Use of Distichlis spicata for sustainable forage production on saline land to manage dryland salinity. Sustainable and productive use of salt-affected lands is a priority for many farmers. This project aims to develop management strategies that optimise yield, water use and nutritive value of Distichlis spicata (a salt-tolerant grass) forage on salinised lands, and to understand how this forage species affects the salt cycle, water use and fertility improvement of saline soils.
Environmental risk assessment of acid sulfate soil formation and pollutant generation in Swan Coastal Plain. The urgency and importance of securing water sources for human use in a sustainable manner is dictated by drying climate and rapid population expansion in Australia. Dropping groundwater levels (less recharge, increased abstraction, enhanced drainage) result in formation of acid sulfate soils in oxidised layers that contain acid-bearing minerals. This project will produce an environmental ....Environmental risk assessment of acid sulfate soil formation and pollutant generation in Swan Coastal Plain. The urgency and importance of securing water sources for human use in a sustainable manner is dictated by drying climate and rapid population expansion in Australia. Dropping groundwater levels (less recharge, increased abstraction, enhanced drainage) result in formation of acid sulfate soils in oxidised layers that contain acid-bearing minerals. This project will produce an environmental risk assessment framework as a basis for (i) educated decisions regarding land development and soil disturbance vs conservation as well as (ii) identifying areas suitable for water abstraction from groundwater resources. This will ensure sustainable use of precious groundwater resources in this drying continent of ours.Read moreRead less
Avoiding Environmental Bankruptcy: the grazing impacts of red kangaroos and sheep. Overgrazing is one of the most serious environmental and economic problems in Australia. By mitigating overgrazing, our project has three major benefits. Firstly, quantification of the foraging requirements for free-ranging sheep and kangaroos will, for the first time, allow us to identify sustainable practices that prevent overgrazing and contribute to significant land recovery. Secondly, a new mechanistic model ....Avoiding Environmental Bankruptcy: the grazing impacts of red kangaroos and sheep. Overgrazing is one of the most serious environmental and economic problems in Australia. By mitigating overgrazing, our project has three major benefits. Firstly, quantification of the foraging requirements for free-ranging sheep and kangaroos will, for the first time, allow us to identify sustainable practices that prevent overgrazing and contribute to significant land recovery. Secondly, a new mechanistic model for predicting herbivore dynamics will allow us to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on future grazing pressures. Thirdly, our results will inform management plans to sustain Australia's arid rangelands as productive, bio-diverse environments, which currently provide economic returns in excess of $20 billion p.a.Read moreRead less
Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is s ....Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is significant in identifying key socio-economic and environmental factors that need to be considered in developing regional policy approaches to sustainable agricultural development. Outcomes will include better uptake of environmental measures by graziers and policy advice to government and industry on sustainable development options.Read moreRead less
Governance and economic incentives for reducing the contribution of tropical deforestation to climate change. The project will contribute toward global efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, thus mitigating the potential economic and environmental impacts of future climate change on Australia. Australia's neighbours will benefit from the project by putting them in a better position to gain financial transfers for foregone benefits of deforestation, and by insights on better systems o ....Governance and economic incentives for reducing the contribution of tropical deforestation to climate change. The project will contribute toward global efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, thus mitigating the potential economic and environmental impacts of future climate change on Australia. Australia's neighbours will benefit from the project by putting them in a better position to gain financial transfers for foregone benefits of deforestation, and by insights on better systems of governance. The positive effects enjoyed by neighbouring countries are likely to translate into improved relations with Australia. At the level of international negotiations, the research will support Australia's ambitions for a meaningful post-Kyoto climate change agreement.Read moreRead less
Managing subsoil constraints for increased productivity and water use efficiency. Subsoil constraints limit crop production in up to 60% of agricultural land. This project examines the impacts of organic matter incoporation, deep placement of nutrients, use of primer crops, calcium addition and their combination on amelioration of subsoil constraints and thereby on the improvement of root growth, water use and crop yield in high-rainfall region. The best-bet management strategy will be developed ....Managing subsoil constraints for increased productivity and water use efficiency. Subsoil constraints limit crop production in up to 60% of agricultural land. This project examines the impacts of organic matter incoporation, deep placement of nutrients, use of primer crops, calcium addition and their combination on amelioration of subsoil constraints and thereby on the improvement of root growth, water use and crop yield in high-rainfall region. The best-bet management strategy will be developed.Read moreRead less
Building Capacity for a Sustainable Future. The concept of sustainability has been proposed as a practical and useful concept capable of providing solutions to social, environmental and economic problems. Global interest in the concept also stems from the advantages that organisational change for sustainability can impart, including improved efficiency and profitability. The project will develop sustainability capabilities of graduates entering a diverse range of industries, enhancing the nation ....Building Capacity for a Sustainable Future. The concept of sustainability has been proposed as a practical and useful concept capable of providing solutions to social, environmental and economic problems. Global interest in the concept also stems from the advantages that organisational change for sustainability can impart, including improved efficiency and profitability. The project will develop sustainability capabilities of graduates entering a diverse range of industries, enhancing the national skills base. The models and processes of institutional change developed in this project can be adopted by universities, governments and corporations throughout the world, enhancing Australia's reputation as a world leader in institutional and corporate sustainability.Read moreRead less
Novel, Cost-Effective Methods for Measuring Methane Emissions from Grazing Livestock. Agriculture is second only to energy generation as a source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Methane from cattle and sheep constitute 60% of these agricultural emissions. Their abatement is a win-win goal for the agricultural industry, reducing greenhouse emissions while increasing food efficiency. This project will develop a novel, cost- and-labour efficient method for on-farm measurements of the emis ....Novel, Cost-Effective Methods for Measuring Methane Emissions from Grazing Livestock. Agriculture is second only to energy generation as a source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Methane from cattle and sheep constitute 60% of these agricultural emissions. Their abatement is a win-win goal for the agricultural industry, reducing greenhouse emissions while increasing food efficiency. This project will develop a novel, cost- and-labour efficient method for on-farm measurements of the emissions of methane from free-grazing cattle and sheep in their undisturbed environment. The method will be used to assess the dependence of methane emissions on factors such as diet and the efficacy of proposed methods for abatement of methane emissions, as well as providing improved data to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal harvest of the northern long-necked turtle -- modelling population dynamics in support of a sustainable industry. The Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation wishes to establish employment opportunities that both strengthen traditional Aboriginal values and lead to economic self-sufficiency. We will use experimental approaches to model the demographic impact of Aboriginal harvest on the population dynamics of the northern long-necked turtle. The project will break new ground in studying dens ....Aboriginal harvest of the northern long-necked turtle -- modelling population dynamics in support of a sustainable industry. The Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation wishes to establish employment opportunities that both strengthen traditional Aboriginal values and lead to economic self-sufficiency. We will use experimental approaches to model the demographic impact of Aboriginal harvest on the population dynamics of the northern long-necked turtle. The project will break new ground in studying density-dependent responses to harvest in a long-lived turtle species. The project will also assist the Aboriginal rural community to decide the level of adult and egg harvest in support of a local industry to ensure that it is both ecologically and economically sustainable.Read moreRead less
Improving the contribution of protected areas to quality of life in rural and regional communities. This research addresses the fundamental question of how local communities value the contribution of natural and cultural heritage, in particular in Protected Areas, to their wellbeing, and how these 'community' values differ from those of protected area managers and policy makers. It examines the role of nature based tourism as a vehicle for improving quality of life in rural communities, and how ....Improving the contribution of protected areas to quality of life in rural and regional communities. This research addresses the fundamental question of how local communities value the contribution of natural and cultural heritage, in particular in Protected Areas, to their wellbeing, and how these 'community' values differ from those of protected area managers and policy makers. It examines the role of nature based tourism as a vehicle for improving quality of life in rural communities, and how regional development strategies can be enhanced through the contributions of Protected Areas.Read moreRead less