Blake is broadly interested in landscape ecology, with a particular interest in the overarching effects of anthropogenic actions on ecological interactions and ecosystem function. Natural habitats are under increasing pressure from urbanization and the expansion and intensification of agricultural lands. As a consequence, numerous species are displaced, valuable ecosystem services are lost, and the function of a landscape can completely change. A prime example of this dichotomy between productive expansion and conservation is in Australian agricultural lands, which are under intense pressure to meet the demands of a growing population while confronting ever-increasing threats of diminished productivity, a reduction in ecosystem services, and climatic, environmental, and political uncertainty.
Blake’s PhD project aimed to illuminate the complex factors driving land clearing at the individual level and their subsequent effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function, using the Brigalow Belt bioregion of eastern Queensland as a case study. Using a range of interdisciplinary approaches amalgamating the biophysical, economic, demographic, and cultural dimensions of clearing, he was interested in determining how effective historic vegetation management policy has been at reducing rates of remnant vegetation clearing over time, and how these observed trends may be influenced by economic indicators, psychosocial behaviours, and political regime changes. The goal for this project was to develop a transdisciplinary framework for assessing the underlying mechanisms of deforestation in a developed country, which can be applied to other developed and developing countries experiencing rapid declines of native vegetation. Ultimately, this project aimed to serve as a guide for future vegetation management policy amendments that can be effectively tailored to maximize biodiversity, restore ecosystem functions, and sustain local livelihoods amidst mounting political and environmental uncertainties.
Research Associate, Queensland University of Technology, March 2020 – current
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland, March 2019 – March 2020
PhD candidate, The University of Queensland, January 2016 – March 2020
Master of Science (Biology, specialization: Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration), Universiteit Antwerpen, September 2013 – July 2015
Email: ba.simmons@qut.edu.au
Themes and Projects
Conservation decision-making in socio-ecological systems
Publications
Simmons, B. A., Wilson, K. A., and Dean, A. J. 2020. Landholder typologies illuminate pathways for social change in a deforestation hotspot. Journal of Environmental Management, 254, 109777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109777
Simmons, B.A., Wilson, K.A., Marcos-Martinez, R., Bryan, B.A., Holland, O., and Law, E.A. 2018. Effectiveness of regulatory policy in curbing deforestation in a biodiversity hotspot. Environmental Research Letters. 13: 124003. https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae7f9
Simmons, B.A., Marcos-Martinez, R., Law, E.A., Bryan, B. A. and Wilson, K.A. 2018. Frequent policy uncertainty can negate the benefits of forest conservation policy. Environmental Science & Policy. 89: 401-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.09.011
Simmons, B. A., Law, E., Marcos-Martinez, R., Bryan, B. A., McAlpine, C. and Wilson, K. A. 2018. Spatial and temporal patterns of land clearing during policy change. Land Use Policy. 75: 399-410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.03.049
Simmons, B.A. & McRae, T.R. 2014. Hidden Markov models of eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) alarm calls. Adaptive Behavior, 22(3): 180-188. doi:10.1177/1059712314529981
Wilson Environmental Decisions Lab 
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