Grazing-fire interactions and vegetation dynamics. Grazing and fire are the two major cost-effective tools that can be used to manipulate the vegetation of reserves and rangelands. This project will result in information and models that will enable a more effective use of grazing than at present in natural vegetation management for both nature conservation and production. An understanding of the ways in which vertebrate grazing animals influence the incidence and intensity of fire is also highly ....Grazing-fire interactions and vegetation dynamics. Grazing and fire are the two major cost-effective tools that can be used to manipulate the vegetation of reserves and rangelands. This project will result in information and models that will enable a more effective use of grazing than at present in natural vegetation management for both nature conservation and production. An understanding of the ways in which vertebrate grazing animals influence the incidence and intensity of fire is also highly important in planning to prevent the occasional vegetation fire that causes substantial losses of life, property and conservation values, especially in the context of predicted climatic change.Read moreRead less
Impacts of climate change on sustainability of temperate native pasture: an experiment. The sustainable use of temperate native pastures is important economically because of grazing and for biodiversity since they are home to many threatened plants. Native pasture sustainability depends on maintaining species diversity and vegetation productivity. Climate change is likely to have major impacts on both factors. The aims of this project are to elucidate the impacts of climate change on the species ....Impacts of climate change on sustainability of temperate native pasture: an experiment. The sustainable use of temperate native pastures is important economically because of grazing and for biodiversity since they are home to many threatened plants. Native pasture sustainability depends on maintaining species diversity and vegetation productivity. Climate change is likely to have major impacts on both factors. The aims of this project are to elucidate the impacts of climate change on the species composition, productivity and nutritional quality of a grazed native pasture. This is important, as it will allow us to predict likely problems caused by global climate change and increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these changes.Read moreRead less
Does fire control vegetation in the Tasmanian World Heritage Area? Aims: This project aims to discriminate between competing explanations for vegetation patterns in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area: (a) fire (the legacy of Aboriginal burning), or (b) soil. We will do this through a novel, transdisciplinary research program.
Significance: The project expects to create new knowledge essential for achieving evidence-based fire management, as well as to advance a globally important ecol ....Does fire control vegetation in the Tasmanian World Heritage Area? Aims: This project aims to discriminate between competing explanations for vegetation patterns in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area: (a) fire (the legacy of Aboriginal burning), or (b) soil. We will do this through a novel, transdisciplinary research program.
Significance: The project expects to create new knowledge essential for achieving evidence-based fire management, as well as to advance a globally important ecological theory.
Outcomes: Expected outcomes include significantly strengthened fire science and fire management capacity in Tasmania.
Benefit: Benefits should include the protection of globally significant cultural, biological and landscape values that sustain the vibrant Tasmanian tourist economy.Read moreRead less
Owning nature: mapping the contested country of private protected areas. This project aims to improve public good outcomes from private protected areas in Australia. Nature conservation on private land is being pioneered by Indigenous and other communities, landholders, governments, philanthropists and businesses. An innovative and interdisciplinary research design across diverse cases will provide knowledge of social drivers, impacts and future pathways for private protected areas. This will pr ....Owning nature: mapping the contested country of private protected areas. This project aims to improve public good outcomes from private protected areas in Australia. Nature conservation on private land is being pioneered by Indigenous and other communities, landholders, governments, philanthropists and businesses. An innovative and interdisciplinary research design across diverse cases will provide knowledge of social drivers, impacts and future pathways for private protected areas. This will provide evidence that can guide policy and governance to integrate nature conservation and social justice outcomes, and enhance the sustainability of benefits from private lands.Read moreRead less
Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understandin ....Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understanding of olfaction in insects, increased national and international collaboration, and outstanding graduate student training. This research will be of significant future benefit in deriving methods to modify the behaviour of insects of agricultural or medical importance, for example the sheep blowfly. Read moreRead less
A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on th ....A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on the role this protein family may play in all animals. The findings are expected to provide key insights into the modification of growth factor activity, which is often dysregulated in human cancers and growth disorders, and may enable the design of new strategies for interfering with insect development for pest control.Read moreRead less