Onsets not offsets for real biodiversity gains. This project addresses the profound challenge of reconciling development and biodiversity conservation by developing an alternative to the pervasive, yet unsuccessful, biodiversity offsetting approach. It will generate new knowledge in the areas of novel ecosystem function, land use optimisation and conservation attitudes. Key project outcomes will be a new framework for biodiversity onsetting, tested against environmental and social feasibility me ....Onsets not offsets for real biodiversity gains. This project addresses the profound challenge of reconciling development and biodiversity conservation by developing an alternative to the pervasive, yet unsuccessful, biodiversity offsetting approach. It will generate new knowledge in the areas of novel ecosystem function, land use optimisation and conservation attitudes. Key project outcomes will be a new framework for biodiversity onsetting, tested against environmental and social feasibility metrics, and new biodiversity evaluation methods for novel habitats. The project will provide environmental and economic benefits by reversing the ongoing decline in biodiversity from habitat loss and driving innovation in environmentally destructive industries that are vulnerable to climate change.Read moreRead less
Testing the DNA decay hypothesis of ecological specialization. Australia's biodiversity has been increasingly threatened by climate change and fragmentation from habitat loss. To conserve biodiversity we need to identify species most at risk of extinction. One way species avoid extinction is to evolve and adapt to changing conditions, however, it now appears that many species have a limited adaptive potential. Here we develop and test a new idea that helps to predict species most threatened b ....Testing the DNA decay hypothesis of ecological specialization. Australia's biodiversity has been increasingly threatened by climate change and fragmentation from habitat loss. To conserve biodiversity we need to identify species most at risk of extinction. One way species avoid extinction is to evolve and adapt to changing conditions, however, it now appears that many species have a limited adaptive potential. Here we develop and test a new idea that helps to predict species most threatened by climate change and other types of stresses. We also identify the sets of genes that are involved in adapting to dry/cold conditions and toxins. This information provides a rapid way of identifying species most at risk and least likely to adapt, and a new perspective on Australia's biodiversity.Read moreRead less
How arid zone wetlands persist: linking ecological dynamics with hydrological regimes . This project will investigate how aquatic food webs assemble and persist in mound springs, relict streams and river pools in the Australian arid zone. Knowing how aquatic systems respond to wet and dry phases is the first step towards ‘climate proofing ’ these systems against future extreme events.
Macroecology of reptiles and frogs over latitudinal and temporal gradients. This project aims to address major macroecological concepts in reptile and frog communities through time, focusing on environmental and climatic gradients in species diversity and body-size variation. This project expects to generate a unique macroecological dataset by integrating data from Quaternary fossil sites spanning a 3000km latitudinal gradient with current ecological data. Expected outcomes include the first com ....Macroecology of reptiles and frogs over latitudinal and temporal gradients. This project aims to address major macroecological concepts in reptile and frog communities through time, focusing on environmental and climatic gradients in species diversity and body-size variation. This project expects to generate a unique macroecological dataset by integrating data from Quaternary fossil sites spanning a 3000km latitudinal gradient with current ecological data. Expected outcomes include the first comprehensive ecological assessment of Australian reptile and frog communities through Pleistocene climate oscillations, with predictions into the future. This research will benefit Australian society by providing evidence-based knowledge of faunal community composition through time in association with changing climates.Read moreRead less
Comparative population structure of forest invertebrate species - habitat specific or species specific? Invertebrates that colonize decomposing logs are an important link in the food chain and major players in the recycling of forest debris. In addition, many threatened species occupy this habitat. Despite their undoubted economic and conservation significance, there is very little information on distribution, dispersal and population structure for any of these species. We will use genetic tool ....Comparative population structure of forest invertebrate species - habitat specific or species specific? Invertebrates that colonize decomposing logs are an important link in the food chain and major players in the recycling of forest debris. In addition, many threatened species occupy this habitat. Despite their undoubted economic and conservation significance, there is very little information on distribution, dispersal and population structure for any of these species. We will use genetic tools to investigate these patterns, and to determine whether they are specific to particular species, or the product of the habitat itself. Our results will indicate whether forest management strategies should focus on the preservation of individual species or their habitat.Read moreRead less
Dispersal and species coexistence across patchy landscapes. Millions of dollars are spent rehabilitating degraded river ecosystems in the absence of knowing whether and how species will be able to disperse to and re-populate repaired sections. This research will provide definitive information allowing restoration efforts to be targeted properly in streams surrounded by, and serving, agricultural areas.
Species coexistence in the real world. This project aims to discover how similar species co-exist without weaker competitors going extinct. Hypotheses offer explanations for stable coexistence in the presence of competition, but logistic barriers mean field tests are almost completely lacking. Recent research on competition and dispersal presents an opportunity to deliver tests using riverine species, leading to experiments at landscape scales. The research will quantify the role of environmenta ....Species coexistence in the real world. This project aims to discover how similar species co-exist without weaker competitors going extinct. Hypotheses offer explanations for stable coexistence in the presence of competition, but logistic barriers mean field tests are almost completely lacking. Recent research on competition and dispersal presents an opportunity to deliver tests using riverine species, leading to experiments at landscape scales. The research will quantify the role of environmental variability and dispersal in permitting stable coexistence of species, thus filling a major knowledge gap. The project expects to provide fresh avenues for research into the causes of species losses – particularly for the 70 per cent that are invertebrates.Read moreRead less
Resource patchiness, dispersal and species co-occurrence: an experimental and levels-of-evidence approach in some lowland streams. Millions of dollars are being spent on rehabilitating river ecosystems that have often been highly simplified by human activities. It is important that such rehabilitation be well-grounded in sound ecological knowledge. We will test how the availability of essential resources of food and living space affect the identity and density of species present. We expect to p ....Resource patchiness, dispersal and species co-occurrence: an experimental and levels-of-evidence approach in some lowland streams. Millions of dollars are being spent on rehabilitating river ecosystems that have often been highly simplified by human activities. It is important that such rehabilitation be well-grounded in sound ecological knowledge. We will test how the availability of essential resources of food and living space affect the identity and density of species present. We expect to provide practical advice allowing managers to enhance biodiversity in streams surrounded by, and serving, agricultural areas. Likewise, we will be able to advise on the consequences of excessive water extraction on the likely success of such rehabilitation in rivers with highly variable flows.Read moreRead less
Dispersal and recruitment of species across landscapes: a new synthesis. This project aims to ask: does failure to disperse successfully across landscapes limit the abundances and diversity of species in habitat patches? This is a central question in ecology. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the links between dispersal success and population numbers by using recent advances in river ecology that have overcome logistical barriers to hypothesis tests. Expected outcomes include n ....Dispersal and recruitment of species across landscapes: a new synthesis. This project aims to ask: does failure to disperse successfully across landscapes limit the abundances and diversity of species in habitat patches? This is a central question in ecology. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the links between dispersal success and population numbers by using recent advances in river ecology that have overcome logistical barriers to hypothesis tests. Expected outcomes include new insights into why dispersal failures occur and how they are associated with low population numbers. Benefits should include improved advice to conservation managers about extinction risks, and unique, tangible outcomes for fundamental ecological research in Australia that will spring from international collaboration.Read moreRead less
Explaining species diversity in a fractal world. This project aims to improve our understanding of landscape-scale patterns of species diversity, particularly invertebrates. A central question in ecology asks how habitat patchiness interacts with dispersal abilities to determine species diversity. Field tests of hypotheses are lacking due to logistic difficulties in quantifying habitat patchiness and dispersal over landscape scales. A new model proposes that fractals (a clever way of measuring e ....Explaining species diversity in a fractal world. This project aims to improve our understanding of landscape-scale patterns of species diversity, particularly invertebrates. A central question in ecology asks how habitat patchiness interacts with dispersal abilities to determine species diversity. Field tests of hypotheses are lacking due to logistic difficulties in quantifying habitat patchiness and dispersal over landscape scales. A new model proposes that fractals (a clever way of measuring environmental complexity) can capture both habitat patchiness and species' responses. Advances in river ecology have solved the logistic problems and will allow tests to compare the three main hypotheses about species diversity. The project aims to improve information about which tools will provide the best guidance, benefitting the discipline of ecology and conservation managers.Read moreRead less