Constructing a temporally-constrained palaeoecological model of Quaternary faunal evolution and extinction in eastern Australia. Increased climatic variability and human-induced environmental degradation have had severe impacts on biodiversity, socio-economic sustainability and possibly our own future survival, thus attracting global attention. This study will help unravel the causes of the extinctions of Australia's large-size animals (megafauna) during the periods of last glaciation and earlie ....Constructing a temporally-constrained palaeoecological model of Quaternary faunal evolution and extinction in eastern Australia. Increased climatic variability and human-induced environmental degradation have had severe impacts on biodiversity, socio-economic sustainability and possibly our own future survival, thus attracting global attention. This study will help unravel the causes of the extinctions of Australia's large-size animals (megafauna) during the periods of last glaciation and earliest human colonisation of Australia. Investigating the causes of megafauna extinction is essential for an understanding of how those prehistoric events shaped the modern biota, and for the development of conservation strategies for our endemic faunas in an era of increased climatic and environmental variability and vulnerability.Read moreRead less
Water resource management of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme catchment and the Murray-Darling River system - a new perspective on system reliability from drought history reconstruction. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme assists in underwriting the production of $3 billion of agricultural products in the Murray-Darling Basin each year by providing a reliable source of water west of the Great Dividing Range, while Hydro-electric generation from the Scheme is worth annually severa ....Water resource management of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme catchment and the Murray-Darling River system - a new perspective on system reliability from drought history reconstruction. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme assists in underwriting the production of $3 billion of agricultural products in the Murray-Darling Basin each year by providing a reliable source of water west of the Great Dividing Range, while Hydro-electric generation from the Scheme is worth annually several hundred million dollars and provides 70% of the renewable energy supplied to the eastern mainland grid, thereby avoiding 5Mt of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This study will ensure the ongoing sustainable and efficient management of the Schemes water resources in response to predicted climate variability and most importantly, severe drought. Read moreRead less
Are humans responsible for recent changes in the behaviour of tropical cyclones? Decoupling natural variability from human influence using isotopes. An increase in the frequency of intense landfalling tropical cyclones will have a major impact upon Australia's economy and the safety of its citizens and visitors. There is little doubt that global climate change will cause this increase. Understanding when this might occur and the extent of this change over and above that which could also occur na ....Are humans responsible for recent changes in the behaviour of tropical cyclones? Decoupling natural variability from human influence using isotopes. An increase in the frequency of intense landfalling tropical cyclones will have a major impact upon Australia's economy and the safety of its citizens and visitors. There is little doubt that global climate change will cause this increase. Understanding when this might occur and the extent of this change over and above that which could also occur naturally will help reduce economic loss and save peoples' lives. Using isotope records of tropical cyclones and global climate models we will differentiate natural from human induced changes and ascertain the likely future impact of this hazard on Australia and its near neighbours.Read moreRead less
Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal ca ....Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal capacity to respond to climate change, so identifying appropriate governance structures and regulatory tools. This analysis is vital to positioning Australian environmental law to manage climate change impacts and associated social, ecological and economic costs and to ensure compliance with international obligations.Read moreRead less
The evolution of dispersal on range edges. The rate at which an invasive species spreads, and the ability of a native species to adapt to environmental change, are both contingent on the dispersal ability of the species. Dispersal ability, however, evolves rapidly on the edge of a species' range. The rapid evolution of dispersal, therefore, determines the eventual range-limits of invasive species, as well as of native species responding to changing conditions. This research will provide tools ....The evolution of dispersal on range edges. The rate at which an invasive species spreads, and the ability of a native species to adapt to environmental change, are both contingent on the dispersal ability of the species. Dispersal ability, however, evolves rapidly on the edge of a species' range. The rapid evolution of dispersal, therefore, determines the eventual range-limits of invasive species, as well as of native species responding to changing conditions. This research will provide tools with which to predict the direction and rate of dispersal evolution on range-edges. The results of this work will, thus, massively facilitate management of invasive species and climate change.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Innovative science for sustainable management of coral reef biodiversity. Our vision is to apply enabling technologies to capture the national benefit arising from research excellence. The Centre has enormous capacity to provide economic, cultural, environmental and social benefits for Australia. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, so ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Innovative science for sustainable management of coral reef biodiversity. Our vision is to apply enabling technologies to capture the national benefit arising from research excellence. The Centre has enormous capacity to provide economic, cultural, environmental and social benefits for Australia. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value to this country. In collaboration with our Partners, we will be the premier providers of the scientific expertise that underpins the management of Australian reefs, which is vital for the sustainable use of biodiversity goods and services (e.g. by the tourist industry, fisheries, and recreational users).Read moreRead less
Disperse or die: the evolution of dispersal ability in a changing climate. Whether or not climate change will affect a species depends upon the ability of ecological communities to track climate change. Species that rapidly shift their range in response to climate change will not be unduly affected, whereas species that are stuck in one place are at extreme risk from a changing climate (they must either adapt, or perish). We need, therefore, a firm understanding of how, and how rapidly, specie ....Disperse or die: the evolution of dispersal ability in a changing climate. Whether or not climate change will affect a species depends upon the ability of ecological communities to track climate change. Species that rapidly shift their range in response to climate change will not be unduly affected, whereas species that are stuck in one place are at extreme risk from a changing climate (they must either adapt, or perish). We need, therefore, a firm understanding of how, and how rapidly, species shift their range. This project will develop a universal framework within which to model species' responses to climate change. As such, the project will contribute greatly to how we plan for, and manage, the effects of climate change.Read moreRead less
Fingerprints of global climate change and forest management on rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling. Using a series of innovative techniques, this project seeks to capture the excellent, exciting opportunities for studying impacts of global climate change (GCC) and forest management on plant-soil-microbe interactions in rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling, with two of the world's best GCC forest experiments in Sweden and USA and three long-term forest management experiments in Australia. ....Fingerprints of global climate change and forest management on rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling. Using a series of innovative techniques, this project seeks to capture the excellent, exciting opportunities for studying impacts of global climate change (GCC) and forest management on plant-soil-microbe interactions in rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling, with two of the world's best GCC forest experiments in Sweden and USA and three long-term forest management experiments in Australia. The successful conduct of this multidisciplinary collaborative research will result in: improved understanding and management of forest ecosystems in response to GCC and effective biodiversity conservation in managed forests; and enhanced international reputation and expertise of the Australian scientists in the relevant research fields.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989642
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Environmentally Controlled Infrastructure to Investigate the Effects of Climate Change on the Great Barrier Reef. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value to this country. Climate change has the potential to impact the biodiversity of these reefs and their sustainable management. Temperature, CO2, pH and light can affect coral and fish re ....Environmentally Controlled Infrastructure to Investigate the Effects of Climate Change on the Great Barrier Reef. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value to this country. Climate change has the potential to impact the biodiversity of these reefs and their sustainable management. Temperature, CO2, pH and light can affect coral and fish reproduction, coral bleaching and the response to other anthropogenic intrusions. This facility will provide essential infrastructure for conducting fundamental research on these issues and will directly interface with management agencies to assist with the sustainable management of Australian reefs.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0454055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,719.00
Summary
Mass spectrometry facility for inorganic and organic analysis. The aim of the proposal is to increase the ability for JCU researchers to access high-level mass spectrometry analysis for inorganic (Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Sepctrometry, ICP-MS) and organic (Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer, GC-MS and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC-MS) chemical analysis. The proposal is significant in that it will simultaneously improve the existing highly-productive capabilities in inorgan ....Mass spectrometry facility for inorganic and organic analysis. The aim of the proposal is to increase the ability for JCU researchers to access high-level mass spectrometry analysis for inorganic (Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Sepctrometry, ICP-MS) and organic (Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer, GC-MS and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC-MS) chemical analysis. The proposal is significant in that it will simultaneously improve the existing highly-productive capabilities in inorganic analysis, whilst providing, for the first time, organic chemical analysis capabilities. This equipment will improve the capacity to undertake more incisive analytical research in the areas of research strength at JCU, that is, in Earth Science, Biological, Chemical, Engineering and Medicine.Read moreRead less