Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Au ....Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. The integration of new and rigorous evidence derived from living and fossil plants will provide the clearest evidence yet for the origins of Australian environments. This has ramifications for understanding plant responses to past and future climate changes.Read moreRead less
Trojan Y as a genetic solution for controlling and eradicating the Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki. The project aims to develop applied genetic strategies to eradicate Gambusia, a serious invasive pest fish species, from a Tasmanian estuary. The goal is to advance the Trojan Y chromosome model from theory to an applied solution. The project aims to employ an integrated ecological, physiological, behavioural, genetic and genomics approach, within the unique island-within-an-island status ....Trojan Y as a genetic solution for controlling and eradicating the Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki. The project aims to develop applied genetic strategies to eradicate Gambusia, a serious invasive pest fish species, from a Tasmanian estuary. The goal is to advance the Trojan Y chromosome model from theory to an applied solution. The project aims to employ an integrated ecological, physiological, behavioural, genetic and genomics approach, within the unique island-within-an-island status of Gambusia infestation in Tasmania.Read moreRead less
Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and dis ....Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and disease suppression, aimed at preventing extinction. It will strengthen ongoing conservation programs carried out by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program and will help publicise the plight of the devil both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
High sensitivity and precision mass spectrometry for tracing Australia's ancient evolution and securing our future groundwater resources. High sensitivity and precision mass spectrometry for tracing Australia’s ancient evolution and securing our future groundwater resources: Micro-sampling thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) provides the ability to undertake ultra low-level isotope analysis of earth and environmental samples. Analysis of radiogenic (for example, Neodymium, Strontium and ....High sensitivity and precision mass spectrometry for tracing Australia's ancient evolution and securing our future groundwater resources. High sensitivity and precision mass spectrometry for tracing Australia’s ancient evolution and securing our future groundwater resources: Micro-sampling thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) provides the ability to undertake ultra low-level isotope analysis of earth and environmental samples. Analysis of radiogenic (for example, Neodymium, Strontium and Lead) and stable (for example, Boron) isotopes allows researchers to trace the evolution of the Australian continent from its beginnings in the Precambrian through to the impacts of climate change in the Quaternary period (the last 2.6 million years). The proposed micro-sampling TIMS facility will give researchers the opportunity to characterise mineral deposit formation, paleoclimate records and groundwater sources with new levels of accuracy and precision. This will help secure the economic and environmental future of Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100183
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$715,000.00
Summary
An ICP-ToF-MS facility for environmental, mineral and biological science. This project aims at establishing a facility for the detection, quantification and rapid mapping of elements and their isotopes in nanoparticles and a diverse set of biological and earth materials. The facility consists of a latest generation ICP-ToF-MS that can simultaneously collect a full suite of isotopic information (Li to U) from liquid samples or, in combination with laser ablation and laser induced breakdown spectr ....An ICP-ToF-MS facility for environmental, mineral and biological science. This project aims at establishing a facility for the detection, quantification and rapid mapping of elements and their isotopes in nanoparticles and a diverse set of biological and earth materials. The facility consists of a latest generation ICP-ToF-MS that can simultaneously collect a full suite of isotopic information (Li to U) from liquid samples or, in combination with laser ablation and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, solid samples. It will enhance capabilities and sample throughput in environmental science, geoscience, biology and cultural heritage research, significantly accelerating the discovery of new ore bodies, improving environmental risk assessment and assisting research in cancer biology.Read moreRead less
ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ....ARC Australia-New Zealand Research Network for Vegetation Function. Plant species vary widely in quantitative functional traits, and in their relations to climate, soils and geography. Global generalizations are emerging. Vegetation Function network will reach from plant function into genomics and crop breeding, into palaeoecology and vegetation history, into landscape management for carbon, water and salinity outcomes, into forecasting future ecosystems under global change, and into phylogeny, ecoinformatics and evolutionary theory. Across this span, working groups will target nine identified opportunities for breakthrough research. Each research target needs input from two or more disciplines. Together, the nine targets link across disciplines, as a network that spans from genomic to planetary scales.Read moreRead less
A Roadmap for Greening Existing Australian Housing. The project will minimise the impact of the Greenhouse Pollution Reduction Scheme and anticipated rises in water costs on the householders. It will assist the consumers and the building industry in evaluating the environmental and economic costs and benefits of specific retrofitting actions for building envelope and major fixed appliances (thermal insulation, glazing, air infiltration, hot water, heating/cooling, lighting, low water flow and wa ....A Roadmap for Greening Existing Australian Housing. The project will minimise the impact of the Greenhouse Pollution Reduction Scheme and anticipated rises in water costs on the householders. It will assist the consumers and the building industry in evaluating the environmental and economic costs and benefits of specific retrofitting actions for building envelope and major fixed appliances (thermal insulation, glazing, air infiltration, hot water, heating/cooling, lighting, low water flow and water reuse appliances, and solar photovoltaic systems). In addition to assisting a burgeoning renovation industry, the project will enable accurate assessment of the impacts of the Green Loans Program and guide future national and local energy and water reduction policies. Read moreRead less
Improved management of coastal plankton systems by ancient DNA technology. This project aims to assemble comprehensive long term Australian plankton records spanning 50 to 1000 years, by applying ancient DNA technology to dated sediment depth cores. Long-term data for Australian coastal and estuarine waters are sparse, so cannot be used for management of fisheries, tourism or urban development. Long-term records are essential to understand how disruptive algal and jellyfish blooms, introduced sp ....Improved management of coastal plankton systems by ancient DNA technology. This project aims to assemble comprehensive long term Australian plankton records spanning 50 to 1000 years, by applying ancient DNA technology to dated sediment depth cores. Long-term data for Australian coastal and estuarine waters are sparse, so cannot be used for management of fisheries, tourism or urban development. Long-term records are essential to understand how disruptive algal and jellyfish blooms, introduced species and increased human use of coastal resources affect dynamic plankton ecosystems. This project’s findings are expected to explore cyclical patterns, define range expansions and understand and manage how dynamic coastal ecosystems respond to multistressor anthropogenic change. Findings will improve understanding of how dynamic marine environments retain their biodiversity values and critical ecological functions.Read moreRead less
Applying macroecology to assist in the management of Kakadu National Park. The ecological integrity of Kakadu National Park is threatened by fires, weeds, and feral animals. To help tackle these problems, we will develop a cost-effective, culturally appropriate, park-wide monitoring system based on changes in the boundaries of closed forests, woodland and grassland. We will gauge the effect of broad-scale land management interventions, and predict the consequences of future change. The findings ....Applying macroecology to assist in the management of Kakadu National Park. The ecological integrity of Kakadu National Park is threatened by fires, weeds, and feral animals. To help tackle these problems, we will develop a cost-effective, culturally appropriate, park-wide monitoring system based on changes in the boundaries of closed forests, woodland and grassland. We will gauge the effect of broad-scale land management interventions, and predict the consequences of future change. The findings of this study will be transferable to other landscape settings in Australia and overseas. It will contribute to debates about the ecological consequences of current land management practices and how these compare with past Aboriginal land management.Read moreRead less
The ARC Earth System Science Research Network. The ARC Earth System Science Network incorporates data collectors, modellers and impacts researchers to address the impacts of climate change and variability on Human, biological and physical systems. Our capacity to adapt to changes in water availability, agricultural productivity, the likelihood of species extinctions, and risks to human health will be enhanced through the Network's use of frontier technologies. The enhanced capacity to use data a ....The ARC Earth System Science Research Network. The ARC Earth System Science Network incorporates data collectors, modellers and impacts researchers to address the impacts of climate change and variability on Human, biological and physical systems. Our capacity to adapt to changes in water availability, agricultural productivity, the likelihood of species extinctions, and risks to human health will be enhanced through the Network's use of frontier technologies. The enhanced capacity to use data and model the Earth System will allow policymakers to make more informed decisions with regard to water, biodiversity, human health, industry and agriculture sustainability; thereby enhancing the national capacity to respond to climate change and variability and securing our common interest.Read moreRead less