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A physiological and biochemical basis for seed storage for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Seed banking is a vital component of the integrated strategies required to conserve biodiversity and restore degraded landscapes. The effectiveness of seed banking for Australian flora is limited by a lack of research into the factors affecting seed viability during storage. For key indicative Australian species this study will focus on morphological, biophysical and biochemical factors governin ....A physiological and biochemical basis for seed storage for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Seed banking is a vital component of the integrated strategies required to conserve biodiversity and restore degraded landscapes. The effectiveness of seed banking for Australian flora is limited by a lack of research into the factors affecting seed viability during storage. For key indicative Australian species this study will focus on morphological, biophysical and biochemical factors governing seed longevity to determine the optimum storage conditions and identify bio-indicators of seed deterioration for rapid determination of seed storage behaviour. This project will develop benchmark standards by which the estimated 325 seed banks storing native seeds in Australia will benefit.Read moreRead less
Dealing with an indigenous despot - the Noisy Miner, a keystone species in the rural landscape of eastern Australia. This study will identify sustainable means of limiting the domination of remnant native and planted woodland by the hyper-aggressive Noisy Miner. This species excludes insectivorous birds from remnant woodlands, contributing to the decline of birds in eucalypt woodlands in rural southern Australia. Halting the decline in insectivorous birds in our agricultural areas is critical if ....Dealing with an indigenous despot - the Noisy Miner, a keystone species in the rural landscape of eastern Australia. This study will identify sustainable means of limiting the domination of remnant native and planted woodland by the hyper-aggressive Noisy Miner. This species excludes insectivorous birds from remnant woodlands, contributing to the decline of birds in eucalypt woodlands in rural southern Australia. Halting the decline in insectivorous birds in our agricultural areas is critical if we are to ever achieve truly sustainable agricultural production. This study will identify habitat characteristics that can be manipulated by land holders to make remnants and plantations less suitable for Noisy Miners, while enhancing the re-establishment of other threatened birds.Read moreRead less
An inventory of past biodiversity in Western Australia using ancient DNA. Fossil bones and museum skins are genetic time capsules that facilitate the exploration of Australia's past biodiversity. Travelling back in 'genetic time' provides important insights into how ecosystems functioned prior to the arrival of Europeans and the feral species that accompanied them. This funding will facilitate research into the genetic heritage of endangered WA species such as Woylies and Cockatoos. Native speci ....An inventory of past biodiversity in Western Australia using ancient DNA. Fossil bones and museum skins are genetic time capsules that facilitate the exploration of Australia's past biodiversity. Travelling back in 'genetic time' provides important insights into how ecosystems functioned prior to the arrival of Europeans and the feral species that accompanied them. This funding will facilitate research into the genetic heritage of endangered WA species such as Woylies and Cockatoos. Native species face increasing pressures from climate change and invasive species. Compiling a genetic inventory of WA's past biodiversity will assist in developing scientifically sound conservation management responses. Such approaches are critically important if this biodiversity hotspot is to be preserved for future generations.Read moreRead less
Bioinvasions: the interactive effects of propagule pressure and pollution. The successful establishment of species outside their native range is an increasingly frequent occurrence and can cause reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem disruption. Bioinvasions may also cause public health risks and damage to agriculture and fisheries. Nowhere is the accelerating pace of bioinvasions more dramatic than in ports and harbours. This project will determine the effects of pollution on invasion in a ma ....Bioinvasions: the interactive effects of propagule pressure and pollution. The successful establishment of species outside their native range is an increasingly frequent occurrence and can cause reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem disruption. Bioinvasions may also cause public health risks and damage to agriculture and fisheries. Nowhere is the accelerating pace of bioinvasions more dramatic than in ports and harbours. This project will determine the effects of pollution on invasion in a marine system. This project is in the national interest because it will identify mechanisms through which the invasion of exotic species are encouraged and assist in the identification and prioritisation of effective management strategies to prevent invasion.Read moreRead less
Identifying and creating essential habitat for rare Australian intertidal molluscs. Coastal development in Australia causes major changes to natural habitats. Obligations to conserve biodiversity are impossible without reliable information about how animals respond to habitat and how best to restore damaged habitat. Current management treats habitats as large-scale units and ignores fine-scale use of habitat by animals. This project will provide essential understanding to guide policy about coas ....Identifying and creating essential habitat for rare Australian intertidal molluscs. Coastal development in Australia causes major changes to natural habitats. Obligations to conserve biodiversity are impossible without reliable information about how animals respond to habitat and how best to restore damaged habitat. Current management treats habitats as large-scale units and ignores fine-scale use of habitat by animals. This project will provide essential understanding to guide policy about coastal conservation, by providing ecologically realistic understanding of associations between rare invertebrates and habitat. New protocols to measure these associations and success of restoration, will be applicable to any rare species in any complex habitat, increasing present capabilities for conservation.Read moreRead less
Plant diversity in restored native vegetation of agricultural landscapes. This project will assess the success of current practices of native vegetation restoration in agricultural regions, ie whether they provide sustainable habitat for native plant species. While there is currently a massive expenditure on revegetation in agriculture, there has been almost no assessment of whether it works well or not. This study will compare the plant species present in restored and comparable native vegeta ....Plant diversity in restored native vegetation of agricultural landscapes. This project will assess the success of current practices of native vegetation restoration in agricultural regions, ie whether they provide sustainable habitat for native plant species. While there is currently a massive expenditure on revegetation in agriculture, there has been almost no assessment of whether it works well or not. This study will compare the plant species present in restored and comparable native vegetation. Additionally, intensive study of some key plant species will be undertaken to determine what features of these plants enable them to persist in restored patches. Outcomes include new assessment techniques and original data.Read moreRead less
Biodiversity conservation, vegetation restoration and landscape design. There has been considerable recent activity through major Government-funded programs to restore native vegetation. Despite extensive expenditure, the biodiversity conservation values of restoration remain very poorly known. This innovative project will address this major knowledge gap. It will generate quality data and new principles to guide restoration that maximizes biodiversity conservation. The principal aim is to estim ....Biodiversity conservation, vegetation restoration and landscape design. There has been considerable recent activity through major Government-funded programs to restore native vegetation. Despite extensive expenditure, the biodiversity conservation values of restoration remain very poorly known. This innovative project will address this major knowledge gap. It will generate quality data and new principles to guide restoration that maximizes biodiversity conservation. The principal aim is to estimate tree planting effects on vertebrates and assess whether the effects are consistent across different landscapes, farm units and regions. New insights from the project will aid the design of cost-effective and ecologically-effective restoration programs for future landscapes in rural Australian production environments.Read moreRead less
The regeneration niche of invasive plants: managing the weed-shaped hole. In Australia $20 million was spent on weed control in natural areas in 2001-02 and is indicative of the level of funding for weed control programs each year. An understanding of how current weed control programs affect the regeneration of weeds in the system will give us novel insights into the persistence of weed populations despite sustained investment in control. Environmental weeds threaten biodiversity and ecosystem ....The regeneration niche of invasive plants: managing the weed-shaped hole. In Australia $20 million was spent on weed control in natural areas in 2001-02 and is indicative of the level of funding for weed control programs each year. An understanding of how current weed control programs affect the regeneration of weeds in the system will give us novel insights into the persistence of weed populations despite sustained investment in control. Environmental weeds threaten biodiversity and ecosystem function in unique Australian communities, better management of weeds will have conservation, ecosystem service provision and amenity values nationally. This project highlights the importance of understanding the weed regeneration niche for successful long-term and sustainable control.Read moreRead less
The importance of dispersal in maintaining biodiversity of aquatic plants in landscapes. Aquatic plants improve water quality and provide habitat for aquatic animals, which underpin industries such as tourism and commercial fisheries critical to economies in regional areas and across Australia. Preserving plant biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems is vital to preserve these benefits. Dispersal plays a critical role in maintaining plant biodiversity and requires understanding at landscape scales. T ....The importance of dispersal in maintaining biodiversity of aquatic plants in landscapes. Aquatic plants improve water quality and provide habitat for aquatic animals, which underpin industries such as tourism and commercial fisheries critical to economies in regional areas and across Australia. Preserving plant biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems is vital to preserve these benefits. Dispersal plays a critical role in maintaining plant biodiversity and requires understanding at landscape scales. This project will identify appropriate approaches for the conservation of plant biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems through an improved understanding of the contribution of wind, water and waterbirds in the dispersal of aquatic plants. This project will also identify water flow regimes that promote a diverse and sustainable aquatic flora.Read moreRead less
Rapid delineation of genetic provenance for rehabilitation and revegetation of native plant communities. The rehabilitation and/or revegetation of degraded, remnant or post-mining bushland is an increasingly important activity. Data and general principles for the delineation of genetic provenance are urgently required for effective rehabilitation, as well as for the conservation of genetic diversity. We will apply a new and powerful genetic technique for the rapid delineation of provenance in ....Rapid delineation of genetic provenance for rehabilitation and revegetation of native plant communities. The rehabilitation and/or revegetation of degraded, remnant or post-mining bushland is an increasingly important activity. Data and general principles for the delineation of genetic provenance are urgently required for effective rehabilitation, as well as for the conservation of genetic diversity. We will apply a new and powerful genetic technique for the rapid delineation of provenance in over 30 native plant species in south west Australia. Our aim is to generate provenance guidelines and principles, as well as provenance data for the most important species for bushland rehabilitation, which will be produced for rehabilitation practitioners through a "provenance atlas" book.Read moreRead less