The return of the native: reintroductions, reinvasions, and a new paradigm in restoration ecology. We develop a new solution to improve pest control used to protect rare and endangered wildlife by using reintroductions of common native species as a block to reinvasion following pest control. Our approach will significantly reduce the ongoing costs of pest control in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to control ....The return of the native: reintroductions, reinvasions, and a new paradigm in restoration ecology. We develop a new solution to improve pest control used to protect rare and endangered wildlife by using reintroductions of common native species as a block to reinvasion following pest control. Our approach will significantly reduce the ongoing costs of pest control in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to control pests and protect key wildlife. Our technique can also be exported to solve alien species problems elsewhere in the world. This work strengthens Australia’s world renowned expertise for research into alien species and ability to develop novel solutions to alien impacts.Read moreRead less
An integrated mechanistic model of species' responses to environmental change: from individual responses to range shifts and beyond. To effectively adapt to future environmental change, reliable forecasts are needed of how human alterations to climate and habitat will affect species. This project integrates cutting-edge methods in nutritional, physiological and spatial ecology to develop new tools for predicting and understanding how species will respond to environmental change.
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101870
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,100.00
Summary
More than pretty pictures? Ecological applications of modern remote sensing. Recent advances in remote sensing are allowing us to measure the biochemical and structural properties of ecosystems with increasing accuracy. This type of information is essential for sustainable natural resource management. However, we still lack a clear understanding of this technology's capabilities and limitations for environmental decision making. This project aims to investigate key gaps in our knowledge about th ....More than pretty pictures? Ecological applications of modern remote sensing. Recent advances in remote sensing are allowing us to measure the biochemical and structural properties of ecosystems with increasing accuracy. This type of information is essential for sustainable natural resource management. However, we still lack a clear understanding of this technology's capabilities and limitations for environmental decision making. This project aims to investigate key gaps in our knowledge about the extent to which modern remote sensing tools are capable of measuring landscape change and habitat quality. This collaborative research project aims to provide an unparalleled opportunity to examine these issues by combining state-of-the-art remote sensing with data from two intensively studied landscape-scale experiments.Read moreRead less
Managing agricultural landscapes to maximise biodiversity gains: the case of the regent parrot. This project provides crucial knowledge to achieve an Environmentally Sustainable Australia (National Research Priority) and meets a principal aim of the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development-to develop sustainable agriculture while protecting the biological resources on which they depend. We achieve this through a novel approach linking production targets and conservation trade-o ....Managing agricultural landscapes to maximise biodiversity gains: the case of the regent parrot. This project provides crucial knowledge to achieve an Environmentally Sustainable Australia (National Research Priority) and meets a principal aim of the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development-to develop sustainable agriculture while protecting the biological resources on which they depend. We achieve this through a novel approach linking production targets and conservation trade-offs with agricultural landscape design and management. This information will underpin the development of policies to improve the environmental performance of Australian agriculture, ensure farming enterprises maximise benefits obtained from native ecosystems, and guarantee profitable and viable rural industries.Read moreRead less
Rehabilitating a changing landscape: using the latest advances in koala ecology to direct adaptive management. The koala has been identified as one of the world's flagship species suffering from environmental change. In contrast to the decline of koalas in New South Wales generally, the eucalypts planted in Gunnedah to combat salinity led to an increase in koalas. However, the startlingly high death rate of Gunnedah koalas (25 per cent of the population) in the heatwave during the drought in 200 ....Rehabilitating a changing landscape: using the latest advances in koala ecology to direct adaptive management. The koala has been identified as one of the world's flagship species suffering from environmental change. In contrast to the decline of koalas in New South Wales generally, the eucalypts planted in Gunnedah to combat salinity led to an increase in koalas. However, the startlingly high death rate of Gunnedah koalas (25 per cent of the population) in the heatwave during the drought in 2009 must be understood. There are also new threats brought about by intensive land modification. This project aims to determine the effects of environmental change on the koala population through a study of landscape ecology, leaf chemistry, disease epidemiology and koala movements. This aims to lead to better management decisions for arboreal fauna.Read moreRead less
From prediction to action: Responding to rapid ecosystem shifts under climate change. Nobody knows exactly how climate change will affect the ecosystems on which we depend for our own existence, though negative impacts are widely predicted. This project integrates mathematical, economic and ecological approaches to learn about the most effective way to spend limited funds for sustaining ecosystems threatened by climate change.
An integrated mechanistic model of species' responses to environmental change: from individual responses to range shifts and beyond. To effectively adapt to future environmental change, reliable forecasts are needed of how human alterations to climate and habitat will affect species. This project integrates cutting-edge methods in nutritional, physiological and spatial ecology to develop new tools for predicting and understanding how species will respond to environmental change.
From prediction to adaptation: responding to rapid ecosystem shifts under climate change. Nobody knows exactly how climate change will affect the ecosystems on which we depend for our own existence, though negative impacts are widely predicted. This project integrates mathematical, economic and ecological approaches to learn about the most effective way to spend limited funds for sustaining ecosystems threatened by climate change.