Developing best-practice approaches for restoring forest ecosystems that are resilient to climate change. Existing restoration practices for forests tend to rely on ad hoc rules of thumb that lack a firm scientific basis and risk failure due to climate change. The project will model biodiversity, genetic and growth performance data to develop best-practice restoration guidelines for forest ecosystems to enable them to become resilient to climate change and maximise biodiversity and carbon captur ....Developing best-practice approaches for restoring forest ecosystems that are resilient to climate change. Existing restoration practices for forests tend to rely on ad hoc rules of thumb that lack a firm scientific basis and risk failure due to climate change. The project will model biodiversity, genetic and growth performance data to develop best-practice restoration guidelines for forest ecosystems to enable them to become resilient to climate change and maximise biodiversity and carbon capture outcomes.Read moreRead less
Genetics of species differentiation and hybridisation in Eucalyptus. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and of great economic and ecological significance. This project will use genomic technologies to provide novel insights into the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this genus. This will contribute to the development of better conservation and management practices for this valuable genetic resource.
Where currents collide: tracking the biological impacts of climate change. This project will track the effects of climate change on Australia's unique marine biodiversity. Understanding the impacts of changing ocean currents on our coastal communities underpins the conservation and management of our valuable coastal resources.
Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Au ....Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. The integration of new and rigorous evidence derived from living and fossil plants will provide the clearest evidence yet for the origins of Australian environments. This has ramifications for understanding plant responses to past and future climate changes.Read moreRead less
Understanding climate and harvest induced changes in fish life histories. This project aims to quantify the cumulative impacts of harvest and climate change across marine fishes and ecosystems. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this area by coupling the rich biological information archived in fish ear bones, with targeted multi-generation experiments and predictive modelling. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into how human-induced environmental change affects fish gr ....Understanding climate and harvest induced changes in fish life histories. This project aims to quantify the cumulative impacts of harvest and climate change across marine fishes and ecosystems. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this area by coupling the rich biological information archived in fish ear bones, with targeted multi-generation experiments and predictive modelling. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into how human-induced environmental change affects fish growth and maturation, and a subsequent critical evaluation of the sensitivity of fisheries models to trends in these life-history traits. This should provide significant benefits to fisheries and ecosystem management, ensuring they remain productive and resilient in a time of rapid environmental change.Read moreRead less
Capturing Proteus: 65 million years of ecosystem change revealed through evolution of Proteaceae in Australasia. By assessing past changes in the iconic Australian plant family Proteaceae, this research will show how the Australasian vegetation has responded to 65 million years of profound landscape and climate changes. This knowledge from the past will give important insights into how ecosystems can be expected to change under future climate scenarios.
Reconstructing the evolution of climatic tolerances in conifers. This project aims to trace the evolution of climate tolerance in conifers by combining evidence from fossils, phylogenies, physiology and mathematics. The project plans to use innovative methods to overcome the biases in methods currently used to trace evolutionary change. The project plans to integrate data from three sources: the global fossil record, new models of current climatic tolerances of conifers, and mathematical simulat ....Reconstructing the evolution of climatic tolerances in conifers. This project aims to trace the evolution of climate tolerance in conifers by combining evidence from fossils, phylogenies, physiology and mathematics. The project plans to use innovative methods to overcome the biases in methods currently used to trace evolutionary change. The project plans to integrate data from three sources: the global fossil record, new models of current climatic tolerances of conifers, and mathematical simulations of how and when methods of reconstructing ancestral ecology fail. The combined results should show how this important group of organisms has responded to past climate change and how they will respond in the future. It should also provide improved estimates of past terrestrial climates.Read moreRead less
Mobility, stasis or extinction? The response of plants to long-term environmental change. This study of Australian plants will improve our ability to predict how plants and vegetation will respond to climate change by investigating the ability of plants to survive climate change. In particular, this project is designed to generate simple principles that can be used in management of species and vegetation at risk from climate change.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR140300001
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$24,000,000.00
Summary
Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. This multidisciplinary proposal has four integrated research themes which enhance existing Antarctic research. The proposal will build new polar research capability in Tasmania to secure and reinforce its recognition as a global leader in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science; develop a marine technology hub; leverage co-investment with national and overseas agencies; and further establish Tasmania as a gateway for Antarctic research, education, innovation a ....Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. This multidisciplinary proposal has four integrated research themes which enhance existing Antarctic research. The proposal will build new polar research capability in Tasmania to secure and reinforce its recognition as a global leader in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science; develop a marine technology hub; leverage co-investment with national and overseas agencies; and further establish Tasmania as a gateway for Antarctic research, education, innovation and logistics. The initiative will bolster Australia's Antarctic program via integration of novel understanding of ice-shelf and ice sheet contributions to present-day sea level change, and new perspectives on polar marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles, and sea-ice forecasting.Read moreRead less