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Spatial scale of influence of riparian and catchment land use on stream ecosystem health. Human activities at the landscape scale comprise one of the greatest threats to the ecological integrity of river ecosystems. Government and community groups across Australia are making significant efforts in riparian protection and rehabilitation in an attempt to improve the health of degraded waterways but are hampered in their goal to maximise the environmental gains for every dollar or unit effort inve ....Spatial scale of influence of riparian and catchment land use on stream ecosystem health. Human activities at the landscape scale comprise one of the greatest threats to the ecological integrity of river ecosystems. Government and community groups across Australia are making significant efforts in riparian protection and rehabilitation in an attempt to improve the health of degraded waterways but are hampered in their goal to maximise the environmental gains for every dollar or unit effort invested. The proposed research on understanding the spatial scale of influence of land use and the aggregative effects on stream ecosystems will provide a robust framework to assess various options and optimise benefits from management actions. Read moreRead less
Transformation of vegetation by big herbivores, from the Pleistocene to now. The project aims to provide a coherent understanding of the effects of extinct and extant large herbivores on ecosystems over space and time. The structure and distribution of vegetation types is determined not only by climate and soils, but also by the impacts of herbivores and fire as consumers of plant biomass. Recent research has shown how fire shapes the large-scale distribution of vegetation types, but we do not h ....Transformation of vegetation by big herbivores, from the Pleistocene to now. The project aims to provide a coherent understanding of the effects of extinct and extant large herbivores on ecosystems over space and time. The structure and distribution of vegetation types is determined not only by climate and soils, but also by the impacts of herbivores and fire as consumers of plant biomass. Recent research has shown how fire shapes the large-scale distribution of vegetation types, but we do not have an equivalent understanding of the effects of large ground-dwelling herbivores. The project plans to test the effects of such animals on vegetation structure in the Pleistocene, when mega-herbivores were common, and today, and thus to compare the impacts of fire and herbivores on the distribution of vegetation types.Read moreRead less
Fire severity, habitat heterogeneity and life histories. Resolving the persistence ability of plants in frequently fired landscapes. The wise management of Australia's biodiversity has major economic and social benefits for the nation through the provision of ecosystem services, bio-products and tourism. Fire is a pivotal environmental factor that will continue to influence plant biodiversity in fire-prone ecosystems. Inappropriate fire regimes, however, threaten biodiversity through disruption ....Fire severity, habitat heterogeneity and life histories. Resolving the persistence ability of plants in frequently fired landscapes. The wise management of Australia's biodiversity has major economic and social benefits for the nation through the provision of ecosystem services, bio-products and tourism. Fire is a pivotal environmental factor that will continue to influence plant biodiversity in fire-prone ecosystems. Inappropriate fire regimes, however, threaten biodiversity through disruption of life cycles. If too many or too few fires occur in an area this can lead to decline and extinction of plant and animal species. This research will provide a risk-assessment tool for the management of biodiversity to reverse population declines and prevent extinctions.
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The impact of severe bushfires on the ecology, demography and genetics of frogs in the Victorian Kinglake region. The February 2009 bushfires in Victoria devastated many communities, and also had a profound impact on wildlife species. This research is aimed at measuring the impact of these fires on frogs in the Kinglake region. It will provide a range of national benefits, including a better understanding of the effects of wildfire on native species and their habitats, information to help plan c ....The impact of severe bushfires on the ecology, demography and genetics of frogs in the Victorian Kinglake region. The February 2009 bushfires in Victoria devastated many communities, and also had a profound impact on wildlife species. This research is aimed at measuring the impact of these fires on frogs in the Kinglake region. It will provide a range of national benefits, including a better understanding of the effects of wildfire on native species and their habitats, information to help plan conservation efforts for frogs, and a vital connection with local landowners; some of whom lost their homes in the fires but were still concerned about the wellbeing of frogs in the area. Australia is a fire-prone country, and this project will help develop responses to the threats posed by the expected increase in the frequency and intensity of fires in southern Australia.Read moreRead less
Leaf economics, and the acquisition and use of water and nitrogen for photosynthesis. Successful and sustainable management of both natural and human-modified ecosystems flows from advances in our understanding of the fundamentals of plant ecology. Improved understanding of acquisition and use of water and nutrients by plants should lead not only to better management in the present day, but better-founded management decisions under possible future scenarios such as global warming, higher atmosph ....Leaf economics, and the acquisition and use of water and nitrogen for photosynthesis. Successful and sustainable management of both natural and human-modified ecosystems flows from advances in our understanding of the fundamentals of plant ecology. Improved understanding of acquisition and use of water and nutrients by plants should lead not only to better management in the present day, but better-founded management decisions under possible future scenarios such as global warming, higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations or altered rainfall regimes. High-impact publications resulting from this project will sustain Australian leadership in environmental plant biology.Read moreRead less
How has bushfire activity varied around the Southern Hemisphere over the last 10,000 years? We will determine the relative contribution of climate and human ignitions in driving bushfire activity around the Southern Hemisphere over the last 10,000 years. Such knowledge is crucial for ecologically sustainable fire management, resolving debates about past Aboriginal environmental impacts and understanding the risk posed by climate change.
Biotic connectivity within the temperate Australian marine protected area network at three levels of biodiversity, communities, populations and genes. Project outcomes will improve management of coastal biodiversity through a multi-state collaboration of managers, marine ecologists, population geneticists and taxonomists. Sites most needed within marine protected area (MPA) networks for maintaining resilience of populations across seascapes will be identified, including sites with exceptional en ....Biotic connectivity within the temperate Australian marine protected area network at three levels of biodiversity, communities, populations and genes. Project outcomes will improve management of coastal biodiversity through a multi-state collaboration of managers, marine ecologists, population geneticists and taxonomists. Sites most needed within marine protected area (MPA) networks for maintaining resilience of populations across seascapes will be identified, including sites with exceptional endemism or key roles in dispersal of larvae. The ecological efficacy of the temperate Australian MPA network will be assessed through analysis of long-term ecological datasets and further development of a novel 'remote sensing' methodology, whereby surveys are undertaken by volunteer divers across much greater spatial and temporal scales than could be studied by dedicated scientific dive teams.Read moreRead less
Novel habitat quality assessment to inform the development of recreational boating infrastructure. As Australians migrate towards the coast, the demand for recreational boating facilities such as moorings and marinas is increasing rapidly. These structures can remove habitat and fragment the seascape in a similar manner to roads and clearings in forest and grasslands. Coastal infrastructure can also reduce the quality of existing habitats and their full impact must be assessed if the diversity a ....Novel habitat quality assessment to inform the development of recreational boating infrastructure. As Australians migrate towards the coast, the demand for recreational boating facilities such as moorings and marinas is increasing rapidly. These structures can remove habitat and fragment the seascape in a similar manner to roads and clearings in forest and grasslands. Coastal infrastructure can also reduce the quality of existing habitats and their full impact must be assessed if the diversity and function of coastal seascapes is to be conserved. This project aims to use a combination of novel modelling, surveys, and large experiments to understand how threatened seagrass, fish, and sediment habitats are altered in human modified seascapes, and to assess the success of habitat restoration following the removal of boating structures.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100434
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,114.00
Summary
What fire regimes can maintain biodiversity in northern Australia's savannah landscapes, and how do we implement them? Inappropriate fire regimes (the frequency, intensity and size of bushfires) are causing ongoing declines in Australia's biodiversity, yet we have little understanding of the fire regimes that should be implemented. Focussing on Kakadu National Park in northern Australia, this project will develop optimal fire management strategies for conserving biodiversity.
The importance of edge effects in determining the value of seagrass landscapes as fish nurseries. Seagrasses are a conspicuous element of Australian marine environments, and are crucial in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Degradation of seagrass ecosystems from climatic extremes, increased sediment and nutrients in the water, and other pollutants results in loss and fragmentation of meadows. These changes to seagrass are linked with increased coastal erosion, severe loss of bio ....The importance of edge effects in determining the value of seagrass landscapes as fish nurseries. Seagrasses are a conspicuous element of Australian marine environments, and are crucial in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Degradation of seagrass ecosystems from climatic extremes, increased sediment and nutrients in the water, and other pollutants results in loss and fragmentation of meadows. These changes to seagrass are linked with increased coastal erosion, severe loss of biodiversity, and collapse of fisheries. Increased understanding of how biological processes such as predation and food availability influence animal associations with seagrasses, and how these effects change with landscape structure, will have important applications in the sustainable management of Australia's threatened coastal habitats.Read moreRead less