Conservation management of seed-eating birds in the tropical savannas. Biodiversity loss in the savannas indicates unsustainable management. This research will enhance our abilities to effectively manage Australia's tropical savannas, as well as contributing to several State and Territory, Commonwealth and international obligations to maintain biodiversity. Understanding the processes underlying current declines will also make the effects of future management or environment changes easier to pre ....Conservation management of seed-eating birds in the tropical savannas. Biodiversity loss in the savannas indicates unsustainable management. This research will enhance our abilities to effectively manage Australia's tropical savannas, as well as contributing to several State and Territory, Commonwealth and international obligations to maintain biodiversity. Understanding the processes underlying current declines will also make the effects of future management or environment changes easier to predict. Retaining threatened species can benefit remote and regional communities through tourism, and also through the extra employment required to implement the management prescriptions that will be developed from this research.Read moreRead less
Exposure and sensitivity of marine turtles and dugongs to dioxins - a risk assessment in near shore marine environments of Queensland. The World Heritage Great Barrier Reef sustains unique marine biota such as dugongs and turtles. High concentrations of harmful dioxins have been reported recently in dugongs. However, the impacts of these contaminants on the health of dugong and turtle populations remain unknown. This study will redress the general lack of toxicological information available f ....Exposure and sensitivity of marine turtles and dugongs to dioxins - a risk assessment in near shore marine environments of Queensland. The World Heritage Great Barrier Reef sustains unique marine biota such as dugongs and turtles. High concentrations of harmful dioxins have been reported recently in dugongs. However, the impacts of these contaminants on the health of dugong and turtle populations remain unknown. This study will redress the general lack of toxicological information available for reptiles and dugongs. This includes assessments of exposure, pathways as well as toxicological responses to the compounds of concern, to provide a robust assessment of the risks associated. The outcomes will guide management policy designed to protect the environmental health of Queensland's Marine Parks.Read moreRead less
Optimal management of threatened amphibian metapopulations in urbanising landscapes. This project will enable the identification of optimal management strategies for many species threatened by the loss and fragmentation of their habitat, both in Australia and internationally. Our research will contribute to the recovery of the endangered Growling Grass Frog, and drive the conservation of wetland biodiversity on the fringe of Australia's fastest growing city. Both the methods and specific recomme ....Optimal management of threatened amphibian metapopulations in urbanising landscapes. This project will enable the identification of optimal management strategies for many species threatened by the loss and fragmentation of their habitat, both in Australia and internationally. Our research will contribute to the recovery of the endangered Growling Grass Frog, and drive the conservation of wetland biodiversity on the fringe of Australia's fastest growing city. Both the methods and specific recommendations for management that we develop will contribute to the goal of an environmentally-sustainable Australia. This project will expand Australia's capacity to solve conservation problems, and will promote biological diversity in urban environments, to the benefit of their human inhabitants.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
Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotope ....Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotopes and aboriginal land management. The project will provide a late Quaternary environmental reconstruction along a transect from the coastal regions in South Australia into the Lake Eyre Basin and explore the methodological limitations at sites with long fossil records.Read moreRead less
Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects ....Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects key environmental variables, and test the sensitivity of threatened plants to wild horse browsing and trampling. A key outcome will be development of scientifically-validated protocols for assessing horse impacts, and for managing wild horses in other areas of eastern Australia.Read moreRead less
Estuarine wetland rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: the link between hydraulics, sediment, benthic invertebrates, vegetation and migratory wading bird habitat. Water flow is the lifeblood of estuarine wetlands and has a major impact on ecological habitat. Despite this, little is known about the link between the threatened migratory birdlife, benthic invertebrates, wetland vegetation and the aqueous environment that supports them. This study will determine the interrelationships between key chara ....Estuarine wetland rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: the link between hydraulics, sediment, benthic invertebrates, vegetation and migratory wading bird habitat. Water flow is the lifeblood of estuarine wetlands and has a major impact on ecological habitat. Despite this, little is known about the link between the threatened migratory birdlife, benthic invertebrates, wetland vegetation and the aqueous environment that supports them. This study will determine the interrelationships between key characteristics of migratory wader habitat and the hydraulic environment. The study will be conducted in the internationally significant Hunter estuary. The project will result in ecological management strategies based on hydraulic control for estuarine wetlands. These are essential for the design of culverts and roads and other development throughout coastal Australia.Read moreRead less
Optimal management of complex ecological systems. Natural systems are inherently complex and difficult to predict. This complexity means that efficient management strategies are often uncertain, and resource managers have few theories or rules on which to base their decisions. We will integrate the existing theories and principles of conservation biology with decision-making tools and theory used in statistics, economics, control theory, engineering and mathematics. We will use novel methods to ....Optimal management of complex ecological systems. Natural systems are inherently complex and difficult to predict. This complexity means that efficient management strategies are often uncertain, and resource managers have few theories or rules on which to base their decisions. We will integrate the existing theories and principles of conservation biology with decision-making tools and theory used in statistics, economics, control theory, engineering and mathematics. We will use novel methods to investigate the reliability of different management decisions that are made in the face of uncertainty and involve learning. Our aim is to discover a general theory for a new branch of conservation biology: applied theoretical conservation ecology.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.
Read moreRead less
Integrating multiple conservation values for protection and restoration of native vegetation. The project will underpin Australia's ability to enhance its competitive advantages in an environmentally sustainable fashion. We will develop better methods for integrating conservation goals related to biodiversity, soil conservation, water quality, salinity mitigation and carbon sequestration to identify areas where multiple benefits can be obtained and funding can be spent more effectively. Our resu ....Integrating multiple conservation values for protection and restoration of native vegetation. The project will underpin Australia's ability to enhance its competitive advantages in an environmentally sustainable fashion. We will develop better methods for integrating conservation goals related to biodiversity, soil conservation, water quality, salinity mitigation and carbon sequestration to identify areas where multiple benefits can be obtained and funding can be spent more effectively. Our results and techniques will be of immediate use to national, state and local governments, catchment authorities, and community groups. The project will maintain Australian scientists at the international forefront of environmental management and provide high-quality training for young scientists.Read moreRead less