Surviving in a toad-colonised landscape: manipulating predator behaviour to reduce the impact of the cane toad invasion. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Vigorous attempts at toad control have failed to slow the invasion front, and toads are now entering the Kimberley region. If we can’t stop the toads, are there other ways to reduce the numbers of native predators killed by eating thes ....Surviving in a toad-colonised landscape: manipulating predator behaviour to reduce the impact of the cane toad invasion. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Vigorous attempts at toad control have failed to slow the invasion front, and toads are now entering the Kimberley region. If we can’t stop the toads, are there other ways to reduce the numbers of native predators killed by eating these poisonous invaders? Predators given nausea-inducing chemicals with their first toad meal rapidly learn to avoid cane toads as prey, enabling them to survive even where toads are present. The study will develop those methods for several vulnerable native species, including techniques for deployment of aversion-inducing baits in advance of the toad invasion.Read moreRead less
Controlling cane toads by turning their own weapons against them. This project aims to prevent cane toads, which are causing ecological havoc across tropical Australia, from breeding successfully. Attempts to control toad populations have had little impact, but recent research has revealed a new possibility — exploiting the toads' own weapons for intraspecific conflict. Larval cane toads compete intensely with other larval cane toads and as a result, have evolved a way to kill off their competit ....Controlling cane toads by turning their own weapons against them. This project aims to prevent cane toads, which are causing ecological havoc across tropical Australia, from breeding successfully. Attempts to control toad populations have had little impact, but recent research has revealed a new possibility — exploiting the toads' own weapons for intraspecific conflict. Larval cane toads compete intensely with other larval cane toads and as a result, have evolved a way to kill off their competitors. Toad tadpoles produce chemicals that have devastating effects on younger members of their own species, but not on native species. By deploying those chemicals, this project could develop a novel and powerful form of invader control.Read moreRead less
The return of the native: reintroductions, reinvasions, and a new paradigm in restoration ecology. We develop a new solution to improve pest control used to protect rare and endangered wildlife by using reintroductions of common native species as a block to reinvasion following pest control. Our approach will significantly reduce the ongoing costs of pest control in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to control ....The return of the native: reintroductions, reinvasions, and a new paradigm in restoration ecology. We develop a new solution to improve pest control used to protect rare and endangered wildlife by using reintroductions of common native species as a block to reinvasion following pest control. Our approach will significantly reduce the ongoing costs of pest control in Australia and our solution can be used by both large conservation organisations as well as small community groups aiming to control pests and protect key wildlife. Our technique can also be exported to solve alien species problems elsewhere in the world. This work strengthens Australia’s world renowned expertise for research into alien species and ability to develop novel solutions to alien impacts.Read moreRead less
The role of behavioural interactions in shaping invasion dynamics: A global synthesis using the common myna as a model system. Invasive species have detrimental effects on human health, the economy and native biodiversity. This study will address a major gap in our scientific understanding of invasions by undertaking the first large-scale examination of the role of interactions between species in determining the dynamics and outcomes of biological invasions. The project will integrate data, acro ....The role of behavioural interactions in shaping invasion dynamics: A global synthesis using the common myna as a model system. Invasive species have detrimental effects on human health, the economy and native biodiversity. This study will address a major gap in our scientific understanding of invasions by undertaking the first large-scale examination of the role of interactions between species in determining the dynamics and outcomes of biological invasions. The project will integrate data, across four continents, on dispersal, demography, breeding and behavioural interactions into one framework to create a cutting-edge model of invasion dynamics, using the highly invasive common myna as a model system. This novel approach will significantly advance theoretical developments in invasion biology and will inform pest management and threat mitigation efforts globally.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100701
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,006.00
Summary
Managing the effects of disturbance on coral reef biodiversity: modelling starfish outbreaks in a changing world
. Coral communities of the Great Barrier Reef are facing multiple disturbances, in particular the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci (A. planci) that can occur as large-scale outbreaks. This project aims to provide innovative guidance in support of the management of A. planci, based on a metapopulation modelling framework broadly applicable to the control of mar ....Managing the effects of disturbance on coral reef biodiversity: modelling starfish outbreaks in a changing world
. Coral communities of the Great Barrier Reef are facing multiple disturbances, in particular the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci (A. planci) that can occur as large-scale outbreaks. This project aims to provide innovative guidance in support of the management of A. planci, based on a metapopulation modelling framework broadly applicable to the control of marine pests. Expected outcomes include the identification of the environmental triggers of A. planci outbreaks; the identification of target reefs and critical thresholds of management intervention needed to limit the impact of A. planci under different climate and land use scenarios; and future forecasts of coral and fish biodiversity under these scenarios.Read moreRead less
Understanding population growth time lags in invasive species. This project will use data collected from wild animals, landholder surveys, and computer simulation models to understand why invasive chital deer (Axis axis) are suddenly increasing in number after many years of slow population growth. By combining multiple empirical datasets and developing new modelling techniques, we will generate a new method for understanding population trends in introduced species. The results of this study will ....Understanding population growth time lags in invasive species. This project will use data collected from wild animals, landholder surveys, and computer simulation models to understand why invasive chital deer (Axis axis) are suddenly increasing in number after many years of slow population growth. By combining multiple empirical datasets and developing new modelling techniques, we will generate a new method for understanding population trends in introduced species. The results of this study will allow Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and others to better predict invasive species growth rates, which will allow for better, and more cost effective control methods. Read moreRead less
An integrated tool for informing pest management: modelling range shifts for an invasive vertebrate in response to climate change. Invasive species and climate contribute directly to loss of biodiversity and economic productivity. This research project focuses on providing user-orientated tools that enable a strategic approach to European rabbit management and vertebrate pest control in Australia in response to anticipated climate and land-use change.
Predicting the causes and consequences of plant invasions. Invasive plants are one of the most costly and significant environmental threats in Australia. To deal with this threat we need to understand how and why certain plant species are able to invade into and dominate native communities. The aim of this project is to uncover the rules that govern this environmental threat. The project endeavours to use theory to predict the outcomes that would be observed given different underlying rules, and ....Predicting the causes and consequences of plant invasions. Invasive plants are one of the most costly and significant environmental threats in Australia. To deal with this threat we need to understand how and why certain plant species are able to invade into and dominate native communities. The aim of this project is to uncover the rules that govern this environmental threat. The project endeavours to use theory to predict the outcomes that would be observed given different underlying rules, and then test these predictions with field experiments. By uncovering the rules that govern invasions, this project could provide fundamental knowledge to assist in managing the environmental threat posed by new and emerging weeds.Read moreRead less
Restoration of Fragmented Brigalow Landscapes for Conservation: Evaluating Alternative Futures in a Changing Climate. Appropriate management and restoration of Australia's endangered brigalow communities will prove critical for the conservation of the nation's biodiversity assets. The Brigalow Belt South supports disproportionately high numbers of threatened fauna species. This research will provide regional, state and national natural resource management organisations with the ability to conser ....Restoration of Fragmented Brigalow Landscapes for Conservation: Evaluating Alternative Futures in a Changing Climate. Appropriate management and restoration of Australia's endangered brigalow communities will prove critical for the conservation of the nation's biodiversity assets. The Brigalow Belt South supports disproportionately high numbers of threatened fauna species. This research will provide regional, state and national natural resource management organisations with the ability to conserve threatened and unique brigalow fauna in the long-term. Regional communities will benefit as the tool will be used for multiple uses ranging from advising regional landholders on optimal management of native vegetation on their properties to maximising the value of regional landscape restoration projects.Read moreRead less
The role of vegetated foreshores in stabilising Australia's shorelines. This project aims to improve Australia's capacity to predict shoreline position with sea level rise, identify the role of vegetation in foreshore stabilisation and determine thresholds for shoreline retreat by quantifying the links between biological, geomorphological and sedimentary processes and shoreline position. Sea level rise and potential increases in storminess are predicted to lead to severe impacts and there is an ....The role of vegetated foreshores in stabilising Australia's shorelines. This project aims to improve Australia's capacity to predict shoreline position with sea level rise, identify the role of vegetation in foreshore stabilisation and determine thresholds for shoreline retreat by quantifying the links between biological, geomorphological and sedimentary processes and shoreline position. Sea level rise and potential increases in storminess are predicted to lead to severe impacts and there is an immediate and critical need to understand and accurately predict the functioning, dynamics, and distribution of Australia's coastal zones. Expected outcomes of this interdisciplinary project include an integrated modelling framework crucial for planning and management of sea level rise responses in Australia.Read moreRead less