Testing metabolic theories in ecology. There are striking similarities in the way plants and animals take up and use energy (metabolism), despite enormous variation in size and life-style. This project will make the first experimental comparison of the predictions of the two major theories for these broad patterns. The results will significantly progress this controversial and exciting field.
Community efficiency: testing MacArthur’s minimisation principle for competitive communities. Robert MacArthur, one of the 20th century’s greatest ecologists, developed theory that had profound impacts on our understanding of island biogeography, species coexistence, and competition, yet one of his most powerful theoretical predictions, that competitive communities should become more efficient over time, has never been tested. A greater understanding of the dynamics of community efficiency will ....Community efficiency: testing MacArthur’s minimisation principle for competitive communities. Robert MacArthur, one of the 20th century’s greatest ecologists, developed theory that had profound impacts on our understanding of island biogeography, species coexistence, and competition, yet one of his most powerful theoretical predictions, that competitive communities should become more efficient over time, has never been tested. A greater understanding of the dynamics of community efficiency will provide profound insights into the role of that community in the broader ecosystem, as well as strong predictions about the invasibility and stability of that community. Read moreRead less
How different is different: highly contrasting colours in animal patterns. Red apples in green trees and blue berries on the ground create very different visual signals to animals. Furthermore, elaborate animal colour patterns have evolved to render them conspicuous or camouflaged against their background. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of animal colour patterns, little is known about how larger colour contrasts and complex patterns are perceived by animals. This project aim ....How different is different: highly contrasting colours in animal patterns. Red apples in green trees and blue berries on the ground create very different visual signals to animals. Furthermore, elaborate animal colour patterns have evolved to render them conspicuous or camouflaged against their background. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of animal colour patterns, little is known about how larger colour contrasts and complex patterns are perceived by animals. This project aims to fill this knowledge gap specifically it endeavours: to provide useful tools for behavioural ecologists and visual neuroscientists, and to understand for the first time the full gamut of colour signalling in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.Read moreRead less
Understanding the ecological effects of genetic diversity: causes, consequences and relative importance. This project will examine the effect of genetic diversity on key demographic parameters (for example, population growth rates) for organisms from three groups, including a commercially important oyster. This project provides valuable information that can be used by managers of wild and cultivated populations to minimise impacts of human activities and maximise yields.
Horizontal ecological networks for understanding biodiversity maintenance. The project aims to develop new ecological theory on local diversity maintenance based on an innovative interaction network model, tested on Western Australian wildflower communities. It is novel in its focus on the complexity of species interactions and their importance to diversity maintenance in nature. This project aims to explore links between plant interaction networks and coexistence theory to provide theoretical e ....Horizontal ecological networks for understanding biodiversity maintenance. The project aims to develop new ecological theory on local diversity maintenance based on an innovative interaction network model, tested on Western Australian wildflower communities. It is novel in its focus on the complexity of species interactions and their importance to diversity maintenance in nature. This project aims to explore links between plant interaction networks and coexistence theory to provide theoretical expectations for how changes to the environment are expected to alter natural plant communities. It aims to fill theory-gap about mechanisms of multi-species coexistence, advance community ecology, and provide the theoretical foundations necessary for translating ecological theory to restoration and conservation in practice.Read moreRead less
How positive interactions improve predictions of plant community diversity. Though common in nature, the importance of plant-plant facilitation to coexistence and the maintenance of plant diversity at community scales is poorly understood. This project aims to advance understanding of how positive interactions (facilitation) impact on coexistence among plant species as well as local patterns of diversity. To achieve these aims the project will use a combination of field experiments and a compara ....How positive interactions improve predictions of plant community diversity. Though common in nature, the importance of plant-plant facilitation to coexistence and the maintenance of plant diversity at community scales is poorly understood. This project aims to advance understanding of how positive interactions (facilitation) impact on coexistence among plant species as well as local patterns of diversity. To achieve these aims the project will use a combination of field experiments and a comparative analysis of competition and facilitation in Australian, Californian and Spanish annual plant communities with a novel modelling approach for predicting coexistence across variable environments. Outcomes are expected to include an innovative predictive framework of use for plant conservation in Australia and beyond.Read moreRead less
Testing the importance of large-scale climate factors to plant community assembly following land-use change. This project will examine the native plant species and functional diversity of Australia's rain forest communities to create a predictive framework of how plant communities recover following deforestation. Such a framework is key to focusing conservation efforts in degraded and multi-use landscapes.
An integrated examination of the drivers of movements of large filter feeding organisms of high ecotourism value: a case study. This aim is to define key drivers behind movements of large filter-feeding organisms, using the manta ray as a model system. As dive eco-tourism often depends on the presence of such charismatic filter-feeding animals, an understanding of why animals occupy particular sites at particular times is important, especially in the face of climate change.