Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental param ....Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental parameter that influences the ability of a species to colonise new habitats. The project plans to characterise the functional links between specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, mitochondrial functions and organismal traits. The expected outcome is a more precise grasp of the processes influencing genetic variation within and among species, which would inform current issues in ecology and genetics.Read moreRead less
Closing the loop: understanding the relationships between recreational fishing surveys, fishing regulations and fisheries management objectives. The project aims to improve the management of recreational fisheries in Australia by using model-based evaluations to understand the effects of recreational fishing regulations and survey design on the realisation and assessment of fisheries management objectives.
Genetic Rescue of Australia's Arid Zone Plants. Many Australian arid zone plant species have been severely damaged by grazing, loss of pollinators and other impacts and cannot survive without urgent intervention. Some exist as small fragmented populations with too little genetic variation to reproduce or adapt to further environmental change. We propose to combine surveys of genetic (DNA) diversity and the reproductive status of populations in order to identify species that could be saved by a ....Genetic Rescue of Australia's Arid Zone Plants. Many Australian arid zone plant species have been severely damaged by grazing, loss of pollinators and other impacts and cannot survive without urgent intervention. Some exist as small fragmented populations with too little genetic variation to reproduce or adapt to further environmental change. We propose to combine surveys of genetic (DNA) diversity and the reproductive status of populations in order to identify species that could be saved by a process of ‘genetic rescue’. Genetic rescue will involve experimental pollinations to produce highly fit seedlings and later transplanting of these seedlings to augment genetically deficient populations.
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Does physiological plasticity of individuals render populations resilient to climate change? Abrupt environmental changes can put natural populations at risk of extinction. The project will show to what extent individuals can compensate for temperature changes and thereby render populations resilient to climate change. This research will make theoretical advances and improve the power to predict impacts of future climate change.
Cane toads as a model system for demographic analysis and invasive-species control. How do impacts on juvenile stages within a population affect later ages? This project will exploit recently developed methods to control early life-history stages of cane toads to provide a better understanding of population ecology and develop more effective ways to control invasive cane toads.
A stitch in time: evidence-based strategy to keep platypus from extinction. This project aims to assess the status of the iconic platypus, identified as ‘near-threatened’ in 2014. The project’s multidisciplinary approach plans to compare regulated and unregulated rivers to investigate metapopulation structure (via physical and genetic tagging), current condition and future adaptability of the species, as well as other threats and habitat quality. The project also links vulnerability of platypus ....A stitch in time: evidence-based strategy to keep platypus from extinction. This project aims to assess the status of the iconic platypus, identified as ‘near-threatened’ in 2014. The project’s multidisciplinary approach plans to compare regulated and unregulated rivers to investigate metapopulation structure (via physical and genetic tagging), current condition and future adaptability of the species, as well as other threats and habitat quality. The project also links vulnerability of platypus populations to conservation actions that reduce extinction risk, through rigorous decision analyses. It is anticipated that the project will deliver implementable conservation actions at relevant scales.Read moreRead less
Working with wind energy and forestry for effective eagle conservation. This project aims to reduce the impacts of wind turbines and disturbance from forestry activity on the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. It will do this by understanding the flight behaviour, movements and mortality of eagles, and the behavioural responses of breeding birds to forestry-related disturbance. The project will build new knowledge and institutional partnerships that will be used to minimise impacts on the Tasmanian e ....Working with wind energy and forestry for effective eagle conservation. This project aims to reduce the impacts of wind turbines and disturbance from forestry activity on the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. It will do this by understanding the flight behaviour, movements and mortality of eagles, and the behavioural responses of breeding birds to forestry-related disturbance. The project will build new knowledge and institutional partnerships that will be used to minimise impacts on the Tasmanian eagle population, and develop models for use in planning. This will safeguard Australia's largest eagle and improve the sustainability of energy and forest industries. This research will also provide a model for the resolution of similar problems elsewhere in the world.Read moreRead less
Integrating biomechanics and ecology: moving from an individual- to population-level understanding of the effects of environmental change. Coral reefs, a key Australian resource, face an uncertain future due to environmental change. Up to now, environmental change research has focused on the individual level, severely limiting our predictive capacity. This project will develop a novel 'first principle' approach to solve this shortcoming and make population-level predictions possible.
Population fluctuations: models, mechanisms and management. Changes in plant populations lead to extinctions and invasions in Australia and globally. The project will determine the drivers of plant population change and provide new tools to enable better population management.
Dynamic resilience and stability properties of marine systems: the importance of environment-engineer feedbacks in kelp forests. Kelp forests form complex habitats that support diverse, productive and economically important food-webs. This project will determine whether healthy kelp forests engineer their environment to make conditions more suitable for their continued recruitment and survivorship, thus increasing their stability and resilience in response to anthropogenic threats.