Oxygen-18 in water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter: a tool for linking plant biological processes, hydrology and climate change. The globe is warming but pan evaporation is decreasing, because the world is dimming. We do not understand why. Stable, naturally occurring oxygen isotopes in plants (for example, tree rings) and in the carbon dioxide of the atmosphere vary and record climatic changes and physiological responses. Bringing these disparate areas of research together will help us to i ....Oxygen-18 in water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter: a tool for linking plant biological processes, hydrology and climate change. The globe is warming but pan evaporation is decreasing, because the world is dimming. We do not understand why. Stable, naturally occurring oxygen isotopes in plants (for example, tree rings) and in the carbon dioxide of the atmosphere vary and record climatic changes and physiological responses. Bringing these disparate areas of research together will help us to interpret the changes and responses. Such information is needed for planning future water requirements in Australia (agriculture, natural ecosystems, dams) and around the world. The isotopic composition of tree rings and of the atmospheric carbon dioxide is affected by that in water of leaves, and the processes linking them will be studied in detail. Read moreRead less
Mitigation of Impacts on Groundwater Dependent Vegetation Through Adaptive Abstraction Regimes. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, ecological function and aesthetics, tree decline and death is a financial burden to land managers. Lost groundwater production from existing borefield infrastructure due to environmental risk also represents a significant economic loss to industry. By adapting borefield operation strategies to be more sympathetic to environmental demands for groundwater, susta ....Mitigation of Impacts on Groundwater Dependent Vegetation Through Adaptive Abstraction Regimes. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, ecological function and aesthetics, tree decline and death is a financial burden to land managers. Lost groundwater production from existing borefield infrastructure due to environmental risk also represents a significant economic loss to industry. By adapting borefield operation strategies to be more sympathetic to environmental demands for groundwater, sustainable use of the resource can be maximized under otherwise 'high-risk' scenarios. This project will result in environmental benefits such as reduced impacts of borefields and economic benefits such as recovery of lost production from 'high-risk' borefields, increased viability of planned schemes and reduced customer cost of water services.Read moreRead less
Seagrass tolerance of oil spills - scaling of pollution impacts. Seagrasses provide vital ecosystem services (such as sediment stabilisation and habitat provision) in Australian coastal waters. The contribution of pollutants to current seagrass decline is poorly understood. The Australian shipping industry is the 5th largest in the world but there is very little data on the impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons on intertidal seagrasses and hence no information for coastal resource managers to use in ....Seagrass tolerance of oil spills - scaling of pollution impacts. Seagrasses provide vital ecosystem services (such as sediment stabilisation and habitat provision) in Australian coastal waters. The contribution of pollutants to current seagrass decline is poorly understood. The Australian shipping industry is the 5th largest in the world but there is very little data on the impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons on intertidal seagrasses and hence no information for coastal resource managers to use in decision-making in the event of an oil spill. This project will assess the relative toxicities of a number of petroleum hydrocarbons on Australian seagrass species to provide necessary data for the development of effective management practice.Read moreRead less
Enabling Molecular Plant Breeding for Drought Adaptation Using Genome-to-Phenome Modelling Technologies. Effective molecular plant breeding for improved water productivity of sorghum would generate significant economic and social benefits for rural communities in NE Australia. There is a significant opportunity to expand the sorghum industry in the region. Despite the global financial crisis, global demand for meat continues to increase, generating strong demand from intensive livestock industri ....Enabling Molecular Plant Breeding for Drought Adaptation Using Genome-to-Phenome Modelling Technologies. Effective molecular plant breeding for improved water productivity of sorghum would generate significant economic and social benefits for rural communities in NE Australia. There is a significant opportunity to expand the sorghum industry in the region. Despite the global financial crisis, global demand for meat continues to increase, generating strong demand from intensive livestock industries for feed grain. Price is projected to return to high levels given continuing use of major feed grains for biofuel. A 10% increase in sorghum production would add net value of $48M annually, much via employment. The scientific content of this project positions Australia at the leading edge globally in this emerging research field. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100177
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Non invasive rapid plant phenotyping for root architecture in soil and acquisition of micro-nutrients. By combining advanced X-ray computed tomography and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in this facility, plant scientists will be able to quantify precisely the effects of root pathogens, drought and other stresses on root development in relation to plant nutrient status. This facility will be unique in Australia and provide a significant competitive advantage internationally for Australian resear ....Non invasive rapid plant phenotyping for root architecture in soil and acquisition of micro-nutrients. By combining advanced X-ray computed tomography and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in this facility, plant scientists will be able to quantify precisely the effects of root pathogens, drought and other stresses on root development in relation to plant nutrient status. This facility will be unique in Australia and provide a significant competitive advantage internationally for Australian research.Read moreRead less
Ecohydrological feedbacks between vegetation and soil in natural and engineered landforms in arid Australia. We address 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia'. 1. Water is the binding factor in our project, defining vegetation, geomorphology and hydrology. 2. Rehabilitation is an integral part of the mining business. Our project is instrumental in developing ecological engineering approaches to rehabilitation. 3. Ultimate goal of the project is to develop stable landforms, protecting underly ....Ecohydrological feedbacks between vegetation and soil in natural and engineered landforms in arid Australia. We address 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia'. 1. Water is the binding factor in our project, defining vegetation, geomorphology and hydrology. 2. Rehabilitation is an integral part of the mining business. Our project is instrumental in developing ecological engineering approaches to rehabilitation. 3. Ultimate goal of the project is to develop stable landforms, protecting underlying rock. 4. We investigate locally adapted native plant species for use in arid-zone land rehabilitation, to preserve biodiversity. 5. The area of study is exposed to long droughts and cyclonic rainfall. Understanding the resilience of the landscape will provide pivotal insight into the impact and potential adaptive response to climate variability.Read moreRead less
Does plasma membrane perception of 2,4-D influence auxin resistance? This project aims to investigate the role of the cell membrane in synthetic auxin herbicide resistance by analysing the functions and interaction partners of candidate resistance proteins. It is expected that this project will generate new knowledge about the very early response of plants to auxin and the difference between susceptible and resistant weeds in perceiving auxin herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project include ....Does plasma membrane perception of 2,4-D influence auxin resistance? This project aims to investigate the role of the cell membrane in synthetic auxin herbicide resistance by analysing the functions and interaction partners of candidate resistance proteins. It is expected that this project will generate new knowledge about the very early response of plants to auxin and the difference between susceptible and resistant weeds in perceiving auxin herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project include the identification of potential herbicide synergists and a greater understanding of how weeds develop resistance to auxin herbicides. This should benefit Australian grain growers by providing more effective weed control options and lessening the amount of unnecessarily-applied herbicide in the environment.Read moreRead less
AirLIFT – an airborne active chlorophyll fluorescence sensing system for assessment of photosynthetic activity in plant canopies. Assessment of plant health and productivity is vital to ensure future food security of the global population under a changing climate. Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), a signal emitted by green plants, can reveal this information. Although CF has revolutionised photosynthetic research, current measurements are limited to individual plants. Remote sensing of canopy CF is ....AirLIFT – an airborne active chlorophyll fluorescence sensing system for assessment of photosynthetic activity in plant canopies. Assessment of plant health and productivity is vital to ensure future food security of the global population under a changing climate. Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), a signal emitted by green plants, can reveal this information. Although CF has revolutionised photosynthetic research, current measurements are limited to individual plants. Remote sensing of canopy CF is required for efficient management of agricultural crops, forests, and natural ecosystems and is crucial for accurate estimation of plant carbon assimilation and production. This project will deliver remote sensing technology to bridge the gap between leaf and canopy productivity and pave the way for understanding both artificial and solar induced canopy CF measured from space.Read moreRead less
Ecophysiology of stem succulent halophytes subject to changes in salinity and water availability: distinguishing natural dynamics from potential mine-related impacts. This project contributes to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. The project will underpin management strategies of vegetation in saline lakes/marshes; wetlands of national importance to biodiversity. Understanding the vegetation at the Fortescue Marshes will provide vital base-information for ....Ecophysiology of stem succulent halophytes subject to changes in salinity and water availability: distinguishing natural dynamics from potential mine-related impacts. This project contributes to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. The project will underpin management strategies of vegetation in saline lakes/marshes; wetlands of national importance to biodiversity. Understanding the vegetation at the Fortescue Marshes will provide vital base-information for the future, and have flow-on benefits for improved strategies for revegetation of saline lands. Improvement of the publicly available Herbarium database on samphire species will also enable improved species identifications for conservation and/or rehabilitation efforts. The project will train a PhD student in an industry-relevant research area that is currently in high demand.Read moreRead less
Stomata functioning in halophytes for improved plant stress tolerance. This project aims to determine how halophytes balance photosynthesis and water loss under extreme soil conditions. Salinity and drought affect crop production. Plants’ ability to balance carbon dioxide uptake and water loss through stomata determines how they cope with stressors. Halophytes can achieve this balance at conditions that normally kill 99% of crops, but how they do so is unknown. This project will characterise the ....Stomata functioning in halophytes for improved plant stress tolerance. This project aims to determine how halophytes balance photosynthesis and water loss under extreme soil conditions. Salinity and drought affect crop production. Plants’ ability to balance carbon dioxide uptake and water loss through stomata determines how they cope with stressors. Halophytes can achieve this balance at conditions that normally kill 99% of crops, but how they do so is unknown. This project will characterise the transport systems mediating stomata function in halophytes and contribute to understanding the molecular and physiological basis of their operation. This should allow breeders to use this trait to improve crop performance under conditions of extreme salinity and drought.Read moreRead less