Laser cleaning processes for Roads and Maritime Services bridges. This project aims to develop innovative laser cleaning processes to conserve the structural integrity and iconic status of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. New laser technologies offer the opportunity to remove lead-based paint and clean the bridge’s metal structures and granite pylons offering advantages unavailable with current techniques. The expected outcomes will be new best-practice laser conservation techniques usable for both ha ....Laser cleaning processes for Roads and Maritime Services bridges. This project aims to develop innovative laser cleaning processes to conserve the structural integrity and iconic status of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. New laser technologies offer the opportunity to remove lead-based paint and clean the bridge’s metal structures and granite pylons offering advantages unavailable with current techniques. The expected outcomes will be new best-practice laser conservation techniques usable for both hand-held and automated systems to preserve one of the most iconic bridges in the world. This will reduce maintenance frequency and cost, restore the beauty of the bridge, retain its engineering significance and provide a baseline process for cleaning of other historical large scale metal and stone heritage objects.Read moreRead less
Enhancing biodiversity conservation in Australia: new insights and general principles from powerful new ecological syntheses. The innovative ecological syntheses in the exciting project aim to build Australia's national research capacity to greatly increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation strategies. The new insights, knowledge and practical solutions gained from this important research initiative will be critical for future visions and management of Australian landscapes. Without ....Enhancing biodiversity conservation in Australia: new insights and general principles from powerful new ecological syntheses. The innovative ecological syntheses in the exciting project aim to build Australia's national research capacity to greatly increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation strategies. The new insights, knowledge and practical solutions gained from this important research initiative will be critical for future visions and management of Australian landscapes. Without them we risk depleting the nation's biodiversity - which is a key issue given Australia's megadiversity status. Hence, this project addresses National Research Priority #1 - An Ecologically Sustainable Australia given its fundamental importance for key goals such as managing the nation's biodiversity and understanding natural systems. Read moreRead less
Innovative enhancement and management of threatened temperate woodlands for improved biodiversity conservation. We will test the broad question: Does woodland management affect woodland biota, and if so, which groups and in what ways? To answer this, we will quantify the effects of major woodland treatments (prescribed fire, timber addition, grazing control) on animals. We will implement a long-term, large-scale 'natural experiment' to provide critical data & analyses on the simultaneous effects ....Innovative enhancement and management of threatened temperate woodlands for improved biodiversity conservation. We will test the broad question: Does woodland management affect woodland biota, and if so, which groups and in what ways? To answer this, we will quantify the effects of major woodland treatments (prescribed fire, timber addition, grazing control) on animals. We will implement a long-term, large-scale 'natural experiment' to provide critical data & analyses on the simultaneous effects of management regimes on woodland biota. A key outcome will be an improved understanding of woodland biota response to management critical for use on grazing properties, reserves, travelling stock routes in rural south-eastern Australia. This will be a major step forward given that temperate woodlands are among Australia's most threatened vegetation types.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Farms: Tree Regeneration and the Future of Farmland Biodiversity. While many government and community initiatives aim to enhance the sustainability of Australian farming systems, none specifically target the important regional-scale threatening process of tree recruitment failure. Unless this problem is addressed urgently, many farming landscapes may be virtually treeless in the future, with severe negative ramifications for both biodiversity and agricultural productivity. 'Sustainab ....Sustainable Farms: Tree Regeneration and the Future of Farmland Biodiversity. While many government and community initiatives aim to enhance the sustainability of Australian farming systems, none specifically target the important regional-scale threatening process of tree recruitment failure. Unless this problem is addressed urgently, many farming landscapes may be virtually treeless in the future, with severe negative ramifications for both biodiversity and agricultural productivity. 'Sustainable Farms' will have major national and community benefits because it will: (1) identify more sustainable farming practices that are conducive to successful tree recruitment in the future, and (2) raise awareness about a much neglected threat to the sustainability of Australian farming landscapes.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100992
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,216.00
Summary
A novel epigenetic clock tool to conserve Australia’s threatened seabirds. The aim is to develop a novel epigenetic technique for the demographic assessment of long-lived seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels, for application to the conservation of 11 threatened species breeding across Australia. A major innovation will be an affordable and fieldwork-friendly technique to demographically fingerprint any population, ending the large amount of guesswork currently necessary in management. The ....A novel epigenetic clock tool to conserve Australia’s threatened seabirds. The aim is to develop a novel epigenetic technique for the demographic assessment of long-lived seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels, for application to the conservation of 11 threatened species breeding across Australia. A major innovation will be an affordable and fieldwork-friendly technique to demographically fingerprint any population, ending the large amount of guesswork currently necessary in management. The outcome is expected to enable (i) scientists and wildlife managers to impute the impact of threats and management activities on seabird populations, allowing quantitative scenario modelling, and (ii) stakeholders to analyse numerous threats and optimise management responses to these through research-based decision-making.Read moreRead less
Growing a multi-scale internal structure: new wrought metals for energy conservation. This research aims to reduce the weight of wrought metal parts so that transport and machinery will use less energy. It will establish how to grow novel multi-scale internal structures and will thereby pioneer a new class of metals that display superior properties.
Development and Testing of an Australia-wide Biodiversity Conservation Assessment and Planning System. This project aims to develop and test a Conservation Planning System that can be used by governments, industry, land managers and other stakeholders concerned with the long-term conservation of Australia's biodiversity. The project comprises three interrelated research foci: (1) addressing knowledge gaps about large scale ecological processes critical to long term biodiversity conservation toge ....Development and Testing of an Australia-wide Biodiversity Conservation Assessment and Planning System. This project aims to develop and test a Conservation Planning System that can be used by governments, industry, land managers and other stakeholders concerned with the long-term conservation of Australia's biodiversity. The project comprises three interrelated research foci: (1) addressing knowledge gaps about large scale ecological processes critical to long term biodiversity conservation together with the landscape linkages needed to maintain their integrity; (2) developing and testing a new computer based conservation assessment and planning tool that incorporates information about these ecological processes; and (3) investigating how these can be used to facilitate biodiversity conservation assessment and planning.Read moreRead less
Snails to the rescue! Conservation of Australia’s island invertebrates. This project aims to deliver an exemplar industry network model for conservation on Australia’s islands which are hotspots both of biodiversity and of extinctions. Protecting species on islands is therefore key to securing Australia’s biodiversity. We will secure Norfolk Island's 60 species of land snails via in situ and ex situ conservation with six key industry partners. The project expects to unite conservation actions ac ....Snails to the rescue! Conservation of Australia’s island invertebrates. This project aims to deliver an exemplar industry network model for conservation on Australia’s islands which are hotspots both of biodiversity and of extinctions. Protecting species on islands is therefore key to securing Australia’s biodiversity. We will secure Norfolk Island's 60 species of land snails via in situ and ex situ conservation with six key industry partners. The project expects to unite conservation actions across research, governments, and industry. Expected outcomes of this project include Norfolk Island emerging as a leader in global conservation. This should provide significant benefits such as a model for conservation that is applicable to thousands of isolated, range-restricted invertebrate species across Australia.Read moreRead less
An unprecedented opportunity to quantify biodiversity recovery after major wildfire. Recent fire disasters in southern Australia emphasise that wildfire is one of the major social, economic and ecological issues facing the nation. Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are also substantial national issues. The outcomes and new understanding obtained from this project will have enormous rural, regional, national and international benefits through developing better informed, and ecologica ....An unprecedented opportunity to quantify biodiversity recovery after major wildfire. Recent fire disasters in southern Australia emphasise that wildfire is one of the major social, economic and ecological issues facing the nation. Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are also substantial national issues. The outcomes and new understanding obtained from this project will have enormous rural, regional, national and international benefits through developing better informed, and ecologically sustainable, principles and practices for biodiversity conservation, vegetation management, and fire management. It also will guide natural resource managers such as national park staff and state forest managers in best practice methods to manage post-fire ecological recovery on land under their jurisdiction. Read moreRead less
Biodiversity conservation, vegetation restoration and landscape design. There has been considerable recent activity through major Government-funded programs to restore native vegetation. Despite extensive expenditure, the biodiversity conservation values of restoration remain very poorly known. This innovative project will address this major knowledge gap. It will generate quality data and new principles to guide restoration that maximizes biodiversity conservation. The principal aim is to estim ....Biodiversity conservation, vegetation restoration and landscape design. There has been considerable recent activity through major Government-funded programs to restore native vegetation. Despite extensive expenditure, the biodiversity conservation values of restoration remain very poorly known. This innovative project will address this major knowledge gap. It will generate quality data and new principles to guide restoration that maximizes biodiversity conservation. The principal aim is to estimate tree planting effects on vertebrates and assess whether the effects are consistent across different landscapes, farm units and regions. New insights from the project will aid the design of cost-effective and ecologically-effective restoration programs for future landscapes in rural Australian production environments.Read moreRead less