Unravelling community interactions between mammals and fungi, and the role of mycophagy in mediating biodiversity and driving ecosystem processes. Maintenance of Australia's forest biodiversity and healthy forested ecosystems are of national importance. Mammal species that are key to dispersing beneficial fungi in our forests have suffered greatest declines in the past, and further declines may ultimately lead to ecosystem collapse. My research seeks to unravel community relationship between ma ....Unravelling community interactions between mammals and fungi, and the role of mycophagy in mediating biodiversity and driving ecosystem processes. Maintenance of Australia's forest biodiversity and healthy forested ecosystems are of national importance. Mammal species that are key to dispersing beneficial fungi in our forests have suffered greatest declines in the past, and further declines may ultimately lead to ecosystem collapse. My research seeks to unravel community relationship between mammals and fungi, and how interactions within and between these groups maintain diverse communities. My results will enable forest managers to protect forest biodiversity from current and future threats and to restore degraded ecosystems. Through training of early career ecologists, the research also represents a tangible benefit to Australian science.Read moreRead less
Dynamic networks in a patchy landscape: will species interactions adjust to increased climatic extremes? This project addresses pressing questions on how increased climatic extremes will affect species diversity in arid Australia, building on the longest ecological dataset available for the continent's vast but fragile inland landscapes. Our tests of key ideas about strong interactions among species, their role in building resilient communities and conserving biodiversity, will generate consider ....Dynamic networks in a patchy landscape: will species interactions adjust to increased climatic extremes? This project addresses pressing questions on how increased climatic extremes will affect species diversity in arid Australia, building on the longest ecological dataset available for the continent's vast but fragile inland landscapes. Our tests of key ideas about strong interactions among species, their role in building resilient communities and conserving biodiversity, will generate considerable international interest, while our focus on interactions of species at water sources will address knowledge gaps to inform best practice in managing converted pastoral lands. The results will contribute to retaining healthy functioning ecosystems, and the vital production systems they support, as the global climate changes.Read moreRead less
How do foraging herbivores negotiate the twin perils of plant toxins and predators? Our research uses a new framework which links the costs of both plant toxins and predation risk to determine their effects on individual foraging herbivores. This will enable a new way of analysing and predicting the impact of changes to habitat diversity on native herbivores, and the impact of invasive alien herbivore and predator species on natural ecosystems and in human crop production. This is extremely valu ....How do foraging herbivores negotiate the twin perils of plant toxins and predators? Our research uses a new framework which links the costs of both plant toxins and predation risk to determine their effects on individual foraging herbivores. This will enable a new way of analysing and predicting the impact of changes to habitat diversity on native herbivores, and the impact of invasive alien herbivore and predator species on natural ecosystems and in human crop production. This is extremely valuable in today's economic and social climate, when management must be underpinned by evidence of impact and by quantification of costs and benefits of mitigation.Read moreRead less
Do dingoes regulate the structure of arid ecosystems? Predation by the red fox and land degradation due to overgrazing have been identified as major factors contributing to the loss of biodiversity in arid Australia. I hypothesise that dingoes by regulating populations of foxes and herbivores may have positive effects on biodiversity. If this hypothesis is supported, this project will have great significance for biodiversity conservation and is likely to irrevocably change land and wildlife man ....Do dingoes regulate the structure of arid ecosystems? Predation by the red fox and land degradation due to overgrazing have been identified as major factors contributing to the loss of biodiversity in arid Australia. I hypothesise that dingoes by regulating populations of foxes and herbivores may have positive effects on biodiversity. If this hypothesis is supported, this project will have great significance for biodiversity conservation and is likely to irrevocably change land and wildlife management practices in Australia. The recommendations arising from this research will influence policy on land management and contribute to achieving an environmentally sustainable Australia.
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Protecting prey with chemical camouflage. We develop an entirely new solution to protect rare and endangered wildlife and to improve the survival of rehabilitated and reintroduced animals at risk from alien predation. Our cost-effective approach will improve conservation efforts in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to protect key wildlife. Our technique can also be exported to solve alien species problems else ....Protecting prey with chemical camouflage. We develop an entirely new solution to protect rare and endangered wildlife and to improve the survival of rehabilitated and reintroduced animals at risk from alien predation. Our cost-effective approach will improve conservation efforts in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to protect key wildlife. Our technique can also be exported to solve alien species problems elsewhere in the world. This work strengthens Australia's world renowned expertise for research into alien species and ability to develop novel solutions to alien impactsRead moreRead less