Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100202
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Interplay between plasticity and senescence. This project aims at bridging two fundamental human stressors together in a quantitative genetic framework. The environment changes globally on a huge scale coupled with effect on the age-structures and genetic composition of countless populations by over-harvesting and exploitation. This project will provide significant benefits, such as potential strategies of dealing with future human-induced changes more effectively.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100555
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,872.00
Summary
Identifying factors that counter negative impacts of ocean climate change. This project aims to identify factors that counter the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs. This project expects to address key research gaps to ensure the persistence of these ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include identification of coral reefs that are buffered by adjacent systems, such as mangroves and seagrass, and characterisation of conditions (e.g. increased food availability) that allo ....Identifying factors that counter negative impacts of ocean climate change. This project aims to identify factors that counter the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs. This project expects to address key research gaps to ensure the persistence of these ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include identification of coral reefs that are buffered by adjacent systems, such as mangroves and seagrass, and characterisation of conditions (e.g. increased food availability) that allow coral reefs and associated organisms to persist under stress. Outcomes of this project should provide significant benefits such as adding to the interventions toolbox in alleviating the impacts of global change on coral reefs and identifying conservation strategies to help prevent the loss of these valuable ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Adaptive capacity of marine invertebrates in a climate change ocean. As the oceans simultaneously warm and acidify, prospects for marine biota are of concern. This project aims to determine the potential for phenotypic adjustment and evolutionary adaptation. To discern the roles of phenotype and genotype in marine invertebrate stress tolerance this project endeavours to use selection experiments, long-term rearing and quantitative genetics . A focus on vulnerable calcification systems could dete ....Adaptive capacity of marine invertebrates in a climate change ocean. As the oceans simultaneously warm and acidify, prospects for marine biota are of concern. This project aims to determine the potential for phenotypic adjustment and evolutionary adaptation. To discern the roles of phenotype and genotype in marine invertebrate stress tolerance this project endeavours to use selection experiments, long-term rearing and quantitative genetics . A focus on vulnerable calcification systems could determine genetic mechanisms underlying impaired growth. Investigation of species from the east Australia latitudinal thermal gradient, a global change hot spot could generate insights into biological responses and adaptive potential in a changing ocean and on time scales relevant to resource managers to understand the challenges faced by marine biota.Read moreRead less
The failure-threshold of leaves in drought. This project aims to reveal how specific water-stress thresholds damage the leaves of Australian crop and forest species during drought. Water stress affects agricultural productivity and plant survival in drought-prone regions such as Australia. Using optical and X-ray techniques, this project seeks to visualise and quantify the dynamic processes of damage and repair in leaves under stress. Anticipated outputs include a practical basis to predict drou ....The failure-threshold of leaves in drought. This project aims to reveal how specific water-stress thresholds damage the leaves of Australian crop and forest species during drought. Water stress affects agricultural productivity and plant survival in drought-prone regions such as Australia. Using optical and X-ray techniques, this project seeks to visualise and quantify the dynamic processes of damage and repair in leaves under stress. Anticipated outputs include a practical basis to predict drought-induced canopy death; identification of threats to ecologically sensitive plants; and selection and screening tools to improve the drought resilience of agriculturally important crop species.Read moreRead less
Do hotter and drier regions harbour adaptive variation for climate change? This project aims to improve our understanding of the capacity of trees to respond to climate change. This is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, forest health and productivity. In south-west Australia, climate variation has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, which has resulted in tree death and negatively affected essential ecosystem services. Adaptive land management is urgently needed to miti ....Do hotter and drier regions harbour adaptive variation for climate change? This project aims to improve our understanding of the capacity of trees to respond to climate change. This is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, forest health and productivity. In south-west Australia, climate variation has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, which has resulted in tree death and negatively affected essential ecosystem services. Adaptive land management is urgently needed to mitigate the risk of large-scale drought mortality in a rapidly changing climate. This project seeks to deliver a scientific basis for the adoption of assisted gene migration in south-west forests, through a detailed understanding of genetic adaptation and physiological tolerance, to improve drought-resilience under future hotter and drier climates.Read moreRead less
Predicting adaptive responses to climate change in Australian native bees. This project aims to understand how insects will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked but economically important group of species: Australian native bees. Native bees are important pollinators of both crops and native plants, but their sensitivity to changes in climate are unknown. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of the resilience of native bees to climate change, and new effective tools for p ....Predicting adaptive responses to climate change in Australian native bees. This project aims to understand how insects will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked but economically important group of species: Australian native bees. Native bees are important pollinators of both crops and native plants, but their sensitivity to changes in climate are unknown. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of the resilience of native bees to climate change, and new effective tools for predicting climate change resilience that can be applied to many species. The intended benefits include increasing our understanding of the potential for native bees to act as future pollinators in Australia’s natural and agro-ecosystems, and guide policy and management decisions to better protect and conserve our bee fauna.Read moreRead less
Oyster adaptation to climate change via transgenerational plasticity. We are in an age of rapid climate change, where the need to understand the adaptive potential of marine organisms in warmer, more acidified oceans is increasingly urgent. This is especially true in Australia where changes are significant. This project uses a cutting-edge, integrated interdisciplinary approach to measure the capacity of oysters to adapt and persist to climate change via transgenerational plasticity, describe th ....Oyster adaptation to climate change via transgenerational plasticity. We are in an age of rapid climate change, where the need to understand the adaptive potential of marine organisms in warmer, more acidified oceans is increasingly urgent. This is especially true in Australia where changes are significant. This project uses a cutting-edge, integrated interdisciplinary approach to measure the capacity of oysters to adapt and persist to climate change via transgenerational plasticity, describe the epigenetic mechanisms which underlie it and develop an immediate breeding method to protect vulnerable oysters and other marine organisms against climate change. The research outcomes will transform Indigenous-led oyster reef restoration projects and future-proof an iconic food source and national industry.Read moreRead less
Australian and global plant diversity from first principles. This project aims to explain the composition of vegetation in Australia and worldwide using ecological and evolutionary first principles. Researchers have studied how climate shapes vegetation for centuries, but still lack a basic quantitative theory predicting what types of plants should be found where and why. Combining first principles models, statistics and large Australian data synthesis, this project will determine whether vegeta ....Australian and global plant diversity from first principles. This project aims to explain the composition of vegetation in Australia and worldwide using ecological and evolutionary first principles. Researchers have studied how climate shapes vegetation for centuries, but still lack a basic quantitative theory predicting what types of plants should be found where and why. Combining first principles models, statistics and large Australian data synthesis, this project will determine whether vegetation structure and diversity is predictable and thus improve predictive models. Predicting the long term effects of evolutionary adaptation and humans on ecosystems could enable the management of terrestrial carbon and underpin effective ecosystem management and restoration.Read moreRead less
Escalating the arms race: Understanding when and how trees get really tall. Australia's giant Eucalypt trees are an amazing phenomenon and resource; underpinning unique ecosystems, rich in timber, stored carbon, and animal habitat. While tree height generally arises via an evolutionary arms race for light, the race has escalated dramatically in some locations and species. Using a computational framework that simulates adaptation driven by size-structured competition, this project will quantify h ....Escalating the arms race: Understanding when and how trees get really tall. Australia's giant Eucalypt trees are an amazing phenomenon and resource; underpinning unique ecosystems, rich in timber, stored carbon, and animal habitat. While tree height generally arises via an evolutionary arms race for light, the race has escalated dramatically in some locations and species. Using a computational framework that simulates adaptation driven by size-structured competition, this project will quantify how distinct factors-including climate, recruitment, and disturbance-enhance the race for light and can thereby explain the origins of Australia's giant Eucalypt. With calibrated models of species evolution, coupled with targeted fieldwork and big data, this project clarifies key forces shaping present and future vegetation.Read moreRead less
Sexual conflict and the evolution of nuptial gifts. This project aims to understand how sexual conflict drives the evolution of “manipulative” nuptial gifts in male arthropods and how females respond to ingesting these gifts. Nuptial food gifts comprise materials (other than sperm) that are offered by males to females to consume at mating, and are an integral feature of the mating systems of a wide variety of arthropods. The project will study the decorated cricket, a species where males produce ....Sexual conflict and the evolution of nuptial gifts. This project aims to understand how sexual conflict drives the evolution of “manipulative” nuptial gifts in male arthropods and how females respond to ingesting these gifts. Nuptial food gifts comprise materials (other than sperm) that are offered by males to females to consume at mating, and are an integral feature of the mating systems of a wide variety of arthropods. The project will study the decorated cricket, a species where males produce a nuptial food gift that contains a cocktail of chemicals known to influence female reproduction when eaten. The project is expected to strengthen Australia’s international standing in evolutionary research and help train the next generation of evolutionary biologists.Read moreRead less