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Dr Ben Gooden

Senior Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/g/b/ben-gooden

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Biography

Dr Ben Gooden is a botanist/vegetation ecologist, specialising in the ecology and management of alien plant invaders (weeds). Ben draws on his extensive field experience in quantifying the impacts of alien plant invasion on a diverse array of agricultural and native ecosystems (including temperate and subtropical forests, desert grasslands and coastal wetlands) to facilitate better on-ground management of threatening weeds.

Ben is a Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader of the CSIRO Health and Biosecurity's Weed Management Systems team, based on Canberra. The Team co-manages Australia's national weed biocontrol research program, in collaboration with Dr Michelle Rafter who is Team Leader of the Weed Management Systems team, based on Brisbane. Together, the two teams develop, and implement on-ground, biological and other sustainable weed control solutions, to safeguard Australia's precious agricultural resources and natural ecosystems.

This is achieved through building extensive partnerships with local community stakeholders, NRM organisations and policy makers at all levels of Government. More information on the weed biocontrol program can be found here: https://research.csiro.au/weed-biocontrol/

In addition to the work on weed biocontrol, Ben also leads research on the development of decision support tools to improve management of widespread, established weeds. Key projects that Ben is currently collaborating on include:

  • PhyloControl - a phylogenomic tool to improve risk assessment in classical weed biocontrol (led by Alexnader Schmidt-Lebuhn and Stphanie Chen), https://research.csiro.au/temperate-botany/research-projects/phylogenetics-supporting-biocontrol-research/

  • eDNA detection and surveillance tools for priority weeds (led by John Roberts, Francisco Encinas-Viso, Erin Hill and Harry Eyck)

  • National Weed Biocontrol Prioritisation Framework (led by Michelle Rafter)

  • Soil microbial mutualists and pathogens underpinning Eucalyptus dieback (https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2022/november/understanding-trees-and-fungi-to-reverse-dieback)

Ben is the CSIRO representative on the Environment and Invasives Committee’s Weeds Working Group (EIC WWG) and, in this capacity, contributes to the development of the National Established Weed Priorities (NEWP) Framework and its Implementation Plan through membership of the NEWP Advisory and Steering Groups. This has included the reinvigoration of the Weeds of National Significance concept (info here: https://weeds.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/newp-framework.pdf)

Other Interests

Other research interests include: (1) plant-microbial mutualisms, such as mycorrhizae; (2) restoration ecology; (3) desert ecology; (4) coastal ecology; (5) plant-herbivore Interactions; (6) invasive plant risk assessments; (7) citizen science; (8) sustainable agriculture.

Academic Qualifications

  • 2014

    PhD
    University of Wollongong

  • 2007

    Biological Sciences Advanced (Honours)
    University of Wollongong

Grants

  • 2023-2027

    Progressing fleabane weed biocontrol solutions for the Australian grains industry (GRDC, CSP2401-011RTX)

  • 2023-2026

    eDNA surveillance of weeds - CERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (NCMI)

  • 2023-2026

    Digital transformation of risk assessment in biological control research - CERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (NCMI)

  • 2023-2025

    National Weed Biocontrol Pipeline Strategy – initial phase (CISS, C12858)

  • 2023-2025

    Biocontrol Research for Weed Management (NSW Environmental Trust, 2023/MG/0001)

  • 2022-2026

    Biocontrol Research for Weed Management (NSW Environmental Trust, 2021/MG/0002)

  • 2022-2025

    Digital Solutions for Adaptive Biosecurity - Weed Management Insights (CSIRO APaIR)

  • 2022-2025

    eDNA Surveillance Using Honey Bees - CERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (Biosecurity)

  • 2021-2024

    Untangling the role of mycorrhizal mutualisms in Eucalypt dieback (NSW Environment Trust, 2020/RD/0003)

  • 2020-2023

    Biological control of fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) – Phase 3 (DAWE)

  • 2020-2021

    Assessing invasive alien species pressures on biodiversity in New South Wales, Biodiversity Indicator Program

  • 2015-2018

    More than a burning issue: Does grass invasion disrupt plant-animal interactions and threaten persistence and threaten persistence of semi-arid woodland communities? (The Hermon Slade Foundation)

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2024-Current

    National Established Weed Priorities Steering Group

  • 2022-2023

    National Established Weed Priorities Advisory Group

  • 2022-Current

    CSIRO representative on the Environment and Invasives Committee's Weeds Working Group (EIC WWG)

  • 2010-2014

    Board Members (Ecological Society of Australia)

  • 2012-2014

    Bulletin Editor (Ecological Society of Australia)

Related links

Publications

We have publications by Dr Ben Gooden

    Published data & software

    We have published items by Dr Ben Gooden