The roles of stress and immunocompetence in biological invasions. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity worldwide; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Building on recent studies that reveal weakened immune systems in invasion-front toads, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of immune responses in cane toads and native frogs, with the aim of exploiting the toads' immunocompromised state to develop new and more ....The roles of stress and immunocompetence in biological invasions. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity worldwide; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Building on recent studies that reveal weakened immune systems in invasion-front toads, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of immune responses in cane toads and native frogs, with the aim of exploiting the toads' immunocompromised state to develop new and more effective control measures. The project will develop a new paradigm about the roles of stress and immunity in biological invasion, applicable to the control of other invasive species and to understanding processes at work when environmental changes force species to shift their ranges.Read moreRead less
Naturalisation to invasion: how do naturalised plants become successful invaders? Invasive plants have enormous environmental, economic and social impacts in Australia, significantly affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes, agricultural productivity and recreational amenity. This research will contribute substantially to our understanding of the processes that underlie the transition from naturalised to invasive for introduced plants. By identifying the key factors enabling naturalised pl ....Naturalisation to invasion: how do naturalised plants become successful invaders? Invasive plants have enormous environmental, economic and social impacts in Australia, significantly affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes, agricultural productivity and recreational amenity. This research will contribute substantially to our understanding of the processes that underlie the transition from naturalised to invasive for introduced plants. By identifying the key factors enabling naturalised plant species to become invasive pests, this research will enable plant species most likely to threaten Australia's biodiversity and agricultural productivity to be identified and prioritized for screening and eradication.Read moreRead less
Understanding and predicting the success of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of plant communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem processes globally. This proposal seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments both now and under predicted future conditions, using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Comparative and experimental approaches will be used to understand leaf trait relationships of invasive ....Understanding and predicting the success of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of plant communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem processes globally. This proposal seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments both now and under predicted future conditions, using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Comparative and experimental approaches will be used to understand leaf trait relationships of invasive compared with native species. This will contribute substantially to our understanding of global plant functional relationships, thereby enabling better prediction of potential invaders. The resulting data will also provide critical input for models of plant, ecosystem and biosphere responses to global change incorporating invasion dynamics.Read moreRead less
Extinction of turtles in the River Murray: Consequences and Solutions. Turtles are a major ecological component of the Murray-Darling, Australia’s major river system. They are declining alarmingly with potential dire consequences for water quality, biodiversity, and river health. This project unites a world-class research team with diverse industry partners, indigenous groups, and non-government organisations from three states to address a problem of national significance. This project aims to i ....Extinction of turtles in the River Murray: Consequences and Solutions. Turtles are a major ecological component of the Murray-Darling, Australia’s major river system. They are declining alarmingly with potential dire consequences for water quality, biodiversity, and river health. This project unites a world-class research team with diverse industry partners, indigenous groups, and non-government organisations from three states to address a problem of national significance. This project aims to identify and quantify causes of declines in turtles along the whole system, with the aim of developing practical management options to overcome it. This will be the first river-wide study of turtles, achieved by combining cutting-edge genetic and ecological techniques with a citizen science program.Read moreRead less
Modelling and control of mosquito-borne diseases in Darwin using long-term monitoring. Management of mosquito populations is a high public health priority because these insects can spread diseases such as malaria, dengue, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Murray Valley encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis and Kunjin/West Nile virus. Our research into the effectiveness of mosquito control programs in Darwin is of immediate national relevance and priority given the need to Safeguard Australia ....Modelling and control of mosquito-borne diseases in Darwin using long-term monitoring. Management of mosquito populations is a high public health priority because these insects can spread diseases such as malaria, dengue, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Murray Valley encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis and Kunjin/West Nile virus. Our research into the effectiveness of mosquito control programs in Darwin is of immediate national relevance and priority given the need to Safeguard Australia from invasive diseases. There is an urgency to undertake our research because global environmental change and increasing movements of people (particularly military personnel) from overseas regions where these diseases are endemic is increasing the vulnerability of northern Australia to the (re)establishment of mosquito borne diseases.Read moreRead less
The effect of aerial spraying of two pesticides on semi-arid grasslands. The project will investigate how two pesticides, fipronil and metarrhizium, used to control locusts, affect semi-arid ecosystems by examining impacts on invertebrates, their predators, lizards and soil processes. The effects will be followed through time in a large scale experiment to determine recovery and compare each pesticide.
Investigating the genetic basis for heterogeneous susceptibility of Tasmanian devils to a novel infectious cancer. This project will use genetics and modelling to reveal why Tasmanian devils in northwest Tasmania are not dying from facial tumour disease, a new, unusual infectious cancer threatening this iconic carnivore with extinction. This project will predict extinction risk, develop management options, and provide a new template for managing emerging wildlife diseases.
How do foraging herbivores negotiate the twin perils of plant toxins and predators? Our research uses a new framework which links the costs of both plant toxins and predation risk to determine their effects on individual foraging herbivores. This will enable a new way of analysing and predicting the impact of changes to habitat diversity on native herbivores, and the impact of invasive alien herbivore and predator species on natural ecosystems and in human crop production. This is extremely valu ....How do foraging herbivores negotiate the twin perils of plant toxins and predators? Our research uses a new framework which links the costs of both plant toxins and predation risk to determine their effects on individual foraging herbivores. This will enable a new way of analysing and predicting the impact of changes to habitat diversity on native herbivores, and the impact of invasive alien herbivore and predator species on natural ecosystems and in human crop production. This is extremely valuable in today's economic and social climate, when management must be underpinned by evidence of impact and by quantification of costs and benefits of mitigation.Read moreRead less
Ecology and evolution in dynamic systems: a new approach to conserving Australian biodiversity. Australia has different ecosystems and different species than the rest of the world, and we need a different approach to conserve and manage our unique animals. This project will develop a new, specifically Australian-oriented approach to conservation biology.
Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects ....Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects key environmental variables, and test the sensitivity of threatened plants to wild horse browsing and trampling. A key outcome will be development of scientifically-validated protocols for assessing horse impacts, and for managing wild horses in other areas of eastern Australia.Read moreRead less