-Darling Basin, Pangani River Basin) in response to trade-offs between irrigated agriculture, hydropower, environment and water.
Current Roles
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Project Leader
Efficient Floodplain Management -
Assistant Research Group Leader
Managing Water Ecosystems -
Ecology lead
SDIP - Nepal -
Project Leadeer
Soil moisture and riparian vegetation - Calperum Floodplain -
Team Member
Benefits of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan -
Project Leader
Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Explanatory Notes -
Team Member
COST Action - Riparian management in the European Union
Academic Qualifications
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2013
PhD (Deans Commendation)
The University of Adelaide -
2008
Grad. Dip. GIS and Remote Sensing with High Distinction
Charles Sturt University -
1993
BSc
The University of Adelaide
Professional Experiences
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2008-2013
Adjunct student
The University of Adelaide
Achievements and Awards
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2013-2013
CSIRO Land and Water Research Excellence Award
CSIRO -
2014-2014
Deans Commendation for PhD Thesis Excellence
The University of Adelaide -
2013-2014
Host - CSIRO CEO Visiting Scientist Award Dr Pamela Nagler
CSIRO -
2012-2013
GDE Atlas - Geospatial World Forum Application Excellence
Goespatial World Awards -
2012-2013
GDE Atlas - 8th Victorian Spatial Excellence, Spatial Enablement category
Victorian Government -
2009-2010
CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive Study Award
CSIRO
Other highlights
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2014-2018
Editor - Hydrological Processes
Community and Corporate Citizenship
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2017-2018
Mentor