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Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoin ....Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoing and healthy association at the cellular level. Unlike some terrestrial symbioses, little is known about the structure and function of the coral symbiosome. This study sets out to investigate this membrane at the cellular and molecular level.Read moreRead less
Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoin ....Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoing and healthy association at the cellular level. Unlike some terrestrial symbioses, little is known about the structure and function of the coral symbiosome. This study sets out to investigate this membrane at the cellular and molecular level.Read moreRead less
The diversity and assembly of optics in nature. Optics, such as the design of new coloured reflectors, is a research strength for Australia. A reason for this is the potential for application - optical devices can be found far and wide in our everyday lives, from security devices on banknotes (holograms), to computer monitors (LCDs). An interesting parallel exists in nature - animals possess similar optical devices to those we use. So it makes sense to examine the animals' devices in a search fo ....The diversity and assembly of optics in nature. Optics, such as the design of new coloured reflectors, is a research strength for Australia. A reason for this is the potential for application - optical devices can be found far and wide in our everyday lives, from security devices on banknotes (holograms), to computer monitors (LCDs). An interesting parallel exists in nature - animals possess similar optical devices to those we use. So it makes sense to examine the animals' devices in a search for new reflectors, and that's an aim of this project. And since reflectors are often difficult to make, why not let animals make reflectors for us? That is a further aim of this project. Soon we may have genetically-altered butterfly scales embedded in our credit cards that cannot be counterfeited.Read moreRead less
Nitrogen characteristics of plant communities along the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT). It has become evident that biosphere processes need to be addressed at a global scale to understand global changes. Continental transects analyse ecosystem processes in a global context. The North Australian Tropical Transect (Darwin to Tennant Creek) represents 25% of Australia's vegetation. Biogeological research is underway on NATT ecosystems. Nitrogen availability strongly affects ecosystem pro ....Nitrogen characteristics of plant communities along the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT). It has become evident that biosphere processes need to be addressed at a global scale to understand global changes. Continental transects analyse ecosystem processes in a global context. The North Australian Tropical Transect (Darwin to Tennant Creek) represents 25% of Australia's vegetation. Biogeological research is underway on NATT ecosystems. Nitrogen availability strongly affects ecosystem productivity, and is of major interest as nitrogen pollution threatens the biosphere. In Australia, nitrogen levels are generally low, but overall knowledge is limited. An integrated ecophysiological approach will relate soil and plant nitrogen characteristics, and provide an analysis of nitrogen relations along NATT. Results will be linked to existing NATT and international transect research.Read moreRead less
Distinguishing among patterns of extinction and speciation through geological and climatic change: a molecular modelling approach. This research will enhance our understanding of the ancient origins of Australia's unique floral heritage. By developing new molecular modelling methods, it will strengthen Australia's position at the cutting edge of evolutionary phylogenetics. When Australia separated from Gondwana by continental drift 32 million years ago, the changed ocean circulation patterns tri ....Distinguishing among patterns of extinction and speciation through geological and climatic change: a molecular modelling approach. This research will enhance our understanding of the ancient origins of Australia's unique floral heritage. By developing new molecular modelling methods, it will strengthen Australia's position at the cutting edge of evolutionary phylogenetics. When Australia separated from Gondwana by continental drift 32 million years ago, the changed ocean circulation patterns triggered global climate change. The result was turnover of biota world-wide and dramatic changes within Australia. We will develop new insights into the rate and mode of these changes that will have international significance. Understanding the long-term turnover of flora from previous global climate changes will help to predict the impact of current and future climate change.Read moreRead less
Water-use efficiency of Australian tropical trees: mechanistic analysis at multiple scales. The proposed research will provide valuable information about the physiological functioning of trees in northern Australia. Experiments will elucidate mechanisms that can result in variation in water-use efficiency among different tree species. Such a mechanistic understanding will have multiple benefits: (1) results will be able to be incorporated into process-based models of carbon and water cycling ....Water-use efficiency of Australian tropical trees: mechanistic analysis at multiple scales. The proposed research will provide valuable information about the physiological functioning of trees in northern Australia. Experiments will elucidate mechanisms that can result in variation in water-use efficiency among different tree species. Such a mechanistic understanding will have multiple benefits: (1) results will be able to be incorporated into process-based models of carbon and water cycling in the north-Australian landscape; (2) they will provide valuable information for land managers interested in optimizing both plant biomass production and water resource management; and (3) they will provide a critical test of proxy methods for identifying high water-use efficiency in taxonomically diverse tree species.Read moreRead less
Leaf respiration under drought: a global perspective. Predicting future net carbon exchange is necessary for better management of vegetation resources by Australia. Incorporating the responses of plant respiration to drought and temperature is crucial for predicting future rates of net carbon exchange. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperature impact on plant respiration of a broad range of economically important and ....Leaf respiration under drought: a global perspective. Predicting future net carbon exchange is necessary for better management of vegetation resources by Australia. Incorporating the responses of plant respiration to drought and temperature is crucial for predicting future rates of net carbon exchange. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperature impact on plant respiration of a broad range of economically important and ecologically relevant plant species. Equations will be formulated that will improve how modellers calculate drought-dependent variations in plant respiration (and thus plant productivity), thereby improving predictions for a future, warmer world.Read moreRead less
Out of the darkness: predicting rates of respiration of illuminated leaves along nutrient gradients. Our research will greatly assist in predictions of future net carbon exchange necessary if Australia is to better manage its vegetation resources. Crucial to predicting future rates of net carbon exchange is an understanding of how climate and nutrients impact on leaf respiration. Our research will develop an understanding of how light, temperature and phosphorus (the most widespread, limiting nu ....Out of the darkness: predicting rates of respiration of illuminated leaves along nutrient gradients. Our research will greatly assist in predictions of future net carbon exchange necessary if Australia is to better manage its vegetation resources. Crucial to predicting future rates of net carbon exchange is an understanding of how climate and nutrients impact on leaf respiration. Our research will develop an understanding of how light, temperature and phosphorus (the most widespread, limiting nutrient in Australia) impact on leaf respiration of a broad range of contrasting plants representative of several diverse Australian ecosystems. We will develop equations that will allow modellers to better predict climate/nutrient dependent variations in leaf respiration (and thus rates of plant productivity), both now and in the future.Read moreRead less
Climate dependence of plant respiration in a warmer, drier world. This research will greatly assist in predictions of future net carbon exchange that are necessary if Australia is to better manage its vegetation resources. Crucial to predicting future rates of net carbon exchange is an understanding of how drought and long-term changes in temperature impact on plant respiration. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperat ....Climate dependence of plant respiration in a warmer, drier world. This research will greatly assist in predictions of future net carbon exchange that are necessary if Australia is to better manage its vegetation resources. Crucial to predicting future rates of net carbon exchange is an understanding of how drought and long-term changes in temperature impact on plant respiration. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperature impact on plant respiration of a broad range of economically important and ecologically relevant plant species. Equations will be formulated that allow modellers to better predict drought-dependent variations in plant respiration (and thus plant productivity), both now and in a future, warmer world.Read moreRead less
Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem ....Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem consequences of landscape level selective events. There may be major implications for the rapidly expanding environmental and forestry plantings across Australia and temperate regions of the world where choice of seed source may have far reaching consequences.Read moreRead less