The rapid expansion of urban areas worldwide is leading to native habitat loss and ecosystem fragmentation and degradation. Although the study of urbanisation’s impact on biodiversity is gaining increasing interest globally, there is still a disconnect between research recommendations and urbanisation strategies. Expansion of the Perth metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain in south-western Australia, one of the world’s thirty-six biodiversity hotspots, continues to affect the Banksia Woodlands (BWs) ecosystem, a federally listed Threatened Ecological Community (TEC). Here, we utilise the framework of a 1989 review of the state of knowledge of BWs ecology and conservation to examine scientific advances made in understanding the composition, processes and functions of BWs and BWs’ species over the last 30 years. We highlight key advances in our understanding of the ecological function and role of mechanisms in BWs that are critical to the management of this ecosystem. The most encouraging change since 1989 is the integration of research between historically disparate ecological disciplines. We outline remaining ecological knowledge gaps and identify key research priorities to improve conservation efforts for this TEC. We promote a holistic consideration of BWs with our review providing a comprehensive document that researchers, planners and managers may reference. To effectively conserve ecosystems threatened by urban expansion, a range of stakeholders must be involved in the development and implementation of best practices to conserve and maintain both biodiversity and human wellbeing.

Billions of dollars are spent annually on ecological restoration efforts around the world and yet successful attainment of restoration targets still falls short in many regions. Globally, ecosystem restoration is becoming increasingly challenged with changes in climate. Years with extreme climatic events that limit plant establishment, such as severe drought, heatwaves, and floods are projected to increase in frequency. A critical evaluation of current ecological restoration practices and changes to those practices are needed to attain global restoration targets. For plant restoration, many efforts globally focus on planting in a single year following disturbance. The odds of restoration efforts being conducted in a year that is inconducive to plant establishment may be calculated using climatic risk data. We propose a risk‐mitigation approach to restoration wherein plantings are conducted across multiple years for projects in a bet‐hedging strategy and evaluated through an adaptive management approach.

There are concerns about the negative consequences of non‐native livestock grazing of sagebrush communities, especially since these communities are experiencing unpreceded threats from invasive annual grasses, altered fire regimes, and climate change. The narrative around grazing often focuses on the effects of heavy, repeated growing season use that were common historically but now are rare or localized (e.g., near water sources). At the same time, the potential for ecological benefits of strategically applied grazing is often overlooked, limiting management options that may promote desired outcomes. To improve management in the face of unprecedented threats, we synthesized the literature to investigate and identify potential ecological benefits of strategically applied livestock grazing in sagebrush communities. We found that grazing can be used to modify fine fuel characteristics in ways that decrease fire probability and severity in sagebrush communities. Pre‐fire moderate grazing may be especially important because it decreases fire severity and, thereby, promotes biodiversity and reduces postfire annual grass invasion, fire‐induced mortality of native bunchgrasses, and fire damage to soil biocrusts. Grazing can create and maintain fine fuel breaks to improve firefighter safety and fire suppression efficiency. Strategic grazing can also be used to promote desirable plant community composition. Grazing can be a valuable tool, that is currently underutilized, for achieving desired management outcomes in the sagebrush and likely other ecosystems. Improper grazing can generate severe negative consequences; therefore, successful application of grazing to achieve desired outcomes will require careful attention to plant community response and balancing management objectives with community constraints.