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Avian migrants as vectors of zoonotic diseases in a changing world. There is an urgent need to understand the role of migratory birds in spreading avian influenza and other diseases. This project focuses on the effect of global change on the interactions between avian influenza and threatened waders migrating between the Arctic, Asia and Australia. This project will help us assess and manage the health risks to man and birds alike.
The Devonian Gogo Fauna: Diversity, Palaeoecology and Global Significance. The late Devonian Gogo Formation (380 million years old) is undoubtedly one of the richest and best-preserved assemblages of fossil fishes and invertebrates from this age anywhere on Earth. This project will use CT scanning for stomach contents, plus use biomechanical and morphometric analyses to reconstruct tropic relationships of reef-dwelling organisms and test the resilience of the reef ecosystem. Several new species .... The Devonian Gogo Fauna: Diversity, Palaeoecology and Global Significance. The late Devonian Gogo Formation (380 million years old) is undoubtedly one of the richest and best-preserved assemblages of fossil fishes and invertebrates from this age anywhere on Earth. This project will use CT scanning for stomach contents, plus use biomechanical and morphometric analyses to reconstruct tropic relationships of reef-dwelling organisms and test the resilience of the reef ecosystem. Several new species will be published and the heritage significance of the site will be assessed. Working with local indigenous stakeholders, the scientific findings will feed into developing a long-term management plan to protect and conserve the site for future research work and to grow tourism in the region.Read moreRead less
Plant species economics and strategy-dimensions of plant ecology. Ecological strategies of plant species are differentiated mainly along economic dimensions. Four key dimensions are the leaf lifespan - leaf mass per area tradeoff, the seed mass - seed output tradeoff, the leaf size - twig size spectrum, and canopy height at maturity. Each dimension reflects a spectrum of allocation patterns. Costs, benefits, tradeoffs and correlations underpinning these strategy-dimensions will be investigated w ....Plant species economics and strategy-dimensions of plant ecology. Ecological strategies of plant species are differentiated mainly along economic dimensions. Four key dimensions are the leaf lifespan - leaf mass per area tradeoff, the seed mass - seed output tradeoff, the leaf size - twig size spectrum, and canopy height at maturity. Each dimension reflects a spectrum of allocation patterns. Costs, benefits, tradeoffs and correlations underpinning these strategy-dimensions will be investigated within Australia, and in collaboration with partner investigators overseas.Read moreRead less
Plant ecological strategies across species and an evolutionary-ecology vegetation model. This proposal is aimed at fundamental science about plant traits and water use and flammability. These vegetation processes underpin management of bushfires, water, salinity and carbon storage, which are national priorities for An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. The proposal pursues cost-benefit understanding of stem-leaf relations and of flammability, and aims also to develop an evolutionary-ecology ....Plant ecological strategies across species and an evolutionary-ecology vegetation model. This proposal is aimed at fundamental science about plant traits and water use and flammability. These vegetation processes underpin management of bushfires, water, salinity and carbon storage, which are national priorities for An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. The proposal pursues cost-benefit understanding of stem-leaf relations and of flammability, and aims also to develop an evolutionary-ecology vegetation model (EEVM). An EEVM will encapsulate the next generation of fundamental ecological science, with direct application for global change scenarios and for ecosystem management. This proposal forms a network among outstanding laboratories internationally for the purpose, and gives Australia a lead role.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101486
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Animal groups as mobile sensor networks. This project aims to provide biologically inspired solutions to the problems faced by mobile sensor networks. Mobile sensor networks provide a powerful new tool in environmental monitoring and surveillance, however, designing them to be energy efficient while not sacrificing information detection remains a challenge. By immersing animal groups into dynamically changing virtual environments this project will design new efficient mobile sensor networks. The ....Animal groups as mobile sensor networks. This project aims to provide biologically inspired solutions to the problems faced by mobile sensor networks. Mobile sensor networks provide a powerful new tool in environmental monitoring and surveillance, however, designing them to be energy efficient while not sacrificing information detection remains a challenge. By immersing animal groups into dynamically changing virtual environments this project will design new efficient mobile sensor networks. The project is expected to provide solutions to mobile sensor network limitations, benefitting areas including robotics, environmental monitoring and defence.Read moreRead less
Leaf economics, and the acquisition and use of water and nitrogen for photosynthesis. Successful and sustainable management of both natural and human-modified ecosystems flows from advances in our understanding of the fundamentals of plant ecology. Improved understanding of acquisition and use of water and nutrients by plants should lead not only to better management in the present day, but better-founded management decisions under possible future scenarios such as global warming, higher atmosph ....Leaf economics, and the acquisition and use of water and nitrogen for photosynthesis. Successful and sustainable management of both natural and human-modified ecosystems flows from advances in our understanding of the fundamentals of plant ecology. Improved understanding of acquisition and use of water and nutrients by plants should lead not only to better management in the present day, but better-founded management decisions under possible future scenarios such as global warming, higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations or altered rainfall regimes. High-impact publications resulting from this project will sustain Australian leadership in environmental plant biology.Read moreRead less
Animating the study of visual communication. This project aims to inform how dynamic colour signals broker information exchange by connecting stimulus design with perception through space and time. Biological studies of colour signalling have largely proceeded via static terms that underestimate the true fluidity of natural contexts. This project aspires to animate the field using innovative approaches such as programmable nano-drones to reveal how flashing colours are perceived under diverse vi ....Animating the study of visual communication. This project aims to inform how dynamic colour signals broker information exchange by connecting stimulus design with perception through space and time. Biological studies of colour signalling have largely proceeded via static terms that underestimate the true fluidity of natural contexts. This project aspires to animate the field using innovative approaches such as programmable nano-drones to reveal how flashing colours are perceived under diverse viewing conditions. The knowledge advances are expected to generate new intellectual paradigms and models, and have significant scope for bio-inspiration in areas such as telecommunication, information processing and the optimal design of visual displays.Read moreRead less
Understanding the impact of heat stress on cognition in a changing world. Our research will determine how anthropogenic climate change effects the ability of animals to process information in their environment. This research is significant because it directly addresses the growing issue of wildlife adaptation to climate change. If heat stress, reported widely in wildlife both in Australia and globally, impairs an animal's ability to respond to stimuli in its surrounding environment, then this ma ....Understanding the impact of heat stress on cognition in a changing world. Our research will determine how anthropogenic climate change effects the ability of animals to process information in their environment. This research is significant because it directly addresses the growing issue of wildlife adaptation to climate change. If heat stress, reported widely in wildlife both in Australia and globally, impairs an animal's ability to respond to stimuli in its surrounding environment, then this may cause lower reproductive success (eg lower predator detection rates) and population declines. We aim to identify critical temperature points beyond which the cognitive responses of animals decline rapidly - a significant finding for effective wildlife management priorities in the face of rapid climate change. Read moreRead less
A general theory for ecological trait-strategy dimensions. This project aims to bridge the gap in understanding of ecological strategies between plant and animal ecology, globally, using ants. It will test how environmental change influences the success of species, based on ecological strategies, and the consequences for ecosystem function. This project is expected to make a significant contribution to generality and prediction in ecology. Expected outcomes of this project include theory deve ....A general theory for ecological trait-strategy dimensions. This project aims to bridge the gap in understanding of ecological strategies between plant and animal ecology, globally, using ants. It will test how environmental change influences the success of species, based on ecological strategies, and the consequences for ecosystem function. This project is expected to make a significant contribution to generality and prediction in ecology. Expected outcomes of this project include theory development and application and enhanced global networks of trait researchers. Intended benefits include improved ecological theory, an enhanced capacity to predict how global change will affect organisms and increased understanding of the cascading effects of changes for ecosystem function.Read moreRead less
Establishing a global framework to trace the provenance of seafood. The global importance and demand for seafood is higher than ever; yet, sustainable seafood production is threatened by seafood fraud. This research will develop a new technology that will trace the geographic origins of seafood from catch to table and empower authorities to combat fraud. In doing so, this research will use natural chemical variation in biominerals to build maps of ocean chemistry and create universal markers of ....Establishing a global framework to trace the provenance of seafood. The global importance and demand for seafood is higher than ever; yet, sustainable seafood production is threatened by seafood fraud. This research will develop a new technology that will trace the geographic origins of seafood from catch to table and empower authorities to combat fraud. In doing so, this research will use natural chemical variation in biominerals to build maps of ocean chemistry and create universal markers of seafood provenance. These markers will be intrinsically tamper-proof: enabling the chemical geolocation of seafood across international trade routes. The outcome of this research will address a global environmental challenge and, in doing so, deliver benefits to the Australian economy, consumer and environment. Read moreRead less