Scott David Mooney

Associate Professor Scott David Mooney is a faculty member at the University of New South Wales specializing in fire history, climate change, and human-environmental relationships. His research focuses on reconstructing fire regimes in southeastern Australia's humid environments, examining both pre-colonial and post-European fire patterns through palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using charcoal analysis from well-dated sediments.

Dr. Mooney's primary research investigates the complex nexus between climate and human activity in shaping fire regimes, challenging simplistic narratives about pre-colonial fire patterns in Australia. He examines how Indigenous people used fire across different environmental settings (ridge tops vs. valleys, coastal vs. inland), how fire frequency varied through time during climatic transitions, and whether recent fire regimes represent significant departures from historical patterns. His work bridges palaeoenvironmental reconstruction with contemporary environmental management challenges.

With an extensive publication record including 72 journal articles and 5 book chapters, Dr. Mooney has made significant contributions to understanding Quaternary environments and fire history. His research applies pollen analysis (palynology) to reconstruct past climate variability, particularly associated with Pacific Ocean climate modes, and examines anthropogenic alterations to land-cover and post-colonial human impact on ecosystems.

Dr. Mooney is an active member of several professional organizations including the Institute of Australian Geographers, the Linnean Society of New South Wales, and AQUA (Australasian Quaternary Association), demonstrating his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration in environmental science and Quaternary research.