Horizontal ecological networks for understanding biodiversity maintenance. The project aims to develop new ecological theory on local diversity maintenance based on an innovative interaction network model, tested on Western Australian wildflower communities. It is novel in its focus on the complexity of species interactions and their importance to diversity maintenance in nature. This project aims to explore links between plant interaction networks and coexistence theory to provide theoretical e ....Horizontal ecological networks for understanding biodiversity maintenance. The project aims to develop new ecological theory on local diversity maintenance based on an innovative interaction network model, tested on Western Australian wildflower communities. It is novel in its focus on the complexity of species interactions and their importance to diversity maintenance in nature. This project aims to explore links between plant interaction networks and coexistence theory to provide theoretical expectations for how changes to the environment are expected to alter natural plant communities. It aims to fill theory-gap about mechanisms of multi-species coexistence, advance community ecology, and provide the theoretical foundations necessary for translating ecological theory to restoration and conservation in practice.Read moreRead less
The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecologic ....The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecological impacts of industry development. Important benefits of the project include information and tools for streamlining development approvals and accurately assessing risks to threatened species to improve outcomes for both our economy and our natural environment.Read moreRead less
Pathways to semelparity versus early maturity in animals and plants. The project aims to resolve an important but unresolved question in life history evolution and ecology- which mechanisms and constraints lead to semelparity (breeding once, which is rare), and which lead to fast life history (breeding early, which is common) in animals and plants. Theory predicts that both may be adaptations to schedules of adult death. Understanding why males and females have either semelparous or fast life hi ....Pathways to semelparity versus early maturity in animals and plants. The project aims to resolve an important but unresolved question in life history evolution and ecology- which mechanisms and constraints lead to semelparity (breeding once, which is rare), and which lead to fast life history (breeding early, which is common) in animals and plants. Theory predicts that both may be adaptations to schedules of adult death. Understanding why males and females have either semelparous or fast life history strategies is crucial to predicting survival of harvested and threatened species under pressure from climate change, drought, predators, and diseases that kill adults. Expected project outcomes include improved ability to address agents of decline of threatened animals and plants including semelparous species.Read moreRead less