Increasing the effectiveness of Australian threatened bird conservation. Conservation of threatened species is expensive and success rare or fleeting. Analysis of nearly three decades of threatened species conservation management, and an understanding of the complex of factors that affect success, will help increase the efficiency of conservation planning. Improved understanding of the biological, economic, social and institutional environment within which conservation management occurs will hel ....Increasing the effectiveness of Australian threatened bird conservation. Conservation of threatened species is expensive and success rare or fleeting. Analysis of nearly three decades of threatened species conservation management, and an understanding of the complex of factors that affect success, will help increase the efficiency of conservation planning. Improved understanding of the biological, economic, social and institutional environment within which conservation management occurs will help managers allocate resources appropriately. This type of analysis has never been done for an entire fauna at a continental scale and will have global significance. Furthermore the networks to which the investigators are connected will ensure that the results can be rapidly translated into practice.Read moreRead less
Fertility Management of Koalas, Kangaroos and Wallabies. The aims of this work are to test a commercially available long-acting contraceptive on large populations of kangaroos and koalas, and to devise efficient, economic and practical ways of delivering these contraceptives to the animals. The outcome will be a system of controlling the number of these animals which is economically realistic and acceptable to national and international communities. The contraceptive is administered as a small, ....Fertility Management of Koalas, Kangaroos and Wallabies. The aims of this work are to test a commercially available long-acting contraceptive on large populations of kangaroos and koalas, and to devise efficient, economic and practical ways of delivering these contraceptives to the animals. The outcome will be a system of controlling the number of these animals which is economically realistic and acceptable to national and international communities. The contraceptive is administered as a small, subcutaneous implant in the back of the neck. It can be inserted very quickly and has no harmful side effects. A further outcome may be its adoption in other parts of the world, to the advantage of the company which manufactures it.Read moreRead less
Management guidelines for the threatened Heath Mouse and other rodent species in mining lease areas of southern Western Australia. This project will measure the conservation biology of rodents, including threatened Heath Mice, in areas of mining lease and natural ecosystems in southern Western Australia. It will establish the distribution, habitat requirements and ecology of the threatened Heath Mouse, its interactions with other rodent species (Bush Rat, Ash-grey Mouse, Western Mouse, Mitchell' ....Management guidelines for the threatened Heath Mouse and other rodent species in mining lease areas of southern Western Australia. This project will measure the conservation biology of rodents, including threatened Heath Mice, in areas of mining lease and natural ecosystems in southern Western Australia. It will establish the distribution, habitat requirements and ecology of the threatened Heath Mouse, its interactions with other rodent species (Bush Rat, Ash-grey Mouse, Western Mouse, Mitchell's Hopping Mouse), and determine the impact of floral changes due to plant disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi on the conservation of Heath Mice. Landscape models will be developed to assist in the management of mining leases where Heath Mice occur.Read moreRead less
A physiological and biochemical basis for seed storage for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Seed banking is a vital component of the integrated strategies required to conserve biodiversity and restore degraded landscapes. The effectiveness of seed banking for Australian flora is limited by a lack of research into the factors affecting seed viability during storage. For key indicative Australian species this study will focus on morphological, biophysical and biochemical factors governin ....A physiological and biochemical basis for seed storage for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Seed banking is a vital component of the integrated strategies required to conserve biodiversity and restore degraded landscapes. The effectiveness of seed banking for Australian flora is limited by a lack of research into the factors affecting seed viability during storage. For key indicative Australian species this study will focus on morphological, biophysical and biochemical factors governing seed longevity to determine the optimum storage conditions and identify bio-indicators of seed deterioration for rapid determination of seed storage behaviour. This project will develop benchmark standards by which the estimated 325 seed banks storing native seeds in Australia will benefit.Read moreRead less
The nature, diversity and potential impact of infectious agents in Western Australian threatened mammals. This project will generate new information on parasitic diseases, which will contribute to the management of terrestrial ecosystems by government agencies such as the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management, and private concerns, such as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. The project will also assist in the formation of appropriate responses to exotic disease incu ....The nature, diversity and potential impact of infectious agents in Western Australian threatened mammals. This project will generate new information on parasitic diseases, which will contribute to the management of terrestrial ecosystems by government agencies such as the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management, and private concerns, such as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. The project will also assist in the formation of appropriate responses to exotic disease incursions, by increasing understanding of the spread of parasitic infections between native, feral and domesticated animal species.Read moreRead less
Managing the evolutionary potential of fragmented native plant populations. Many previously widespread plant species now exist in small fragmented populations threatened with extinction due to genetic decline. We will apply a novel and powerful new genetic approach for the assessment of the evolutionary potential of these populations. Through the most detailed characterisation of realized mating yet possible, we will determine if recently fragmented populations are in genetic decline, and how ....Managing the evolutionary potential of fragmented native plant populations. Many previously widespread plant species now exist in small fragmented populations threatened with extinction due to genetic decline. We will apply a novel and powerful new genetic approach for the assessment of the evolutionary potential of these populations. Through the most detailed characterisation of realized mating yet possible, we will determine if recently fragmented populations are in genetic decline, and how anciently fragmented species avoid extinction. Our aim is to generate general principles for the early measurement and/or prediction of genetic decline in species most at risk, that will enable us to determine how and when remediation measures are required.Read moreRead less
Increasing sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) recruitment in regional Western Australia through mammal conservation. The highly prized sandalwood is the basis of an industry that employs over 100 people and generates $12 million export income annually in regional WA. Natural recruitment of sandalwood is poor. This project will build on research, conducted by Murdoch University and the Forest Products Commission, that indicates natural recruitment of the tree is greatly enhance in the presence of nat ....Increasing sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) recruitment in regional Western Australia through mammal conservation. The highly prized sandalwood is the basis of an industry that employs over 100 people and generates $12 million export income annually in regional WA. Natural recruitment of sandalwood is poor. This project will build on research, conducted by Murdoch University and the Forest Products Commission, that indicates natural recruitment of the tree is greatly enhance in the presence of native rat-kangaroos who cache the seeds. This project will train an APA(I) postgraduate through an industry based project that will evaluate increased recruitment of sandalwood by native mammal caching. Many of these mammals are Conservation Dependent or Threatened with extinction.Read moreRead less
An inventory of past biodiversity in Western Australia using ancient DNA. Fossil bones and museum skins are genetic time capsules that facilitate the exploration of Australia's past biodiversity. Travelling back in 'genetic time' provides important insights into how ecosystems functioned prior to the arrival of Europeans and the feral species that accompanied them. This funding will facilitate research into the genetic heritage of endangered WA species such as Woylies and Cockatoos. Native speci ....An inventory of past biodiversity in Western Australia using ancient DNA. Fossil bones and museum skins are genetic time capsules that facilitate the exploration of Australia's past biodiversity. Travelling back in 'genetic time' provides important insights into how ecosystems functioned prior to the arrival of Europeans and the feral species that accompanied them. This funding will facilitate research into the genetic heritage of endangered WA species such as Woylies and Cockatoos. Native species face increasing pressures from climate change and invasive species. Compiling a genetic inventory of WA's past biodiversity will assist in developing scientifically sound conservation management responses. Such approaches are critically important if this biodiversity hotspot is to be preserved for future generations.Read moreRead less
Animals on the move - an integrated approach to selecting conservation reserves under climate change. Conserving biodiversity when faced with rapid changes in climate and land use is a major challenge facing conservation managers. Translocation - the process of moving species from one location to another - may be the best means of preventing species extinction, but the long-term climatic suitability of translocation sites is rarely considered. This project will develop and apply new methods for ....Animals on the move - an integrated approach to selecting conservation reserves under climate change. Conserving biodiversity when faced with rapid changes in climate and land use is a major challenge facing conservation managers. Translocation - the process of moving species from one location to another - may be the best means of preventing species extinction, but the long-term climatic suitability of translocation sites is rarely considered. This project will develop and apply new methods for identifying climatically suitable habitats for a critically endangered tortoise, with the aim of selecting sites where the species can persist long-term with minimum management. The approach will have utility not only for management of endangered species, but also in selecting future climatic regions for raising commercially valuable species. Read moreRead less
Evaluating the influence of trophic connections between marine habitats on the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas. Marine ecosystems are characterized by trophic subsidies: consumers forage between habitats, and ungrazed primary production is exported as drift or detritus. However, the trophic relationships we see today may in a sense be unnatural, because intensive fishing of consumers may have fundamentally altered them.
We aim to evaluate the importance of the exchange of consumers and ....Evaluating the influence of trophic connections between marine habitats on the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas. Marine ecosystems are characterized by trophic subsidies: consumers forage between habitats, and ungrazed primary production is exported as drift or detritus. However, the trophic relationships we see today may in a sense be unnatural, because intensive fishing of consumers may have fundamentally altered them.
We aim to evaluate the importance of the exchange of consumers and drift between seagrass and reef habitats in Australia and North America. We aim to find out whether fishing alters these processes by studying marine protected areas in both continents.
This work will come at a crucial time for the implementation of Australia's MPA system.
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