Heather Keith

Dr Heather Keith is a Principal Research Fellow at Griffith University, associated with the Australian Rivers Institute and the Climate Action Beacon. Her work focuses on ecosystem functioning, particularly forests, to guide conservation and climate policy. She holds a PhD in Ecology (Australian National University) and a B.Sc. in Physical Geography (University of NSW). Her research integrates field data with spatial analysis to produce ecosystem accounts for international policy frameworks like the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounting. Key interests include primary forest conservation, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services.

Recent projects involve global collaborations on primary forests in temperate, tropical, and boreal regions, emphasizing their role in climate mitigation and policy. Her work often addresses carbon accounting reforms and ecosystem integrity in forest management. Notable grants include the Tarkine Forest Carbon Valuation project and collaborations with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Publications highlight themes like forest biomass dynamics, policy applications of ecosystem accounting, and the climate impacts of logging. Her contributions to the Land Gap Report and advocacy for primary forest protection underscore her policy-oriented research. Current efforts focus on maximizing climate mitigation through science-based policy while addressing biodiversity conservation challenges.