Why our biota is unique: ecophysiological response, adaptive radiation and changing environments in Cainozoic Australia. We seek to resolve Cainozoic diversification and extinction patterns leading to the modern Australian biota. We propose a broad-scale, multi-disciplinary approach involving systematic palaeontology, palaeobiology, biostratigraphy, molecular and morphological systematics and physiology of modern organisms. For the first time, we will synthesise data on past climatic and environ ....Why our biota is unique: ecophysiological response, adaptive radiation and changing environments in Cainozoic Australia. We seek to resolve Cainozoic diversification and extinction patterns leading to the modern Australian biota. We propose a broad-scale, multi-disciplinary approach involving systematic palaeontology, palaeobiology, biostratigraphy, molecular and morphological systematics and physiology of modern organisms. For the first time, we will synthesise data on past climatic and environmental influences on the evolution of Australian plants, animals and community structure through time. This will provide a solid historical basis to develop management strategies for the Australian biota under different, future, climatic scenarios, and will also provide a biostratigraphic framework essential for high-resolution mineral and hydrocarbon exploration.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354740
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
CaGaWaLo: regulation of carbon gain and water loss by woody vegetation. Trees and shrubs are widely perceived as central to solving problems of national and international significance. Seed funding is sought to facilitate establishment of a research network focused on their ability to sequester carbon and transmit water to the atmosphere. The proposed network is broadly based in plant physiology and ecology and contains a strong cross-section of leading international expertise in relevant sub- ....CaGaWaLo: regulation of carbon gain and water loss by woody vegetation. Trees and shrubs are widely perceived as central to solving problems of national and international significance. Seed funding is sought to facilitate establishment of a research network focused on their ability to sequester carbon and transmit water to the atmosphere. The proposed network is broadly based in plant physiology and ecology and contains a strong cross-section of leading international expertise in relevant sub-disciplines. By leveraging the huge pool of international expertise and focusing on a range of scales (from molecular to biosphere scales), this network will yield new ideas and approaches that will produce outputs and outcomes of national significance.Read moreRead less
Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, hi ....Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, higher CO2 may stimulate photosynthesis and enhanced stratification may also select for E. huxleyi. These changes will affect foodwebs and the ability of the ocean to absorb CO2. Predicting the future success of this key organism is vital to understand the consequences of global change in Australian and Southern Ocean waters and to set targets for carbon emissions.Read moreRead less