Developing strategies for rehabilitating floodgated coastal wetlands: linking wetland hydrology, vegetation dynamics and waterbird communities. Along the Australian eastern seaboard, historical installation of floodgates on coastal wetlands has altered the hydrology and biogeochemistry of these systems with subsequent deterioration in their ecological integrity. This project will investigate structural and functional links between hydrology, vegetation and threatened waterbirds in wetlands of t ....Developing strategies for rehabilitating floodgated coastal wetlands: linking wetland hydrology, vegetation dynamics and waterbird communities. Along the Australian eastern seaboard, historical installation of floodgates on coastal wetlands has altered the hydrology and biogeochemistry of these systems with subsequent deterioration in their ecological integrity. This project will investigate structural and functional links between hydrology, vegetation and threatened waterbirds in wetlands of the New South Wales north coast. We will develop GIS-based ecological models to identify how these links are spatially and temporally altered by floodgate manipulation. Our overarching aim is to develop scientifically-validated protocols for floodgate manipulations that will aid managers in conserving the ecological integrity of coastal floodplain wetlands.Read moreRead less
Plant-herbivore interactions: a model two-species system from northern Australia. The proposed research addresses a critical aspect of magpie goose ecology. Understanding the interaction between the birds and the bulbs is critical to respond effectively to past and threatened losses of important sedge habitats to sea level rise. This knowledge will inform management of the Kakadu World Heritage Site and an iconic waterfowl of great cultural and economic significance. In addition to their importa ....Plant-herbivore interactions: a model two-species system from northern Australia. The proposed research addresses a critical aspect of magpie goose ecology. Understanding the interaction between the birds and the bulbs is critical to respond effectively to past and threatened losses of important sedge habitats to sea level rise. This knowledge will inform management of the Kakadu World Heritage Site and an iconic waterfowl of great cultural and economic significance. In addition to their importance as a Gondwanan relic and sole member of the Family Anseranatidae, the species is an important food-source for Aboriginal people, and tourists travel to the Kakadu wetlands to witness huge dry season congregations.Read moreRead less