Bio-optical model of Antarctic sea-ice algae photosynthesis. Antarctica contains no permanent human population; however the impact of climate change is being observed. Sea-ice is slowly becoming less thick and covering smaller areas of the Southern Ocean. Algae grow on the underside of this sea-ice which feed krill, which in turn support most of the Antarctic food web. Understanding how changes in sea-ice and snow thickness will change the productivity of Antarctica will have significant implica ....Bio-optical model of Antarctic sea-ice algae photosynthesis. Antarctica contains no permanent human population; however the impact of climate change is being observed. Sea-ice is slowly becoming less thick and covering smaller areas of the Southern Ocean. Algae grow on the underside of this sea-ice which feed krill, which in turn support most of the Antarctic food web. Understanding how changes in sea-ice and snow thickness will change the productivity of Antarctica will have significant implications to our management of this wilderness. Knowledge of how sea-ice algae responds to changes in light can be incorporated in climate change models.Read moreRead less
New thinking on the relationship of dingo ecology to biodiversity conservation and sustainable cattle production. This project will provide new understanding of the role of Australia's only native large mammal predator in sustaining biodiversity and ecological function. This will result in improved management of dingoes as a key part of Australian ecosystems. The project will also test the possibility that relaxation of current controls on dingoes could provide net benefits to beef cattle produc ....New thinking on the relationship of dingo ecology to biodiversity conservation and sustainable cattle production. This project will provide new understanding of the role of Australia's only native large mammal predator in sustaining biodiversity and ecological function. This will result in improved management of dingoes as a key part of Australian ecosystems. The project will also test the possibility that relaxation of current controls on dingoes could provide net benefits to beef cattle producers, and thereby improve the viability and sustainability of Australia's cattle-grazing industry.Read moreRead less
From genes to ecosystems: does genetic divergence in eucalyptus alter biodiversity and ecosystem function? The project will use a dominant tree species of south-eastern Australia to examine how genetic based variation in its traits influences community organisation, biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Outcomes from this research will be important for responding to an uncertain future environment and maintaining the services ecosystems provide.
Effects of invasive macrofauna on marine biodiversity and ecosystem function. The project will identify environmental and biological factors that help prevent invasion of native marine communities by introduced pests, and describe thresholds in marine systems where further loss of macrofaunal species results in declines in ecosystem health.
Transformation of vegetation by big herbivores, from the Pleistocene to now. The project aims to provide a coherent understanding of the effects of extinct and extant large herbivores on ecosystems over space and time. The structure and distribution of vegetation types is determined not only by climate and soils, but also by the impacts of herbivores and fire as consumers of plant biomass. Recent research has shown how fire shapes the large-scale distribution of vegetation types, but we do not h ....Transformation of vegetation by big herbivores, from the Pleistocene to now. The project aims to provide a coherent understanding of the effects of extinct and extant large herbivores on ecosystems over space and time. The structure and distribution of vegetation types is determined not only by climate and soils, but also by the impacts of herbivores and fire as consumers of plant biomass. Recent research has shown how fire shapes the large-scale distribution of vegetation types, but we do not have an equivalent understanding of the effects of large ground-dwelling herbivores. The project plans to test the effects of such animals on vegetation structure in the Pleistocene, when mega-herbivores were common, and today, and thus to compare the impacts of fire and herbivores on the distribution of vegetation types.Read moreRead less
Antarctic freshwater lake fauna: Palaeobiogeography, palaeoecology and applications to climate change studies. The origins of the Antarctic freshwater fauna are poorly known: Are the species currently extant long-term endemics descended from species present before the formation of the Antarctic ice-cap, or are they recent invaders from more temperate zones? By studying the distribution of faunal remains in the sediments of freshwater lakes, a picture of the development of the fauna in space and ....Antarctic freshwater lake fauna: Palaeobiogeography, palaeoecology and applications to climate change studies. The origins of the Antarctic freshwater fauna are poorly known: Are the species currently extant long-term endemics descended from species present before the formation of the Antarctic ice-cap, or are they recent invaders from more temperate zones? By studying the distribution of faunal remains in the sediments of freshwater lakes, a picture of the development of the fauna in space and time ('palaeobiogeography') will be formed that will allow the Antarctic fauna to be placed in a wider biogeographic context. Changes in the faunal distribution will also be interpreted in terms of lake palaeoecology and climate change.Read moreRead less
Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, hi ....Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, higher CO2 may stimulate photosynthesis and enhanced stratification may also select for E. huxleyi. These changes will affect foodwebs and the ability of the ocean to absorb CO2. Predicting the future success of this key organism is vital to understand the consequences of global change in Australian and Southern Ocean waters and to set targets for carbon emissions.Read moreRead less
The contribution of human/marine herbivore interactions to reef degradation. This project aims to define how interactions between human society and herbivores influence marine ecosystem structure and function. It will analyse geographic patterns from recent systematic sampling of reef communities worldwide and study fish, macro-invertebrate and meso-grazer herbivory to identify herbivores’ role in the collapse and recovery of reef ecosystems. This project will examine the match between a critica ....The contribution of human/marine herbivore interactions to reef degradation. This project aims to define how interactions between human society and herbivores influence marine ecosystem structure and function. It will analyse geographic patterns from recent systematic sampling of reef communities worldwide and study fish, macro-invertebrate and meso-grazer herbivory to identify herbivores’ role in the collapse and recovery of reef ecosystems. This project will examine the match between a critical ecosystem function and community structure across local to global scales, including the identification of non-linearities and interactions involving human effects on this process. This research is expected to safeguard marine ecosystems from collapse.Read moreRead less
Why our biota is unique: ecophysiological response, adaptive radiation and changing environments in Cainozoic Australia. We seek to resolve Cainozoic diversification and extinction patterns leading to the modern Australian biota. We propose a broad-scale, multi-disciplinary approach involving systematic palaeontology, palaeobiology, biostratigraphy, molecular and morphological systematics and physiology of modern organisms. For the first time, we will synthesise data on past climatic and environ ....Why our biota is unique: ecophysiological response, adaptive radiation and changing environments in Cainozoic Australia. We seek to resolve Cainozoic diversification and extinction patterns leading to the modern Australian biota. We propose a broad-scale, multi-disciplinary approach involving systematic palaeontology, palaeobiology, biostratigraphy, molecular and morphological systematics and physiology of modern organisms. For the first time, we will synthesise data on past climatic and environmental influences on the evolution of Australian plants, animals and community structure through time. This will provide a solid historical basis to develop management strategies for the Australian biota under different, future, climatic scenarios, and will also provide a biostratigraphic framework essential for high-resolution mineral and hydrocarbon exploration.Read moreRead less
Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on ....Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on the structure and biodiversity of the fungi, insect and vertebrate communities that are dependent on the eucalyptsRead moreRead less