Integrating the conservation and ecosystem-service value of Australia's catchments. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by explicitly linking the intrinsic value of biodiversity and supporting ecosystems with the services they provide to humanity (e.g. carbon storage and nutrient cycling). It will employ a comprehensive, innovative approach to integrating conservation, market and non-market values of land holdings in Australia's catchments using the concep ....Integrating the conservation and ecosystem-service value of Australia's catchments. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by explicitly linking the intrinsic value of biodiversity and supporting ecosystems with the services they provide to humanity (e.g. carbon storage and nutrient cycling). It will employ a comprehensive, innovative approach to integrating conservation, market and non-market values of land holdings in Australia's catchments using the concept of nature's services. Through extensive collaboration among leading scientists and land managers, the project will identify sites of high value requiring special attention, yield important theoretical advancements to how we value ecosystems, and provide practical and easily applied guidelines for land managers. Read moreRead less
Spatial-dynamic models to identify optimal fire mosaics, based on demography, dispersal and fire responses of plants, birds and reptiles. Inappropriate fire regimes threaten native species with extinction. The threat is higher in cleared landscapes where habitat is isolated and recolonisation unlikely. Furthermore, climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of intense bushfires. To meet the priority goals Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, and Responding to Climate Change, landscape-sca ....Spatial-dynamic models to identify optimal fire mosaics, based on demography, dispersal and fire responses of plants, birds and reptiles. Inappropriate fire regimes threaten native species with extinction. The threat is higher in cleared landscapes where habitat is isolated and recolonisation unlikely. Furthermore, climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of intense bushfires. To meet the priority goals Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, and Responding to Climate Change, landscape-scale fire management is essential. We will use simulation models based on detailed biological data and fire-behaviour to explore large-scale and long-term consequences of alternate fire management policies. Our project will enable fire mosaics to be implemented that maintain biodiversity and will identify effective fire management responses to climate change, and habitat fragmentation.Read moreRead less
Management of fire-prone shrublands in Western Australia: testing the effects of frequent fire. Understanding the impacts of different fire regimes (frequency, intensity, patchiness, size of fires) on high diversity shrublands will help CALM (the land managers) develop fire management prescriptions that ensure the conservation of rare and threatened flora, and maintain biodiversity. The research will identify relationships between weather, fuel and fire behaviour that is currently lacking for s ....Management of fire-prone shrublands in Western Australia: testing the effects of frequent fire. Understanding the impacts of different fire regimes (frequency, intensity, patchiness, size of fires) on high diversity shrublands will help CALM (the land managers) develop fire management prescriptions that ensure the conservation of rare and threatened flora, and maintain biodiversity. The research will identify relationships between weather, fuel and fire behaviour that is currently lacking for shrubland vegetation types. It offers advances in our understanding of ecosystem structure and function, with applied value in fire management for conservation and asset protection. The project contributes to development of ecological theory, and provides a scientific basis for improved management of Australia's unique natural heritage.Read moreRead less
A new hypothesis for the development of hollows in Box-Ironbark forest. Timber harvesting in Box-Ironbark forest over the past 150 years has significantly affected the habitat of hollow dependent fauna. Current management aims at speeding the growth of trees to accelerate hollow formation. Recent studies suggest that hollows form in trees of the Box-Ironbark forest following basal stem damage by fire or windstorm, rather than from branch damage as previously assumed. This hypothesis will be t ....A new hypothesis for the development of hollows in Box-Ironbark forest. Timber harvesting in Box-Ironbark forest over the past 150 years has significantly affected the habitat of hollow dependent fauna. Current management aims at speeding the growth of trees to accelerate hollow formation. Recent studies suggest that hollows form in trees of the Box-Ironbark forest following basal stem damage by fire or windstorm, rather than from branch damage as previously assumed. This hypothesis will be tested in relation to wildfires in 1985, 1991 and 1993 and by experimental simulation of these events. The results of this research are likely to have major implications for the management of Box- Ironbark forests.Read moreRead less
Management of rehabilitated bauxite mines to accelerate the return of vertebrate fauna. This project will examine the effect of thinning and burning mine-site rehabilitation on the abundance of terrestrial mammals and reptiles. This nationally significant project will provide Resource Managers in Western Australia with measures of impacts of forestry thinning and burning (for timber production and drinking water catchment) on vertebrates, and will provide management tools to conserve biodiversit ....Management of rehabilitated bauxite mines to accelerate the return of vertebrate fauna. This project will examine the effect of thinning and burning mine-site rehabilitation on the abundance of terrestrial mammals and reptiles. This nationally significant project will provide Resource Managers in Western Australia with measures of impacts of forestry thinning and burning (for timber production and drinking water catchment) on vertebrates, and will provide management tools to conserve biodiversity within productive forest environments. Expected outcomes are procedures to accelerate returns of vertebrate fauna to mine-sites, measurements of thinning and burning practices on tree-health, and trial procedures for forest thinning (the 12000 Ha Wungong catchment) that minimise impacts on terrestrial vertebrates.Read moreRead less
Unravelling community interactions between mammals and fungi, and the role of mycophagy in mediating biodiversity and driving ecosystem processes. Maintenance of Australia's forest biodiversity and healthy forested ecosystems are of national importance. Mammal species that are key to dispersing beneficial fungi in our forests have suffered greatest declines in the past, and further declines may ultimately lead to ecosystem collapse. My research seeks to unravel community relationship between ma ....Unravelling community interactions between mammals and fungi, and the role of mycophagy in mediating biodiversity and driving ecosystem processes. Maintenance of Australia's forest biodiversity and healthy forested ecosystems are of national importance. Mammal species that are key to dispersing beneficial fungi in our forests have suffered greatest declines in the past, and further declines may ultimately lead to ecosystem collapse. My research seeks to unravel community relationship between mammals and fungi, and how interactions within and between these groups maintain diverse communities. My results will enable forest managers to protect forest biodiversity from current and future threats and to restore degraded ecosystems. Through training of early career ecologists, the research also represents a tangible benefit to Australian science.Read moreRead less
Comparative ecology of common and threatened plants in fire-prone habitats. There is a critical lack of data on the fire responses of many threatened plant species in Australia, yet such information is essential for species recovery planning and land management. This project will use plants in the Family Epacridaceae (the heaths) as a case study to test whether particular plant traits are associated with rarity vs commonness in fire prone habitats of south eastern Australia. The results will in ....Comparative ecology of common and threatened plants in fire-prone habitats. There is a critical lack of data on the fire responses of many threatened plant species in Australia, yet such information is essential for species recovery planning and land management. This project will use plants in the Family Epacridaceae (the heaths) as a case study to test whether particular plant traits are associated with rarity vs commonness in fire prone habitats of south eastern Australia. The results will increase knowledge of the ecology of this particular, under-studied plant group and will also enable the development of ecologically sound fire management practices, especially in relation to threatened species.Read moreRead less
Understanding successional processes to maintain vertebrate populations in production landscapes. This project will develop principles that will help maintain biodiversity across production landscapes and provide national benefits by furthering the ability of resource extraction industries to conduct their activities in areas of conservation value, while maintaining those values. By providing greater confidence in the ability of land managers to balance the needs of resource extraction and socia ....Understanding successional processes to maintain vertebrate populations in production landscapes. This project will develop principles that will help maintain biodiversity across production landscapes and provide national benefits by furthering the ability of resource extraction industries to conduct their activities in areas of conservation value, while maintaining those values. By providing greater confidence in the ability of land managers to balance the needs of resource extraction and social benefits, such as conservation, recreation, water management and tourism, the project will have important community benefits. Given the high level of endemism in the jarrah forest, this project will also help maintain biodiversity and will provide a critical national benefit.Read moreRead less
Forecasting and managing biodiversity change: birds in an urbanising landscape. The project will help to predict changes in biodiversity from different development options, and will identify forms of urban design that provide improved biodiversity outcomes. The case study region (SE Queensland) is a national "biodiversity hotspot" due to high biodiversity combined with high threat from urbanisation. Findings will also be relevant to the ecological sustainability of forest ecosystems and urban ar ....Forecasting and managing biodiversity change: birds in an urbanising landscape. The project will help to predict changes in biodiversity from different development options, and will identify forms of urban design that provide improved biodiversity outcomes. The case study region (SE Queensland) is a national "biodiversity hotspot" due to high biodiversity combined with high threat from urbanisation. Findings will also be relevant to the ecological sustainability of forest ecosystems and urban areas throughout Australia. The project will develop decision-support tools for conservation planning, with the involvement of research partners from local government and regional environmental management. This will contribute to the sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity, a national research priority.Read moreRead less
The pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be ab ....The pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be able to show relationships between the ingestion and blood levels of PSMs and feeding behaviour. This will give a greater understanding of the effect of plant toxins on browsing behaviour, enabling improved foraging models and more effective habitat management.Read moreRead less