Enhancing nutrient retention in soils through management of microbial biomass. Soil microbial-processes are generally studied in relation to mineralisation of nutrients but rarely for their potential to retain nutrients and reduce nutrient leaching. We hypothesise that management of microbial immobilisation will enhance nutrient retention in nutrient enriched soils during seasonal rains. This hypothesis will be tested under strongly seasonal environments of southwest Australia where nutrient lea ....Enhancing nutrient retention in soils through management of microbial biomass. Soil microbial-processes are generally studied in relation to mineralisation of nutrients but rarely for their potential to retain nutrients and reduce nutrient leaching. We hypothesise that management of microbial immobilisation will enhance nutrient retention in nutrient enriched soils during seasonal rains. This hypothesis will be tested under strongly seasonal environments of southwest Australia where nutrient leaching from soils degrades quality of surface and groundwater. We will first investigate pathways and conditions leading to microbial immobilisation. We will then explore the regulation of substrate and nutrient conditions to promote such retention, and subsequently develop management interventions based on microbially-mediated nutrient retention.Read moreRead less
Forestry effects on headwater ecosystem health: a multi-catchment experiment. Most catchments in southern Australia have been logged historically. Increasingly, native forest harvesting occurs in regrowth or drier areas. Although foresters have empirical data on ecological effects of harvesting in pristine or wetter catchments, little exists for drier regrowth areas, hampering effective management to minimize impacts on stream ecosystem health. This project will supply ecological data on stre ....Forestry effects on headwater ecosystem health: a multi-catchment experiment. Most catchments in southern Australia have been logged historically. Increasingly, native forest harvesting occurs in regrowth or drier areas. Although foresters have empirical data on ecological effects of harvesting in pristine or wetter catchments, little exists for drier regrowth areas, hampering effective management to minimize impacts on stream ecosystem health. This project will supply ecological data on stream ecosystems to supplement 4 years of hydrological data collected by Forests NSW from 5 experimental catchments. Results will provide a firmer scientific basis for ecologically sustainable harvesting in this forest type, with flow-on benefits to our national economy, biodiversity, and environment.Read moreRead less
The origins of gender. This project intends to address how the evolutionary phenomena of intra-sexual competition and inter-sexual conflict interact with economic circumstances to shape gendered behaviour and attitudes. These phenomena are important in evolution, economics, psychology and sociology, with implications for the economy and for the welfare of women and men. The project predicts that gender-related culture arises, partially, out of mating market dynamics. The research crosses traditi ....The origins of gender. This project intends to address how the evolutionary phenomena of intra-sexual competition and inter-sexual conflict interact with economic circumstances to shape gendered behaviour and attitudes. These phenomena are important in evolution, economics, psychology and sociology, with implications for the economy and for the welfare of women and men. The project predicts that gender-related culture arises, partially, out of mating market dynamics. The research crosses traditional boundaries between biology and economics to investigate the forces giving rise to gendered behaviour and resulting patterns of marriages, violence, political preferences and occupational choices. The project may provide new insights into the links between gender and violence, within-family conflicts, and gender roles in the home and workplace.Read moreRead less
Quantifying tree and soil respiration and their responses to global change. The Australian Greenhouse Office, as well as independent analysis, recognizes that belowground processes must be better quantified if Australia's contributions to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GG) are to be firmly based. A major issue is the lack of dedicated research focused on soil and plant root emissions of GG and, in particular, a lack of testing of methodologies suited to Australian soils and con ....Quantifying tree and soil respiration and their responses to global change. The Australian Greenhouse Office, as well as independent analysis, recognizes that belowground processes must be better quantified if Australia's contributions to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GG) are to be firmly based. A major issue is the lack of dedicated research focused on soil and plant root emissions of GG and, in particular, a lack of testing of methodologies suited to Australian soils and conditions. This project will address these concerns. We will also be addressing the clear need for further training of PhD qualified researchers in the field of climate change. Read moreRead less
Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and ....Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and the USA. Ecological generalities obtained can be used to support policy development that ensures sustainable management of estuaries. This work will also facilitate training of early career researchers and focus research efforts of leading US researchers towards issues crucial for Australian estuarine management.Read moreRead less
A novel approach to tracking estuarine food chains: combined use of fatty acid and stable isotope biomarkers. Fatty acid biomarkers provide promising novel tracers for studying estuarine food chains. Stable isotopes, commonly employed in food chain studies, lack specificity to allow easy determination of feeding relationships. Different primary producers are characterised by unique fatty acid sequences. This study will thoroughly evaluate the applicability of fatty acid biomarkers in tracking ....A novel approach to tracking estuarine food chains: combined use of fatty acid and stable isotope biomarkers. Fatty acid biomarkers provide promising novel tracers for studying estuarine food chains. Stable isotopes, commonly employed in food chain studies, lack specificity to allow easy determination of feeding relationships. Different primary producers are characterised by unique fatty acid sequences. This study will thoroughly evaluate the applicability of fatty acid biomarkers in tracking both natural and human-impacted estuarine food chains. By developing a new approach of combining the advantages of fatty acid bioamrkers and stable isotopes in studying estuarine trophodynamics, this study will provide essential information for the management of estuarine biotic resources.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354582
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Australia-NZ Network for Vegetation Function and Futures. Plants shape our landscapes and drive ecosystem processes from local to global scale. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits. Global datasets about functional variation are emerging, with Australian and NZ leadership. A network would be supported in both Australia and NZ and with strong links elsewhere. It would target seven ambitious but achievable research developments. Each of them demands intensive conversation be ....Australia-NZ Network for Vegetation Function and Futures. Plants shape our landscapes and drive ecosystem processes from local to global scale. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits. Global datasets about functional variation are emerging, with Australian and NZ leadership. A network would be supported in both Australia and NZ and with strong links elsewhere. It would target seven ambitious but achievable research developments. Each of them demands intensive conversation between separate disciplines. Networking across all seven strands will create a broader linkage, spanning across palaeobiology, ecosystem function, vegetation structure, global change, ecophysiology, phylogeny, genomics, ecoinformatics and evolutionary theory.Read moreRead less
How does forestry impact headwater streams? Although headwater streams make up much of the catchment of rivers, the effects of forestry on instream species composition, habitat types, and ecosystem functions remain uninvestigated. We aim to fill these three gaps so that managers can: 1. determine whether stream side buffers are necessary and 2. identify which species and ecosystem functions are the most sensitive and reliable variables for future monitoring of instream ecosystem health.
ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ....ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ecoinformatics and evolutionary theory. Across this span, working groups will target nine identified opportunities for breakthrough research. Each research target needs input from two or more disciplines. Together, the nine targets link across disciplines, as a network that spans from genomic to planetary scales.Read moreRead less
Heterogeneity and ecosystem function: The role of microphytobenthos and macrofauna in inducing spatial variability in biogeochemical processes and fluxes. Human disturbances such as eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) increasingly threaten the sustainable use of Australia's coastal seas. Management of threats such as eutrophication are usually based on observations at large spatial scales, but ecological processes underpinning nutrient dynamics occur at much smaller scales. This multi-disciplin ....Heterogeneity and ecosystem function: The role of microphytobenthos and macrofauna in inducing spatial variability in biogeochemical processes and fluxes. Human disturbances such as eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) increasingly threaten the sustainable use of Australia's coastal seas. Management of threats such as eutrophication are usually based on observations at large spatial scales, but ecological processes underpinning nutrient dynamics occur at much smaller scales. This multi-disciplinary study will examine the relationship between processes mediated by small organisms (microscopic algae and burrowing animals), and large-scale nutrient dynamics pattern on sheltered coasts. Modern technologies will be used for monitoring the micro-scale processes, allowing models to be constructed to benefit both scientists and policy-makers alike.Read moreRead less