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Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. ....Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. Dieback of our iconic snow gum forests is diminishing the ecological, hydrological and cultural values of the Australian Alps and will impact state and national water-supply and power-generation systems. Our research will inform Alps-wide management efforts designed for long-term success.Read moreRead less
Building resilient alpine environments with less snow. In this project, we aim to build resilience into alpine National Parks and Alpine Resorts to counter the effects of ongoing declines in snow. Alpine environments depend on snow to regulate water flows, insulate vegetation, control soil erosion and promote proper ecosystem functioning. How these processes will operate in a snow-free future is unknown. We will determine how and where snow characteristics drive soil water availability for plant ....Building resilient alpine environments with less snow. In this project, we aim to build resilience into alpine National Parks and Alpine Resorts to counter the effects of ongoing declines in snow. Alpine environments depend on snow to regulate water flows, insulate vegetation, control soil erosion and promote proper ecosystem functioning. How these processes will operate in a snow-free future is unknown. We will determine how and where snow characteristics drive soil water availability for plants and which plant species have the best adaptation and regeneration potential under extreme conditions such as heat, frost and drought. Benefits of the project include innovative land management and rehabilitation solutions, to safeguard Australia's alpine areas under changing environmental conditions.Read moreRead less
Unlocking telomere effects on life, death and fitness in a warming world. Few things in biology provoke such a strong desire for understanding as when adult death and fatal disease can be predicted early in life. A common factor linking early life stress, disease, ageing and time of death are telomeres, the protective regions at the end of each chromosome. This project aims to explicitly link telomere dynamics in free-living ectotherm populations with experimental approaches to advance our under ....Unlocking telomere effects on life, death and fitness in a warming world. Few things in biology provoke such a strong desire for understanding as when adult death and fatal disease can be predicted early in life. A common factor linking early life stress, disease, ageing and time of death are telomeres, the protective regions at the end of each chromosome. This project aims to explicitly link telomere dynamics in free-living ectotherm populations with experimental approaches to advance our understanding of parental and environmental effects on offspring telomeres and their effects later in life. This project will take advantage of one of the world’s longest datasets on ectotherm responses to climate to provide new knowledge of how telomeres affect fitness and the role that the environment plays.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100121
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,534.00
Summary
Why do some declining species persist while others go extinct? Global change is driving thousands of species towards extinction. Legislation requires the protection of biodiversity, but current scientific understanding of species declines limits effective action. By taking a new approach to studying species declines, this integrative research aims to identify why some species persist, while others decline. This project is expected to improve understanding of species vulnerability to extinction, ....Why do some declining species persist while others go extinct? Global change is driving thousands of species towards extinction. Legislation requires the protection of biodiversity, but current scientific understanding of species declines limits effective action. By taking a new approach to studying species declines, this integrative research aims to identify why some species persist, while others decline. This project is expected to improve understanding of species vulnerability to extinction, and the conditions which allow species to coexist with threats. Anticipated benefits include advancing ecological theory, improving conservation planning, and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of policy and management to prevent species extinctions.Read moreRead less
Drivers of phenotypic evolution in a vulnerable alpine ecosystem. This project aims to deliver a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the capacity for resilience and drivers of response of highly vulnerable alpine species and communities to climate change. The project aims to determine how communities of interacting alpine plants, soil invertebrates and microbes can cope with or evolve to novel climatic conditions. The mountains are water towers critical to power supply and Australia's agr ....Drivers of phenotypic evolution in a vulnerable alpine ecosystem. This project aims to deliver a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the capacity for resilience and drivers of response of highly vulnerable alpine species and communities to climate change. The project aims to determine how communities of interacting alpine plants, soil invertebrates and microbes can cope with or evolve to novel climatic conditions. The mountains are water towers critical to power supply and Australia's agricultural productivity. Understanding physiological tolerance and the potential for rapid evolutionary responses of plants, animals and communities is necessary to predict impacts of climate change on the future productivity of the vulnerable Australian Alps and to provide novel options for climate adaptation. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100026
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Startle displays: a new route to resolving the aposematism paradox. This project aims to propose an empirical evaluation of startle displays as the ‘missing link’ in antipredator defences. The evolutionary origin of warning colouration is considered paradoxical in that conspicuous mutant prey should be attacked and killed as they evolve, denying predators any chance to learn to avoid them. Startle displays, however, are antipredator defences that exploit predator reflexes through a sudden transi ....Startle displays: a new route to resolving the aposematism paradox. This project aims to propose an empirical evaluation of startle displays as the ‘missing link’ in antipredator defences. The evolutionary origin of warning colouration is considered paradoxical in that conspicuous mutant prey should be attacked and killed as they evolve, denying predators any chance to learn to avoid them. Startle displays, however, are antipredator defences that exploit predator reflexes through a sudden transition from camouflage to warning colouration. This work merges theory on antipredator defences, deepens knowledge of their fitness costs and benefits, and provides a new resolution to a classic evolutionary paradox.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100812
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,748.00
Summary
Using evolutionary theory to advance reproductive technologies. This project aims to address the global biodiversity crisis by incorporating evolutionary theory into the study of reproductive technologies. With 41% of amphibian species now threatened with extinction, this project expects to revolutionise the field, enhancing the propagation and genetic management of threatened amphibians. Specifically, incorporating evolutionary theory into the study of amphibian reproductive technologies will i ....Using evolutionary theory to advance reproductive technologies. This project aims to address the global biodiversity crisis by incorporating evolutionary theory into the study of reproductive technologies. With 41% of amphibian species now threatened with extinction, this project expects to revolutionise the field, enhancing the propagation and genetic management of threatened amphibians. Specifically, incorporating evolutionary theory into the study of amphibian reproductive technologies will increase our capacity to predict spermiation responses and identify parental-genetic incompatibilities that may compromise offspring viability. Ultimately, this novel approach will provide significant benefits by fast-tracking the development of reproductive technologies for threatened species recovery.Read moreRead less