450 Million year history of plant gas exchange capacity and the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Our planet faces an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide that is unprecedented in human history, but has occurred in ancient times. By studying the relationship between past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, plant gas exchange and climate we will gain powerful global insight into future scenarios of continental carbon and water fluxes. This global perspective is essential for Australia to a ....450 Million year history of plant gas exchange capacity and the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Our planet faces an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide that is unprecedented in human history, but has occurred in ancient times. By studying the relationship between past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, plant gas exchange and climate we will gain powerful global insight into future scenarios of continental carbon and water fluxes. This global perspective is essential for Australia to assess its vulnerability to global climate change in relation to other nations, thereby informing national planning of landscape resource use, including primary industry, water infrastructure and carbon trading.Read moreRead less
Modelling the impact of simulated warming on marine microbial production of dimethylsulphide on a global scale. The ultimate goal of Earth systems science is to understand the planet's functioning well enough to explain past changes (eg ice ages) and to predict future states of the system (eg the magnitude of greenhouse warming). This is possible only if the climate system can be accurately modelled. This project aims to examine the effect of simulated climate change on the global production of ....Modelling the impact of simulated warming on marine microbial production of dimethylsulphide on a global scale. The ultimate goal of Earth systems science is to understand the planet's functioning well enough to explain past changes (eg ice ages) and to predict future states of the system (eg the magnitude of greenhouse warming). This is possible only if the climate system can be accurately modelled. This project aims to examine the effect of simulated climate change on the global production of dimethylsulphide (DMS) by marine microbial ecosystems. DMS has been hypothesised as an important biogenic feedback on global warming.
This work will provide the first ecosystem modelling estimates of the
global radiative forcing due to DMS and thus decrease the uncertainty in current climate projections.Read moreRead less
Environmental change, carbon cycling and human impact in tropical Australia. This fellowhip will provide the fundamental science outputs required to understand the complex linkages between terrestrial ecosystems, environmental change and human impact in the tropics - in Australia and globally - thereby assisting in
(i) predicting the response of tropical ecosystems to future environmental change and respond to the impacts of tropical climate variability
(ii) developing and validating method ....Environmental change, carbon cycling and human impact in tropical Australia. This fellowhip will provide the fundamental science outputs required to understand the complex linkages between terrestrial ecosystems, environmental change and human impact in the tropics - in Australia and globally - thereby assisting in
(i) predicting the response of tropical ecosystems to future environmental change and respond to the impacts of tropical climate variability
(ii) developing and validating methodologies for improved carbon sequestration, verifiable carbon accounting and emissions trading
(iii) achieving sustainability in the utilization of the natural resource base of tropical Australia by optimizing the balance between wealth creation and environmental impact
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Changing Seas at Cellular to Cross-Ocean Scales. Australia relies greatly upon its rich natural environmental resources for goods, services and for economic growth (tourism, fisheries, and recreational industries). Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the natural marine environment. As the climate warms and oceans become more acidic, corals, the framework builders of reefs, experience unfavourable conditions. This project aims to better understand the processes by which ocean acidifi ....Changing Seas at Cellular to Cross-Ocean Scales. Australia relies greatly upon its rich natural environmental resources for goods, services and for economic growth (tourism, fisheries, and recreational industries). Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the natural marine environment. As the climate warms and oceans become more acidic, corals, the framework builders of reefs, experience unfavourable conditions. This project aims to better understand the processes by which ocean acidification and climate change affect corals, and to develop management tools for the mitigation of, and acclimation to, climate change. By so doing, this project will enable managers of Australia's Great Barrier Reef to better respond to the threatening challenges that climate change poses. Read moreRead less
The resilience of marine ecosystems and fisheries to climate change: exploring adaptation strategies. This project will underpin Australia's commitment to maintaining environmental biodiversity and sustainability in the face of climate change. The Fellowship investigates the consequences of climate change on marine plants and animals, harvested resources and ecosystem functioning by identifying vulnerable species and habitats. It will provide management advice on balancing biodiversity and econo ....The resilience of marine ecosystems and fisheries to climate change: exploring adaptation strategies. This project will underpin Australia's commitment to maintaining environmental biodiversity and sustainability in the face of climate change. The Fellowship investigates the consequences of climate change on marine plants and animals, harvested resources and ecosystem functioning by identifying vulnerable species and habitats. It will provide management advice on balancing biodiversity and economic output under climate change. This information is of immediate use to a range of stakeholders including national, state and local government agencies. With its focus on ecological, economic and social impacts, this project will put Australian scientists at the forefront of research on the adaptation of marine ecosystems to climate change.Read moreRead less
Drought, El Niño and Climate Change in Queensland over the last 200,000 years: the Lynch's Crater lake record. Lynch's Crater (Queensland) provides the longest, most sensitive terrestrial record of vegetation and climate change in the low altitude tropics. A multidisciplinary approach will exploit the potential of a core collected in 2003 through high-resolution multiproxy (sedimentology, geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes, pollen, charcoal and diatoms) studies. The results will contri ....Drought, El Niño and Climate Change in Queensland over the last 200,000 years: the Lynch's Crater lake record. Lynch's Crater (Queensland) provides the longest, most sensitive terrestrial record of vegetation and climate change in the low altitude tropics. A multidisciplinary approach will exploit the potential of a core collected in 2003 through high-resolution multiproxy (sedimentology, geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes, pollen, charcoal and diatoms) studies. The results will contribute substantially to the resolution of current debates on the role of the tropics in global climate forcing at a variety of temporal scales, including that of the El Niño phenomenon. The reconstruction of temperature and precipitation over the past 200,000 years will improve global climate databases and prediction models.Read moreRead less
The abundance and isotope composition of pyrogenic carbon in tropical savannas. Tropical savanna burning represents an important but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. This project will quantify the dynamics of pyrogenic carbon (charcoal, soot, biochar) production and dispersal during savanna fires. Pyrogenic carbon is important because it can persist in the environment for thousands of years. Hence it represents both a 'sink' for carbon and a source of information about pas ....The abundance and isotope composition of pyrogenic carbon in tropical savannas. Tropical savanna burning represents an important but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. This project will quantify the dynamics of pyrogenic carbon (charcoal, soot, biochar) production and dispersal during savanna fires. Pyrogenic carbon is important because it can persist in the environment for thousands of years. Hence it represents both a 'sink' for carbon and a source of information about past environments. The project will also assist in validating 'biochar' as a new tool for carbon sequestration, an enable a deeper understanding of the interactions between fire, humans, vegetation and climate.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,000.00
Summary
The Heron Island Climate Change Observatory: An In-Situ Ocean Acidification and Carbonate Chemistry Monitoring Platform. Climate change and ocean acidification are widely recognized as key threats to Australia's natural ecosystems, yet we are currently ill-equipped to respond due to poor knowledge of the scale/nature of the impacts. The Heron Island Climate Change Observatory will establish key infrastructure that will rapidly improve our understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification whic ....The Heron Island Climate Change Observatory: An In-Situ Ocean Acidification and Carbonate Chemistry Monitoring Platform. Climate change and ocean acidification are widely recognized as key threats to Australia's natural ecosystems, yet we are currently ill-equipped to respond due to poor knowledge of the scale/nature of the impacts. The Heron Island Climate Change Observatory will establish key infrastructure that will rapidly improve our understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification which is important to local communities and the nation given that coral reefs support over $6 billion in revenue (and employ 60,000 people) each year. This critically important information is essential to the management and protection of Australia's coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef.
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The impact of ocean acidification on the fertilization, larval development and recruitment of key Australian marine organisms. This work will define the potential vulnerability for Australian marine ecosystems that arises from the rapid acidification of Australia's coastal environments by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Our preliminary data suggest that the early life history stages of a wide range of marine species are very sensitive to the impact of ocean acidification. At present, almost ....The impact of ocean acidification on the fertilization, larval development and recruitment of key Australian marine organisms. This work will define the potential vulnerability for Australian marine ecosystems that arises from the rapid acidification of Australia's coastal environments by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Our preliminary data suggest that the early life history stages of a wide range of marine species are very sensitive to the impact of ocean acidification. At present, almost nothing is known about the impacts and implications of these changes. Without this knowledge, however, we are in a poor position as a nation to respond and adapt to these changes. We plan to explore this vulnerability for Australian marine organisms and develop a detailed understanding of its implications for Australia's marine ecosystems and associated industries. Read moreRead less
Environmental stress indicators in coral skeletons. Coral reefs are critical for Australia's tourism and fisheries industries, cultural heritage and international conservation responsibilities. The proposed research will test and document two newly identified stress indicators in corals, one of which will allow stress to be documented by visual inspection on living reef flats. Both new techniques will allow documentation of historical records of stress events, thus improving understanding of ree ....Environmental stress indicators in coral skeletons. Coral reefs are critical for Australia's tourism and fisheries industries, cultural heritage and international conservation responsibilities. The proposed research will test and document two newly identified stress indicators in corals, one of which will allow stress to be documented by visual inspection on living reef flats. Both new techniques will allow documentation of historical records of stress events, thus improving understanding of reef dynamics through intervals of climate change, and importantly, they also may help detect 'early warning signs' of poor health in living reef corals. Thus, the research will inform both palaeoclimate studies and current reef management strategies. Read moreRead less