Restoring resilience in wildlife populations. This project will be the first to develop landscape models of habitat quality for wildlife that are based on a mechanistic, animal-centric approach to quantifying habitat. This will be an important step in understanding the habitat elements that wildlife need to live in altered landscapes, with implications central to restoration and revegetation.
Revealing how top predators maintain healthy balanced ecosystems. Large predators play a pivotal role in maintaining healthy, balanced ecosystems. This project will reveal how Australia's largest predator, the dingo, provides ecosystem services and benefits biodiversity.
Arresting declines of arboreal mammals in the tropical savannas. This project aims to evaluate the hypothesis that arboreal species are limited by the abundance of tree hollows, and that historical increases in the frequency of intense fires may be reducing hollow abundance. Northern Australia’s mammals are in severe decline, and arboreal species are among those that have fared worst. There is abundant anecdotal evidence that a decline in hollow abundance is the cause. Working with the Western A ....Arresting declines of arboreal mammals in the tropical savannas. This project aims to evaluate the hypothesis that arboreal species are limited by the abundance of tree hollows, and that historical increases in the frequency of intense fires may be reducing hollow abundance. Northern Australia’s mammals are in severe decline, and arboreal species are among those that have fared worst. There is abundant anecdotal evidence that a decline in hollow abundance is the cause. Working with the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife in the Kimberley, the last region on the Australian mainland with an intact mammal fauna, the project aims to explore management options for increasing the availability of hollow denning sites for arboreal mammals (e.g. fire management, artificial nest boxes), and evaluate the likely impact of such actions on mammal populations across northern Australia.Read moreRead less
Are kangaroos jeopardizing conservation outcomes? There is concern that grazing by over-abundant kangaroos is jeopardising the goals of arid conservation reserves, but there is little evidence about the extent of their impacts. The goal of this proposal is to quantify kangaroos' grazing effects on biodiversity within arid conservation reserves. The results will provide a whole ecosystem understanding of how overgrazing by kangaroos influences the biodiversity conservation value of the vast lands ....Are kangaroos jeopardizing conservation outcomes? There is concern that grazing by over-abundant kangaroos is jeopardising the goals of arid conservation reserves, but there is little evidence about the extent of their impacts. The goal of this proposal is to quantify kangaroos' grazing effects on biodiversity within arid conservation reserves. The results will provide a whole ecosystem understanding of how overgrazing by kangaroos influences the biodiversity conservation value of the vast landscapes of arid Australia. Managers of many conservation reserves, including our project partners, and policy-makers need the information that our experiments will provide to inform the development of strategies to optimise biodiversity conservation and manage the impacts of kangaroos.Read moreRead less
Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This proje ....Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This project builds on this work by focusing on cultural and genetic transmission of toad-smart behaviour. The project could save numerous quoll populations from extinction.Read moreRead less
Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on ....Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on biological communities. The project expects to improve understanding of how behaviour and social interactions influence ecological outcomes, improving conservation and management.Read moreRead less
Keystone effects of Australia's top predators: dingoes, devils and biodiversity. This project will study the interactions of Australia's two largest predators, the dingo and Tasmanian devil, with other species. The project will help develop an understanding of the value of these predators in maintaining ecosystem processes and diversity, and guide their management in the future.
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
Pyroherbivory and the nexus between Aboriginal fire mosaics and kangaroos. This project aims to examine the effects of traditional Aboriginal and contemporary fire management on kangaroo abundance. There is concern that the cessation of Aboriginal patch burning is causing savanna kangaroo populations to decline across northern Australia. In this project, surveys will be planned to determine whether fire regime (frequency, extent, season) affects kangaroo distribution and abundance and the degree ....Pyroherbivory and the nexus between Aboriginal fire mosaics and kangaroos. This project aims to examine the effects of traditional Aboriginal and contemporary fire management on kangaroo abundance. There is concern that the cessation of Aboriginal patch burning is causing savanna kangaroo populations to decline across northern Australia. In this project, surveys will be planned to determine whether fire regime (frequency, extent, season) affects kangaroo distribution and abundance and the degree to which non-native large herbivores compete with kangaroos for forage. Experiments will also be planned to discover how the season of burning influences forage quality and quantity. This project is designed to determine if patch burning can be used for ecological restoration in areas where this type of fire management has ceased and for improvement of tropical savanna fire management.Read moreRead less
Using guardian dogs to protect threatened species. This project explores whether guardian dogs can be used to reduce predation on threatened native wildlife. Guardian dogs are ancient breeds of dogs that live with livestock and protect them from wild predators. The project aims to measure the impacts of guardian dogs on distribution and behaviour of feral cats and red foxes, and monitor trial reintroductions of eastern barred bandicoots in the presence of guardian dogs. It aims to provide an inn ....Using guardian dogs to protect threatened species. This project explores whether guardian dogs can be used to reduce predation on threatened native wildlife. Guardian dogs are ancient breeds of dogs that live with livestock and protect them from wild predators. The project aims to measure the impacts of guardian dogs on distribution and behaviour of feral cats and red foxes, and monitor trial reintroductions of eastern barred bandicoots in the presence of guardian dogs. It aims to provide an innovative solution to one of Australia's most significant conservation problems: the persistent failure of attempts to reintroduce threatened species to open landscapes with invasive predators.Read moreRead less