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Averting the extinction of experience. Humans are an increasingly urban species, with most of us now living in towns and cities separated from direct experiences of the natural world. This project aims to understand and avert this 'extinction of experience' so that we can grow Australia's cities sustainably into the future.
Explaining biodiversity. Why are there many species in some places and not in others? The aim of this project is to understand this in order to protect species, understand invasion and restore ecological systems. Using published food webs, this project will determine what factors underlie biodiversity, then use experiments to understand effects of habitat loss and climate change on food web structure.
Resolving human-flying fox conflict in the face of environmental change. Resolving human-flying fox conflict in the face of environmental change. This project aims to identify socially-acceptable priority areas to be managed for the long-term viability of flying-foxes under a changing climate, and develop strategies to mitigate human-flying fox conflict, using ecological and social analysis in a decision-theoretic framework. Flying-foxes are nationally protected mammals pivotal to Australia’s fo ....Resolving human-flying fox conflict in the face of environmental change. Resolving human-flying fox conflict in the face of environmental change. This project aims to identify socially-acceptable priority areas to be managed for the long-term viability of flying-foxes under a changing climate, and develop strategies to mitigate human-flying fox conflict, using ecological and social analysis in a decision-theoretic framework. Flying-foxes are nationally protected mammals pivotal to Australia’s forest ecosystems, but are threatened by habitat loss, extreme weather and legal culls at orchards. Their exceptional mobility puts them in frequent conflict with human settlements, leading to forced dispersals from roosts. Anticipated outcomes are the conservation of Australia’s flying-foxes and international understanding of how to resolve human conflict with highly mobile species that are threatened but locally abundant and controversial.Read moreRead less
Is a grass-fire cycle reducing biodiversity in the stone country of Kakadu National Park? There is concern that bushfires in northern Australia are causing biodiversity loss. The project will compare fire regimes and populations of a fire-sensitive tree, Callitris intratropica, in Kakadu to similar areas in central Arnhem Land, to see how fire management can be optimised to prevent further biodiversity loss on the Arnhem Plateau.
Developing Assisted Reproductive Technologies for the Conservation of Critically Endangered Australian Amphibians. Unprecedented rates of species extinction are of global concern. Although high extinction rates are reported for all vertebrate classes, amphibians are the most severely affected. Captive-breeding programs play a key role in maintaining populations of endangered amphibian species, but in most cases reproductive rates are too low to support long term re-introduction programmes. This ....Developing Assisted Reproductive Technologies for the Conservation of Critically Endangered Australian Amphibians. Unprecedented rates of species extinction are of global concern. Although high extinction rates are reported for all vertebrate classes, amphibians are the most severely affected. Captive-breeding programs play a key role in maintaining populations of endangered amphibian species, but in most cases reproductive rates are too low to support long term re-introduction programmes. This study aims to develop sophisticated Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) to enhance the propagation and genetic management of endangered Australian frog species. ART is a powerful new approach to ex situ conservation that, if integrated into existing captive breeding programs, will ensure the preservation of Australia’s unique amphibian biodiversity.Read moreRead less
How do ecologically significant complex traits evolve in natural populations? Evolution and selection on plant chemistry in Eucalyptus. The scent of Eucalyptus oil is one of the signatures of Australia but we actually import large amounts of these oils. As well as being valuable industrially, Eucalyptus oils also influence many aspects of our environment ranging from icons such as the koala to the occurrence of smog in cities. Understanding how plants make these oils helps us to understand eco ....How do ecologically significant complex traits evolve in natural populations? Evolution and selection on plant chemistry in Eucalyptus. The scent of Eucalyptus oil is one of the signatures of Australia but we actually import large amounts of these oils. As well as being valuable industrially, Eucalyptus oils also influence many aspects of our environment ranging from icons such as the koala to the occurrence of smog in cities. Understanding how plants make these oils helps us to understand ecological processes and also to improve the financial incentives for land restoration through the planting of valuable oil-bearing trees. We aim to use recent new techniques in genetics to explain why the quantity and types of Eucalyptus oils vary so widely and to apply this information to improving land management and conservation.Read moreRead less
Have we already lost the Australian lungfish? This project aims to use radiocarbon ageing, conservation genetics and modelling to identify threats to the long-term survival of the Australian lungfish, the world's oldest living vertebrate. This project will provide managers with a powerful tool to prioritise management interventions to ensure the conservation of the species and to pull it back from extinction.
How arid zone wetlands persist: linking ecological dynamics with hydrological regimes . This project will investigate how aquatic food webs assemble and persist in mound springs, relict streams and river pools in the Australian arid zone. Knowing how aquatic systems respond to wet and dry phases is the first step towards ‘climate proofing ’ these systems against future extreme events.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989072
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
High throughput nitrogen analysis for ecological studies. Australian environments are unproductive partly because they contain little Nitrogen (N) and changes in atmospheric CO2 will exacerbate this. Furthermore, animals cannot extract all the N from the plants they eat. An assay has been developed that measures how much they can extract (available N) and it is intended to use it to measure habitat quality and the effects of climate change over large tracts of land. This requires thousands of ....High throughput nitrogen analysis for ecological studies. Australian environments are unproductive partly because they contain little Nitrogen (N) and changes in atmospheric CO2 will exacerbate this. Furthermore, animals cannot extract all the N from the plants they eat. An assay has been developed that measures how much they can extract (available N) and it is intended to use it to measure habitat quality and the effects of climate change over large tracts of land. This requires thousands of N analyses. The equipment we are requesting - a LECO combustion analyser, allows us to analyse samples quickly and safely and uses fewer chemicals and much less water than do traditional machines.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100026
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,536.00
Summary
Insect diversity and carrion decomposition in modified landscapes. Decomposition is fundamental to the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is not known how different combinations of decomposer insects contribute to this important ecosystem service. This project includes a series of experiments to examine how insects affect carrion decomposition rates, and how this depends on environmental context. The project aims to show how decomposition is maintained in variable and changing landscap ....Insect diversity and carrion decomposition in modified landscapes. Decomposition is fundamental to the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is not known how different combinations of decomposer insects contribute to this important ecosystem service. This project includes a series of experiments to examine how insects affect carrion decomposition rates, and how this depends on environmental context. The project aims to show how decomposition is maintained in variable and changing landscapes by revealing when the loss or gain of species will alter this critical ecological process. This will have implications for biodiversity-ecosystem function theory, and applications to biodiversity management and ecosystem restoration.Read moreRead less