Will trees get enough nitrogen to sustain productivity in elevated CO2? The project proposes to explore how tissue nitrogen declines in future elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) by studying the availability of soil nitrogen to plants and use of nitrogen by Eucalyptus woodland trees. Plant canopy nitrogen concentrations decline in nearly every large-scale eCO2 study done on native soils. The project plans to explore how changes in ecosystem nitrogen balance occur, by investigating if leaf nitrogen de ....Will trees get enough nitrogen to sustain productivity in elevated CO2? The project proposes to explore how tissue nitrogen declines in future elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) by studying the availability of soil nitrogen to plants and use of nitrogen by Eucalyptus woodland trees. Plant canopy nitrogen concentrations decline in nearly every large-scale eCO2 study done on native soils. The project plans to explore how changes in ecosystem nitrogen balance occur, by investigating if leaf nitrogen declines under eCO2 due to the balance of plant activity versus changes in soil nitrogen availability. The outcomes are central to knowing the extent to which extra nitrogen ‘feeds’ the eCO2 fertilisation response and sustains long-term increases in productivity. Expected outcomes may support the development of management options to sustain future forest productivity.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL190100062
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,130,000.00
Summary
A new functional approach to coral reefs. This project aims to identify the key ecosystem functions that are needed to sustain coral reefs and determine their susceptibility to disturbance. Around the world coral reefs are changing fast, challenging traditional scientific, management, and governance approaches. This project plans to address this challenge by implementing a new, functional, approach exploiting a unique combination of evolutionary and ecological methodologies. Expected outcomes in ....A new functional approach to coral reefs. This project aims to identify the key ecosystem functions that are needed to sustain coral reefs and determine their susceptibility to disturbance. Around the world coral reefs are changing fast, challenging traditional scientific, management, and governance approaches. This project plans to address this challenge by implementing a new, functional, approach exploiting a unique combination of evolutionary and ecological methodologies. Expected outcomes include a global overview of ecosystem function and an in-depth understanding of how ecosystems change over time. This is likely to result in specific, and practical, management objectives by identifying crucial ecosystem functions that support reefs and the people who rely on them. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100026
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,536.00
Summary
Insect diversity and carrion decomposition in modified landscapes. Decomposition is fundamental to the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is not known how different combinations of decomposer insects contribute to this important ecosystem service. This project includes a series of experiments to examine how insects affect carrion decomposition rates, and how this depends on environmental context. The project aims to show how decomposition is maintained in variable and changing landscap ....Insect diversity and carrion decomposition in modified landscapes. Decomposition is fundamental to the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is not known how different combinations of decomposer insects contribute to this important ecosystem service. This project includes a series of experiments to examine how insects affect carrion decomposition rates, and how this depends on environmental context. The project aims to show how decomposition is maintained in variable and changing landscapes by revealing when the loss or gain of species will alter this critical ecological process. This will have implications for biodiversity-ecosystem function theory, and applications to biodiversity management and ecosystem restoration.Read moreRead less
Promoting resilience of ecosystems through connectivity. The resilience of ecosystems in the face of major environmental disturbances is emerging as a major concern for modern ecology. Connectivity of ecosystem components is a critically important element of ecosystem function and should, theoretically, be central to system resilience. The relationship between connectivity and resilience, however, remains poorly substantiated by empirical data. By manipulating connectivity in laboratory experime ....Promoting resilience of ecosystems through connectivity. The resilience of ecosystems in the face of major environmental disturbances is emerging as a major concern for modern ecology. Connectivity of ecosystem components is a critically important element of ecosystem function and should, theoretically, be central to system resilience. The relationship between connectivity and resilience, however, remains poorly substantiated by empirical data. By manipulating connectivity in laboratory experiments using a well-understood model marine system, the project aims to determine how connectivity affects resilience. It could provide a crucial step towards integrating connectivity into management and conservation of natural resources.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100746
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Trait plasticity and the maintenance of functional diversity. This project aims to determine if trait plasticity mediates functional degradation of coral reefs. It will use natural environmental gradients to identify mechanisms that enable corals to persist in marginal habitats. The project will use three-dimensional imaging to measure how variability in traits influences functional redundancy. This will facilitate better predictions of the effects of environmental change on reef systems. Expect ....Trait plasticity and the maintenance of functional diversity. This project aims to determine if trait plasticity mediates functional degradation of coral reefs. It will use natural environmental gradients to identify mechanisms that enable corals to persist in marginal habitats. The project will use three-dimensional imaging to measure how variability in traits influences functional redundancy. This will facilitate better predictions of the effects of environmental change on reef systems. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of the response of coral reef ecosystems to environmental change and a framework for predicting reefs at risk of degradation. Benefits will be to both global biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services in reef dependent communities.Read moreRead less
Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most suscept ....Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most susceptible to drought and will identify how future exaggerated drought will reorganise forest communities. The findings will contribute to understanding the vulnerability and resilience of our natural ecosystems with a changing climate.Read moreRead less
Linking phytoplankton to fisheries using zooplankton size spectra. This project aims to develop innovative numerical methods to understand the dynamics, carbon export, and trophic structure of zooplankton. The trophic links between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fisheries are unknown. The size- frequency distribution of zooplankton (size spectrum) is an innovative method for estimating their growth, predation and production as food for fish. Analysis of a global synthesis of zooplankton size dis ....Linking phytoplankton to fisheries using zooplankton size spectra. This project aims to develop innovative numerical methods to understand the dynamics, carbon export, and trophic structure of zooplankton. The trophic links between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fisheries are unknown. The size- frequency distribution of zooplankton (size spectrum) is an innovative method for estimating their growth, predation and production as food for fish. Analysis of a global synthesis of zooplankton size distributions from tropical to polar environments are expected to reveal these vital rates of pelagic ecosystems. The zooplankton rates will reveal, for the first time, the link between phytoplankton and fisheries, and will significantly improve ecosystem models and global assessments of environmental change.Read moreRead less
Methane uptake of forest soils. This project will provide a detailed understanding of capacity of soils in Australia to sequester the greenhouse gas methane. It will identify the main factors and processes controlling methane uptake in soils and improve predictive models will allow us to predict methane uptake in the future.
Marine urban development: how can ecology inform the design of multifunctional artificial structures? This project aims to experimentally manipulate the design of artificial structures to achieve multipurpose ecological objectives. Artificial structures such as buildings and roads have featured in terrestrial urban landscapes for many years, but have only more recently begun encroaching on aquatic environments. Most marine artificial structures lack the innovative design solutions required to mi ....Marine urban development: how can ecology inform the design of multifunctional artificial structures? This project aims to experimentally manipulate the design of artificial structures to achieve multipurpose ecological objectives. Artificial structures such as buildings and roads have featured in terrestrial urban landscapes for many years, but have only more recently begun encroaching on aquatic environments. Most marine artificial structures lack the innovative design solutions required to mitigate their ecological impacts and provide essential ecosystem services such as pollution abatement. This project will investigate the efficacy of these designs with both classical measures of diversity and structure and novel measures of ecosystem function. The project aims to provide essential information to inform the design of future marine urban developments.Read moreRead less
The trophic ecosystem of a purpose-built, offshore artificial reef: do coastal currents supply sufficient nutrients for the local production of fish? Offshore artificial reefs may provide enhanced recreational fishing for an urbanized coast. This project will investigate the oceanographic and ecological processes around the new, design-specific, reefs off Sydney to determine if they actually produce fish, rather than simply attract fish. The project will influence the design of future reefs.