The role of mycorrhizal fungi in the nutrition of temperate terrestrial orchids. This project addresses the role of external mycelial systems in the carbon and mineral nutrition of temperate terrestrial orchids. The project will determine the processes of nutrient transfer in the protocorm and adult phases of development across a range of terrestrial temperate orchids to inform conservation and restoration efforts.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354789
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Networking environmental science to achieve integrated management of Australian terrestrial biodiversity in an era of environmental change. Human activities impact Australian ecosystems profoundly and compound natural complexity by superimposing environmental changes. Thus, understanding, conserving and enhancing Australian biodiversity demands interdisciplinary research and management strategies. These activities lack overarching strategic coordination, being conducted mainly by groups with fo ....Networking environmental science to achieve integrated management of Australian terrestrial biodiversity in an era of environmental change. Human activities impact Australian ecosystems profoundly and compound natural complexity by superimposing environmental changes. Thus, understanding, conserving and enhancing Australian biodiversity demands interdisciplinary research and management strategies. These activities lack overarching strategic coordination, being conducted mainly by groups with focused interests. We will develop a Network uniting the skills, resources and energies of excellent and productive researchers and managers of natural resources across the relevant disciplines and organizations, and so work synergistically towards the National Research Priority of an Environmentally Sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Complex system dynamics: restoring riparian and riverine ecosystems. Attempts to restore damaged ecosystems reveal inadequacies in theories describing ecosystem structure and function. For rivers, it is unclear whether theories relating to fluvial geomorphology and ecosystem dynamics are adequate to predict system trajectories following restoration. We will use empirical data on a degraded river to develop cross-scale models of system function, and predict ecosystem structure and dynamics follow ....Complex system dynamics: restoring riparian and riverine ecosystems. Attempts to restore damaged ecosystems reveal inadequacies in theories describing ecosystem structure and function. For rivers, it is unclear whether theories relating to fluvial geomorphology and ecosystem dynamics are adequate to predict system trajectories following restoration. We will use empirical data on a degraded river to develop cross-scale models of system function, and predict ecosystem structure and dynamics following restoration. Following revegetation of riparian habitats and replacement of large woody debris in in-stream habitats of the river, we will test theoretical predictions about changes to physical processes, biotic community assemblage rules and food webs to develop improved ecosystem-based restoration guidelines.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989680
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Interuniversity Elemental and Structural Analytical Facility. The items in this proposal will form the first stage of a larger facility for Elemental and Structural analytical programs in materials engineering and the natural sciences. The vision is to create an analytical facility which will have at its core and at the outset true collaboration leading to great national benefit. The equipment will be available via on-line access management allowing equitable and transparent access for users fro ....Interuniversity Elemental and Structural Analytical Facility. The items in this proposal will form the first stage of a larger facility for Elemental and Structural analytical programs in materials engineering and the natural sciences. The vision is to create an analytical facility which will have at its core and at the outset true collaboration leading to great national benefit. The equipment will be available via on-line access management allowing equitable and transparent access for users from multiple institutions. The resulting facility will complement existing microstructural capabilities and networks and will be open for all researchers and collaborators to use, further enhancing the national benefit.Read moreRead less
Fire management of complex rehabilitated forests - quantifying and understanding spatial variability of forest structure and fuels. Up to 5 million ha of forest is burnt by bushfire in Australia in severe fire years. The cost of fire suppression in 2002/3 in WA was in excess of 12 million dollars. Consequently, development and application of technologies and knowledge for enhancing fire management and reducing wildfire risk is of high priority and substantial economic, social and environmental b ....Fire management of complex rehabilitated forests - quantifying and understanding spatial variability of forest structure and fuels. Up to 5 million ha of forest is burnt by bushfire in Australia in severe fire years. The cost of fire suppression in 2002/3 in WA was in excess of 12 million dollars. Consequently, development and application of technologies and knowledge for enhancing fire management and reducing wildfire risk is of high priority and substantial economic, social and environmental benefit. The opportunity to conduct experimental fires across a complex landscape will enable calibration and development of technologies not previously possible. This research will define the way prescribed fire is used to integrate young rehabilitated forest into management of the broader landscape and develop more cost-effective tools for fire management.Read moreRead less
Conservation genetics of the threatened Malleefowl. This project will provide national benefit at four levels. First, our comprehensive genetic analysis will provide our industry partners with vital information for sustainable management of the Malleefowl. The research findings will also enrich educational and ecotourism activities in rural Australia. The publication and popular dissemination of our findings will enhance Australia's international profile as a leader in conservation genetics r ....Conservation genetics of the threatened Malleefowl. This project will provide national benefit at four levels. First, our comprehensive genetic analysis will provide our industry partners with vital information for sustainable management of the Malleefowl. The research findings will also enrich educational and ecotourism activities in rural Australia. The publication and popular dissemination of our findings will enhance Australia's international profile as a leader in conservation genetics research. Finally, our research will promote undergraduate and postgraduate education by providing cutting-edge training and research opportunities for young scientists.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
Understanding plant residue decomposition by linking organic matter chemistry and soil microbiology. Soils are an important source or sink for CO2. Currently we lack a fundamental understanding of plant residue decomposition and their transformation into various soil organic carbon (SOC) pools. Since these different pools of soil C are recycled back to atmosphere at different rates, a better understanding of the process is crucial for our ability to manage soil C and to predict the impact of man ....Understanding plant residue decomposition by linking organic matter chemistry and soil microbiology. Soils are an important source or sink for CO2. Currently we lack a fundamental understanding of plant residue decomposition and their transformation into various soil organic carbon (SOC) pools. Since these different pools of soil C are recycled back to atmosphere at different rates, a better understanding of the process is crucial for our ability to manage soil C and to predict the impact of management on SOC. For the first time we will combine detailed chemical analyses of soil organic matter fractions with determination of decomposition rates and microbial community structure; thereby also increasing the knowledge of how Australia's biodiversity is modulated. Read moreRead less
Models for biodiversity futures for massively altered agricultural landscapes. Problems with soil and water and declines in native biodiversity have been linked to clearance of native vegetation. We consider future landscapes with substantially more native vegetation than at present to deal with these natural resource problems. Plantings will be slow to mature so optimal planning for landscape revegetation must consider how long it will take for the new vegetation to provide suitable habitat, bo ....Models for biodiversity futures for massively altered agricultural landscapes. Problems with soil and water and declines in native biodiversity have been linked to clearance of native vegetation. We consider future landscapes with substantially more native vegetation than at present to deal with these natural resource problems. Plantings will be slow to mature so optimal planning for landscape revegetation must consider how long it will take for the new vegetation to provide suitable habitat, both at patch and landscape scales. We will develop an optimization framework incorporating models of vegetation maturation and biotic responses to aid designs for placement and scheduling of replantings to give the best outcomes for biodiversity management given constraints on amounts of retired area and costs of implementation.Read moreRead less
Feast or famine: how Australian plants stay productive under low phosphorus. Phosphorus (P) is in low supply in soils around the nation, and limits plant production in the Australian landscape, as well as for many tropical forests worldwide. How scarce P restricts photosynthetic capacity has remained elusive. We will determine how Australian plants achieve high phosphorus-use efficiency despite low P concentrations in leaves and soils. We will synthesise knowledge of how plants maintain producti ....Feast or famine: how Australian plants stay productive under low phosphorus. Phosphorus (P) is in low supply in soils around the nation, and limits plant production in the Australian landscape, as well as for many tropical forests worldwide. How scarce P restricts photosynthetic capacity has remained elusive. We will determine how Australian plants achieve high phosphorus-use efficiency despite low P concentrations in leaves and soils. We will synthesise knowledge of how plants maintain productivity with low P availability, and inform global models how to represent P biogeochemistry and photosynthesis to improve C-cycle estimates. The understanding of plant photosynthetic and P-saving mechanisms that emerge should provide benefits through improved ecological models and enhanced management of primary production.Read moreRead less