ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0864-5391
Current Organisation
University of Adelaide
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Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-04-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14616
Abstract: An emerging research program on population and geographic range dynamics of Australia's mammals illustrates an approach to better understand and respond to geographic range collapses of threatened wildlife in general. In 1788, Europeans colonized an Australia with a erse and largely endemic mammal fauna, where many species that are now extinct or threatened were common and widespread. Subsequent population declines, range collapses and extinctions were caused by introduced predators and herbivores, altered land use, modified fire regimes and the synergies between these threats. Declines in population and range size continue for many Australian mammals despite legislative protection and conservation interventions. Here, we propose an approach that integrates museum data and other historical records into process‐explicit macroecological models to better resolve mammal distributions and abundances as they were at European arrival. We then illustrate how this integrative approach can identify the likely synergistic mechanisms causing mammal population declines across these and other landscapes. This emerging research approach, undertaken with fine temporal and spatial resolution, but at large geographic scales, will provide valuable insights into the different pathways to, and drivers of, extinction. Such insights may, in turn, underpin conservation strategies based on a process‐explicit understanding of population decline and range collapse under alternative scenarios of impending climate and environmental change. Given that similar information is available for other regional biotas, the approach we describe here can be adapted to conserve threatened wildlife in other regions across the globe.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-02-2017
Abstract: Field metabolic rate (FMR) links the energy budget of an animal with the constraints of its ecosystem, but is particularly difficult to measure for small organisms. Landscape degradation exacerbates environmental adversity and reduces resource availability, imposing higher costs of living for many organisms. Here, we report a significant effect of landscape degradation on the FMR of free-flying Apis mellifera , estimated using 86 Rb radio-isotopic turnover. We validated the relationship between 86 Rb k b and metabolic rate for worker bees in the laboratory using flow-through respirometry. We then released radioisotopically enriched in iduals into a natural woodland and a heavily degraded and deforested plantation. FMRs of worker bees in natural woodland vegetation were significantly higher than in a deforested landscape. Nectar consumption, estimated using 22 Na radio-isotopic turnover, also differed significantly between natural and degraded landscapes. In the deforested landscape, we infer that the costs of foraging exceeded energetic availability, and honeybees instead foraged less and depended more on stored resources in the hive. If this is generally the case with increasing landscape degradation, this will have important implications for the provision of pollination services and the effectiveness and resilience of ecological restoration practice.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13708
Abstract: The return of vegetation to mined lands often requires broadcast seeding of erse native seed mixes. However, seeds are highly adapted to germination windows with specific hydrothermal thresholds that maximize the likelihood of seedling survival, and post‐mining landscapes typically offer markedly different hydrothermal conditions than pre‐disturbance ecosystems. According to niche theory, generalist species should exhibit broader hydrothermal performance niches than specialist taxa, which may influence the success of recruitment from seeds in post‐mining ecological restoration. To test this assumption, the impact of hydrothermal stress (incubation temperature (10–30°C) and osmotic potential (−0.8 to 0 MPa)) on the time to 50% germination ( t 50 ) and maximum germination ( G max ) was compared between two narrow‐range species of conservation concern ( Acacia woodmaniorum and A. karina ) restricted to mining‐impacted Banded Ironstone Formations (BIF) and three broadly distributed congenerics ( A. assimilis , A. exocarpoides , and A. ramulosa ). The hydrothermal germination niches of the study species were broadly congruent with hydrothermal conditions of their habitats. The two range‐restricted taxa were more tolerant of hydrothermal stress compared to the three widely distributed taxa, suggesting that tolerance of greater hydrothermal stress by both range‐restricted Acacia species is likely to be adaptive to establishment in uncontested niche space. Complex interactions between thermal and water stress suggest these environmental gradients may shape the germination niche as well as patterns of plant ersity in BIF ecosystems. This study highlights the importance of quantifying interactions between niche dimensions and their implications for species performance, which will aid future restoration efforts for micro‐endemic species impacted by mining.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 15-06-2021
DOI: 10.1071/PC21005
Abstract: Although urbanisation can result in habitat loss, some species persist within urban vegetation remnants. Due to urban development, these species are often the targets of mitigation translocation for ex le, the Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer, Marsupialia, Peramelidae), native to southwestern Australia. We assessed the foraging patterns and habitat preferences of a population of Quenda recently introduced by unknown agents to Kings Park, a large urban bushland remnant. Quenda foraged actively throughout our study area, but foraged most intensively in dense, low vegetation, with a significant preference for communities dominated by Banksia sessilis. This study joins other literature indicating that Quenda are able to persist in modified urban vegetation remnants despite the presence of predators, and human activity. Given the Quenda’s clear adaptability to introduction into this urban remnant, we suggest that the greatest threat to continued persistence of urban populations of this species within remnants is likely to relate to difficulties in dispersing through surrounding urban areas. Nevertheless, the successful return of Quenda to a site that has traditionally been discounted from translocation programs suggests that other reserves in the region could also host introductions. Further research is required to determine whether Quenda can disperse through the surrounding suburbs, and whether it is possible to modify novel habitats to support Quenda populations within urban areas. Additionally, further research on facilitating dispersal through managing meta-populations in urban areas is required. Nevertheless, Quenda have successfully established at Kings Park, surrounded by dense urban areas. With ongoing management, urban remnants may be useful in Australia’s protected area network.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-04-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13667
Abstract: Restoration seedbanks have become a key infrastructure resource in efforts to restore damaged and degraded environments across the globe. Large‐scale ecological restoration typically utilizes large volumes of valuable, usually wild‐collected seeds, but insufficient knowledge of seed biology (including storage requirements in some cases) and ecology for many species continues to h er the utility of restoration seedbanks to meet this rising demand. Poor germination and establishment when seeds are deployed from seedbanks can stem from factors such as premature seed collection, low seed quality, poor processing, handling and storage, variable seed quality from year to year, and, critically, insufficient understanding of seed dormancy, seed germination traits, and the ecological requirements for germination stimulation. While these factors may impact the success of seed‐based ecological restoration both synergistically and idiosyncratically, they can be universally addressed by adopting best practice principles in seedbank management and operation and through an improved understanding of the seed biology and ecology of stored species. Drawing upon an industry case study in seedbanking for post‐mining ecological restoration, we outline how optimizing seed storage conditions and a focus on seed biology and ecology in the operation of a restoration seedbank can deliver broad and immediate benefit and cost‐efficiency to native seed use. Such improvements are crucial in developing more effective approaches for returning bio erse plant communities to highly modified landscapes and are foundational for meeting the aspirations for ecological restoration at global scales in the coming decade.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13540
Abstract: Mineral extraction activities are intensely disruptive to ecosystems and their associated fauna. Few countries globally have comprehensive legislation surrounding mine site restoration, but within Australia, restoration of discontinued mine sites is a legislative requirement. However, substantial ambiguity regarding the optimal techniques for restoring bio erse and functional fauna assemblages remains, and monitoring activities typically focus on vegetation communities despite functioning ecosystems being reliant on key trophic interactions involving fauna. When fauna are considered, monitoring efforts typically yield baseline surveys of species richness and the presence or absence of conservation‐significant taxa. Even where complete ecosystem recovery is not the goal of post‐mining ecological recovery, we argue that there is a critical need for a life‐of‐mine approach to fauna monitoring underpinned by greater dialog between researchers, environmental regulators, and the mining industry. Environmental Impact Assessments should include requirements for the consideration of all potential impacts of mining on the structure, behavior, and ecological roles of fauna communities, restoration practices must facilitate the return of functional, resilient, and bio erse fauna communities to restored post‐mining landscapes, and the scope of monitoring practices should be broadened to a holistic examination of fauna communities. Recognizing, quantifying, and monitoring the impacts of mining activities and subsequent rehabilitation or restoration on fauna is vital to understanding how anthropogenic disturbances affect natural ecosystems, and in assisting in the successful recovery of ecosystem functionality to areas that have been damaged, degraded, or destroyed.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/ZO19040
Abstract: Understanding the behavioural responses of animals to habitat change is vital to their conservation in landscapes undergoing restoration. Studies of animal responses to habitat restoration typically assess species presence/absence however, such studies may be restricted in their ability to show whether restoration is facilitating the return of self-sustaining and functional fauna populations. We present a case study using VHF/GPS tracking of a young adult perentie (Varanus giganteus), to demonstrate the range of applications of the Time Local Convex Hull method of home-range construction in analysing the behavioural responses of fauna to habitat change and restoration. Presence/absence studies provide single point locations of an animal, and the Minimum Convex Polygon method provides an invariant estimate of habitat use across the whole home range. However, the Time Local Convex Hull method provides a useful method for assessing movement and behavioural responses of fauna to habitat change and restoration, and the specific habitat requirements for the long-term support of populations. The breadth and multidimensionality of data generated indicates strongly that understanding the complex interactions between animals and their environment is fundamental to their conservation in the face of ever-increasing rates of human-induced habitat change and degradation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13400
Abstract: Forecasting the influence of climate change on coral bio ersity and reef functioning is important for informing policy decisions. Dominance shifts, tropicalization and local extinctions are common responses of climate change, but uncertainty surrounds the reliability of predicted coral community transformations. Here, we use species distribution models (SDMs) to assess changes in suitable coral habitat and associated patterns in bio ersity across Western Australia (WA) under present‐day and future climate scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5). Coral reef systems and communities in WA. We developed SDMs with model prediction uncertainty analyses, using specimen‐based occurrence records of 188 hermatypic scleractinian coral species and seven variables to estimate present‐day and future changes to coral species distribution and bio ersity patterns in WA under climate change conditions. We found that suitable habitat is predicted to increase across all regions in WA under , and scenarios with all tropical and subtropical regions remaining coral bio ersity strongholds. Under the extreme scenario, however, a clear tropicalization trend could be observed with coral species expanding their range to mid‐high latitude regions, while a substantial drop in coral species richness was predicted at low latitude tropical coral reefs, such as the inshore Kimberley and offshore NW reefs. Despite the predicted expansion south, we identified a net decline in coral bio ersity across the WA coastline. Results from the models predicted higher net coral bio ersity loss at low latitude tropical regions compared with net gains at mid‐high latitude regions under . These results are likely to be representative of latitudinal trends across the Southern Hemisphere and highlight that increases in habitat suitability at higher latitudes may not lead to equivalent bio ersity benefits. Urgent action is needed to limit climate change to prevent spatial erosion of tropical coral communities, extinction events and loss of tropical ecosystem services.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/ZO08086
Abstract: We investigated interactions of body mass with geographical location, and five climatic measures for two Australian rodents, the native Australian sandy inland mouse (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis) and the introduced house mouse (Mus domesticus). Correlation and regression analyses identified interactions of body mass with latitude, longitude, average highest maximum and lowest minimum temperatures, average annual rainfall, rainfall variability, and aridity. There was a significant correlation of body mass with latitude and longitude for Mus domesticus and P. hermannsburgensis. House mice were heavier in the south and east, and sandy inland mice were heavier in the north and east. M. domesticus conforms to Bergmann’s Rule, while P. hermannsburgensis does not. Maximum temperature, aridity and rainfall variability significantly influenced body mass of M. domesticus, which was heavier at cooler maxima, in less arid areas, and in areas of greater rainfall variability. Only aridity significantly influenced body mass of P. hermannsburgensis, which was heavier in more arid areas. Temperature did not interact significantly with body mass. After accounting for climatic variables, there was still a significant relationship between the residuals of body mass with locality for both species, with a negative influence of latitude and a positive influence of longitude in both the latitudinal interaction for both species was converse to Bergmann’s Rule. We suggest that latitude, ambient temperature and other selection pressures (such as aridity or productivity) can act in opposing directions, and speculate that the influence of other factors, such as food availability or sociality, may be more important than latitude or ambient temperature.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JTHERBIO.2016.01.012
Abstract: The calculation and comparison of physiological characteristics of thermoregulation has provided insight into patterns of ecology and evolution for over half a century. Thermoregulation has typically been explored using linear techniques I explore the application of non-linear scaling to more accurately calculate and compare characteristics and thresholds of thermoregulation, including the basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR) and the lower (Tlc) and upper (Tuc) critical limits to the thermo-neutral zone (TNZ) for Australian rodents. An exponentially-modified logistic function accurately characterised the response of metabolic rate to ambient temperature, while evaporative water loss was accurately characterised by a Michaelis-Menten function. When these functions were used to resolve unique parameters for the nine species studied here, the estimates of BMR and TNZ were consistent with the previously published estimates. The approach resolved differences in rates of metabolism and water loss between subfamilies of Australian rodents that haven't been quantified before. I suggest that non-linear scaling is not only more effective than the established segmented linear techniques, but also is more objective. This approach may allow broader and more flexible comparison of characteristics of thermoregulation, but it needs testing with a broader array of taxa than those used here.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/ZO12034
Abstract: Metabolic rate and evaporative water loss (EWL) were measured to quantify the thermoregulatory patterns of two dasyurids, the stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura) and the Ooldea dunnart (S. ooldea) during acute exposure to Ta between 10 and 35°C. S. macroura maintained consistent Tb across the Ta range, whereas S. ooldea was more thermolabile. The metabolic rate of both species decreased from Ta = 10°C to BMR at Ta = 30°C. Mass-adjusted BMR at Ta = 30°C was the same for the two species, but there was no common regression of metabolic rate below the thermoneutral zone (TNZ). There was no significant difference between the species in allometrically corrected EWL at Ta = 30°C. Total EWL increased significantly at Ta = 10 and 35°C compared with the TNZ for S. macroura, but was consistent across the Ta range for S. ooldea. At any Ta below the TNZ, S. macroura required more energy per gram of body mass than S. ooldea, and had a higher EWL at the lower critical Ta. By being thermolabile S. ooldea reduced its energetic requirements and water loss at low Ta. The more constant thermoregulatory strategy of S. macroura may allow it to exploit a broad climatic envelope, albeit at the cost of higher energetic and water requirements. Since S. ooldea does not expend as much energy and water on thermoregulation this may be a response to the very low productivity, ‘hyperarid’ conditions of its central Australian distribution.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/JZO.12750
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JTHERBIO.2019.02.008
Abstract: Although several approaches have been suggested, there is no broadly accepted single approach for quantitative characterization of thermal performance in ectotherms. I sought to identify the most appropriate non-linear function with which to represent thermal performance of ectothermic metabolic rate, and to interrogate the biological relevance of the thermal parameters of this function. I used published data for exercise-induced metabolic rates of eight species of reptile from a broad phylogenetic base and global distribution. Using an Akaike Information Criterion, I compared 12 different models proposed to characterize thermal performance adapted from a broad range of disciplines, finding that a beta-distribution model described the reptile metabolic rate data most parsimoniously. Using the beta-distribution model, unique functions were parameterized for each species. Four parameters were extracted from each species-specific fit: the temperature coincident with the peak of the thermal performance curve, T
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-10-2018
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.15502
Abstract: Trait-based approaches have improved our understanding of plant evolution, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. A major challenge for the upcoming decades is to understand the functions and evolution of early life-history traits, across levels of organization and ecological strategies. Although a variety of seed traits are critical for dispersal, persistence, germination timing and seedling establishment, only seed mass has been considered systematically. Here we suggest broadening the range of morphological, physiological and biochemical seed traits to add new understanding on plant niches, population dynamics and community assembly. The ersity of seed traits and functions provides an important challenge that will require international collaboration in three areas of research. First, we present a conceptual framework for a seed ecological spectrum that builds upon current understanding of plant niches. We then lay the foundation for a seed-trait functional network, the establishment of which will underpin and facilitate trait-based inferences. Finally, we anticipate novel insights and challenges associated with incorporating erse seed traits into predictive evolutionary ecology, community ecology and applied ecology. If the community invests in standardized seed-trait collection and the implementation of rigorous databases, major strides can be made at this exciting frontier of functional ecology.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-12-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.5933
Abstract: Short‐range endemic plants often have edaphic specializations that, with their restricted distributions, expose them to increased risk of anthropogenic extinction. Here, we present a modeling approach to understand habitat suitability for Ricinocarpos brevis R.J.F.Hend. & Mollemans (Euphorbiaceae), a threatened shrub confined to three isolated populations in the semi‐arid south‐west of Western Australia. The model is a maximum entropy species distribution projection constructed on the basis of physical soil characteristics and geomorphology data at approximately 25 m 2 (1 arc‐second) resolution. The model predicts the species to occur on shallow, low bulk density soils that are located high in the landscape. The model shows high affinity (72.1% average likelihood of occurrence) for the known populations of R. brevis , as well as identifying likely locations that are not currently known to support the species. There was a strong relationship between the likelihood of R. brevis occurrence and soil moisture content that the model estimated at a depth of 20 cm. We advocate that our approach should be standardized using publicly available data to generate testable hypotheses for the distribution and conservation management of short‐range endemic plant species for all of continental Australia.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-06-2021
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCAB067
Abstract: Mycorrhizal fungi are a critical component of the ecological niche of most plants and can potentially constrain their geographical range. Unlike other types of mycorrhizal fungi, the distributions of orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) at large spatial scales are not well understood. Here, we investigate the distribution and ersity of Ceratobasidium OMF in orchids and soils across the Australian continent. We s led 217 Ceratobasidium isolates from 111 orchid species across southern Australia and combined these with 311 Ceratobasidium sequences from GenBank. To estimate the taxonomic ersity of Ceratobasidium associating with orchids, phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequence locus was undertaken. Sequence data from the continent-wide Australian Microbiome Initiative were used to determine the geographical range of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in orchids, with the distribution and climatic correlates of the two most frequently detected OTUs modelled using MaxEnt. We identified 23 Ceratobasidium OTUs associating with Australian orchids, primarily from the orchid genera Pterostylis, Prasophyllum, Rhizanthella and Sarcochilus. OTUs isolated from orchids were closely related to, but distinct from, known pathogenic fungi. Data from soils and orchids revealed that ten of these OTUs occur on both east and west sides of the continent, while 13 OTUs were recorded at three locations or fewer. MaxEnt models suggested that the distributions of two widespread OTUs are correlated with temperature and soil moisture of the wettest quarter and far exceeded the distributions of their host orchid species. Ceratobasidium OMF with cross-continental distributions are common in Australian soils and frequently have geographical ranges that exceed that of their host orchid species, suggesting these fungi are not limiting the distributions of their host orchids at large spatial scales. Most OTUs were distributed within southern Australia, although several OTUs had distributions extending into central and northern parts of the continent, illustrating their tolerance of an extraordinarily wide range of environmental conditions.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/PC18079
Abstract: Globally increasing rates of mine site discontinuations are resulting in the need for immediate implementation of effective conservation and management strategies. Surveying vegetation structure is a common method of assessing restoration success however, responses of fauna to mine site restoration remain largely overlooked and understudied despite their importance within ecosystems as ecological engineers, pollinators, and restoration facilitators. Here we review the current state of the use of fauna in assessments of mine site restoration success globally, and address biases or shortcomings that indicate the assessment approach may undershoot closure and restoration success. We identified just 101 peer-reviewed publications or book chapters over a 49-year period that assess responses of fauna to mine site restoration globally. Most studies originate in Australia, with an emphasis on just one company. Assessments favour general species ersity and richness, with a particular focus on invertebrate responses to mine site restoration. Noteworthy issues included biases towards origin of study, study type, and target taxa. Further searches of the grey literature relating to fauna monitoring in mine site restoration, which was far more difficult to access, yielded six monitoring/guidance documents, three conference proceedings, two book chapters without empirical data, and a bulletin. As with peer-reviewed publications, grey literature focussed on invertebrate responses to restoration, or mentioned fauna only at the most basic level. We emphasise the need for global re-evaluation of regulatory standards to address these major limitations in assessing the capacity of the mining industry to comprehensively and representatively restore faunal communities after mining.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 12-09-2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2023
Abstract: Global warming is now predicted to exceed 1.5°C by 2033 and 2°C by the end of the 21st century. This level of warming and the associated environmental variability are already increasing pressure on natural and human systems. Here we emphasize the role of physiology in the light of the latest assessment of climate warming by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We describe how physiology can contribute to contemporary conservation programmes. We focus on thermal responses of animals, but we acknowledge that the impacts of climate change are much broader phylogenetically and environmentally. A physiological contribution would encompass environmental monitoring, coupled with measuring in idual sensitivities to temperature change and upscaling these to ecosystem level. The latest version of the widely accepted Conservation Standards designed by the Conservation Measures Partnership includes several explicit climate change considerations. We argue that physiology has a unique role to play in addressing these considerations. Moreover, physiology can be incorporated by institutions and organizations that range from international bodies to national governments and to local communities, and in doing so, it brings a mechanistic approach to conservation and the management of biological resources.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13074
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.04.011
Abstract: Species with sexual dimorphism provide powerful study systems for understanding adaptation to different lifestyles as it removes the potentially confounding effects of phylogeny. Thynnine wasps have a stark sexual dimorphism where males fly patrols in search of the flightless, predominantly fossorial females with which to mate. Using flow-through respirometry, we tested the prediction that the highly active males of the thynnine wasp Zaspilothynnus nigripes would have high metabolic rates (VCO2) relative to females. Further, the females, which spend more time underground, were predicted to exhibit lower evaporative water loss (EWL) than males. Metabolic rate of both sexes increased exponentially between 12 and 28 °C. As predicted, males had higher mass-corrected VCO2 at identical temperatures than females. Alternatively, there were no differences in the EWL at identical temperatures between sexes, suggesting that experiencing the same environmental conditions during mating may favour similar EWL. Interestingly, Z. nigripes were estimated to undergo a decrease in metabolism at approximately 30 °C. It is proposed that Z. nigripes persist despite sensitivity to high temperatures using a combination of behavioural strategies and emergence during a period of relatively benign climate that ameliorates the impacts of high temperatures.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2020
Abstract: Seed germination is a critical stage in the life cycle of most plants and is defined by specific tolerance thresholds beyond which rates and success of germination rapidly decline. Previous studies have demonstrated that widespread plant species commonly germinate over a broad range of temperatures and water stress levels, whereas range-restricted species often exhibit a narrower germination window in terms of temperature and moisture. We investigated the relationships of the key germination traits of maximum germination (Gmax) and time to 50% germination (t50) in response to temperature (5–35°C) and water stress (−1.5–0 MPa) in four co-occurring Western Australian native Eucalyptus species with widely varying biogeography. Eucalyptus caesia subsp. caesia and E. ornata exhibit a highly localized distribution and a narrow geographical range, being restricted either to granite outcrops or the upper slopes and tops of lateritic rises, respectively. These two species were compared with the two widespread and dominant congenerics E. salmonophloia and E. salubris. There was a distinctive hump-shaped response of t50 to temperature and an exponential response to water stress, characteristic of rate- and threshold-limited processes, but no consistent pattern in the response of Gmax. The four species were significantly different in their thermal performance of t50, with E. caesia and E. ornata displaying narrower thermal tolerance ranges than the two widespread species. In terms of mean final germination percentage, the two range-restricted endemic taxa exhibited higher lability in their response to thermal stress and drought stress compared to the two broadly distributed congenerics. These findings indicate a link between distributional extent, temperature and water stress tolerance and may have implications for identifying ecological filters of rarity and endemism.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13616
Abstract: The incorporation of conservation physiology into environmental management, particularly ecological restoration, is underutilized, despite the capacity of such approaches to discern how populations respond to the challenges of unpredictable and potentially inhospitable environments. We explore several ex les where detailed mechanistic understanding of the physiological constraints of keystone and foundational species, ecological service providers such as insect pollinators, and species of conservation concern has been used to optimize the return of these species to landscapes following the cessation of mineral extraction. Using such data can optimize the rapid return of functioning ecosystems during restoration or increase the conservation value of restoration by returning insurance populations of threatened species. Integrating this level of mechanistic understanding with fine‐resolution spatial data in the form of biophysical modeling can help plan recovery and identify targets that can subsequently be used in assessing restoration success, particularly in situations that require substantial investment over long periods, such as post‐mining restoration. There is growing recognition of the valuable insights offered by conservation physiology to broader practice and policy development, and there have been substantial technical developments in conservation physiology leading up to and into the twenty‐first century as a result. The global challenge facing restoration ecology has, however, also grown in that time. Rapidly and efficiently meeting ambitious global restoration objectives will require a targeted approach, and we suggest that the application of physiological data will be most strategic for rare species, keystone species, and ecosystem service providers more broadly.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-08-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S10980-023-01747-2
Abstract: Anthropogenic habitat degradation resulting from agricultural, mining, and urban development is a leading cause of global insect declines, but the recovery of insect communities and functional guilds is rarely assessed during ecological restoration. Assess the effects of vegetation community composition and structure on insect species richness, ersity, and abundance across various stages of ecological restoration to understand the patterns and drivers of the return of insect functional guilds to post-mining restoration landscapes. We s led the insect community using ultraviolet polypropylene vane traps and conducted floristic surveys to quantify the relationships between the insect community and vegetation community across a 40-year sequence of post-mining ecological restoration in south-western Western Australia. Despite the lack of convergence observed in the vegetation community, insects returned through natural processes of reassembly and dispersal such that the community resembled that of reference forest communities within approximately a decade of restoration activity. However, the insect community transitioned from an assemblage dominated by pollinators to one dominated by herbivores and detritivores along the ecological restoration age gradient. Our results indicate that plant abundance had a significant effect on the abundance of pollinators and parasitoids but the relationships between vegetation community metrics and other functional guilds were relatively weak. Insect functional guilds present complex and variable responses to vegetation re-assembly and maximising landscape spatiotemporal heterogeneity and habitat complexity in ecological restoration can increase the availability of suitable habitat for a erse suite of insect taxa and the associated ecological services they provide.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 16-08-2022
DOI: 10.1071/PC22001
Abstract: Context Rates of habitat destruction are increasing globally, and recent years have seen a growing focus on returning lands degraded through anthropogenic activities to functional and sustainable ecosystems. Animals provide a range of services critical to healthy ecosystems, yet in assessments of restoration progress they are often assumed to return passively following the reinstatement of native flora and vegetation. Aims and methods We used remote sensing camera traps to assess the impact of early stage habitat restoration on the structure and ersity of fauna communities on a mine site in the Mid West region of Western Australia. We aimed to assess whether early stage habitat restoration supports animal communities with similar ersity and community structure (foraging guilds) to those found in reference, unmined vegetation. Key results Although early stage habitat restoration facilitated the establishment of animal communities with similar ersity to that of the reference vegetation the foraging guilds using restoration vegetation differed significantly from those in the reference vegetation. Early stage restoration was particularly attractive to herbivores but may lack some key resources, for ex le leaf litter, course woody debris, and appropriate refuge sites, necessary for the return of granivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Conclusions and implications It is unlikely that early stage habitat restoration will support a similar species composition to established restoration, but it is crucial to monitor restoration along a trajectory to ensure efforts do not ultimately fail. Assessing the responses of fauna from a range of guilds and trophic levels is critical to determining whether habitat restoration is effectively returning functional and self-sustaining animal communities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13667
Abstract: Mitigation translocation is a subgroup of conservation translocation, categorized by a crisis‐responsive time frame and the immediate goal of relocating in iduals threatened with death. However, the relative successes of conservation translocations with longer time frames and broader metapopulation‐ and ecosystem‐level considerations have been used to justify the continued implementation of mitigation translocations without adequate post hoc monitoring to confirm their effectiveness as a conservation tool. Mitigation translocations now outnumber other conservation translocations, and understanding the effectiveness of mitigation translocations is critical given limited global conservation funding especially if the mitigation translocations undermine bio ersity conservation by failing to save in iduals. We assessed the effectiveness of mitigation translocations by conducting a quantitative review of the global literature. A total of 59 mitigation translocations were reviewed for their adherence to the adaptive scientific approach expected of other conservation translocations and for the testing of management options to continue improving techniques for the future. We found that mitigation translocations have not achieved their potential as an effective applied science. Most translocations focused predominantly on population establishment‐ and persistence‐level questions, as is often seen in translocations more broadly, and less on metapopulation and ecosystem outcomes. Questions regarding the long‐term impacts to the recipient ecosystem (12% of articles) and the carrying capacity of translocation sites (24% of articles) were addressed least often, despite these factors being more likely to influence ultimate success. Less than half (47%) of studies included comparison of different management techniques to facilitate practitioners selecting the most effective management actions for the future. To align mitigation translocations with the relative success of other conservation translocations, it is critical that future mitigation translocations conform to an established experimental approach to improve their effectiveness. Effective mitigation translocations will require significantly greater investment of time, expertise, and resources in the future.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-02-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00267-023-01800-5
Abstract: Global-scale ecological changes and intensifying habitat destruction and have caused alarming declines in wildlife populations, resulting in a great need for concerted efforts towards their conservation. Despite this, animals are frequently overlooked in restoration and management initiatives and therefore populations often do not reassemble following disturbance without re-establishing habitat that meets their abiotic and biotic requirements. However, restoration ecologists broadly lack insight into the physiological mechanisms that can govern the responses of fauna to environmental change and management. Therefore, we conducted a literature search for studies reporting a mechanistic understanding of faunal habitat suitability and selection in restored landscapes to deliver an updated perspective on the integration of animal ecophysiology and restoration ecology. Of the 75,442 studies that we identified discussing ecological restoration in the last 50 years, only 8,627 (11.4%) did so in the context of fauna from which 912 studies (1.2%) examined habitat selection, 35 studies (0.05%) integrated physiology and only 15 studies (0.02%) explored thermal biology, despite temperature being one of the most pervasive drivers of physiological functioning. To combat this, we developed a conceptual framework that can guide restoration ecophysiology and promote innovative, multidisciplinary research through an established adaptive management structure. While physiological tools and approaches are currently underutilised in restoration practice, integrating them into ecological restoration, and environmental management more broadly, will offer exciting new opportunities to describe, explain and predict the responses of fauna to environmental change occurring, and that yet to come.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13571
Abstract: As human activities destroy and degrade the world's ecosystems at unprecedented scales, there is a growing need for evidence‐based methods for ecological restoration if we are to preserve bio ersity and ecosystem services. Mining represents one of the most severe anthropogenic disturbances, often necessitating intensive intervention to restore the most basic attributes of native ecosystems. Despite ex les of successful mine‐site restoration, re‐establishing native vegetation in these degraded landscapes remains a significant challenge. Plant ecophysiology—the study of the interactions between plants and the environment—can provide a useful framework for evaluating and guiding mine‐site restoration. By understanding the physiological mechanisms that allow plants to establish and persist in these highly disturbed environments, practitioners may be able to improve restoration outcomes. Specifically, methods in plant ecophysiology can inform site preparation and the selection of plant material for restoration projects, aid in monitoring restoration progress by providing additional insight into plant performance, and ultimately improve our ability to predict restoration trajectories. Here, we review the challenges and benefits of integrating an ecophysiological perspective to mine‐site restoration in Western Australia, a global hotspot of bio ersity and mining operations. Using case studies and ex les from the region's erse ecosystems, we illustrate how an ecophysiological approach can guide the restoration of some of the world's most severely disturbed landscapes. With careful selection of study species and traits and consideration of the specific environmental conditions and stressors within a site, the restoration ecophysiology framework outlined here has the potential to inform restoration strategies across ecosystems.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 10-02-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.526923
Abstract: The drivers and dynamics of initial human migrations across in idual islands and archipelagos are poorly understood, affecting assessments of human-modification of island bio ersity. Here, we describe and test a process-explicit approach for reconstructing human arrival and expansion on islands, which combines archaeological and climate records with high-resolution spatial population models. Using Polynesian colonisation of New Zealand as an ex le, we show that our new method can generate information crucial for assessing how humans affected bio ersity on islands. The transition of islands from prehuman to human dominated ecosystems has typically been assessed by comparing bio ersity before and after time of first arrival, without considering the potential importance of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the human expansion event. Our new approach, which uses pattern-oriented modelling methods to combine inferences of human colonisation dynamics from dated archaeological material with spatially explicit population models, produces validated reconstructions of the pattern and pace of human migration across islands at high spatiotemporal resolutions. From these reconstructions, demographic and environmental drivers of human colonization can be identified, and the role that people had on bio ersity established. Using this technique, we show that closely reconciling inferences of Polynesian colonisation of New Zealand requires there to have been a single founding population of approximately 500 people, arriving between 1233 and 1257 AD, settling multiple areas, and expanding quickly over both North and South islands. The resultant maps of Māori colonisation dynamics provide new opportunities to better determine how human activities transformed bio ersity of New Zealand in space and time. Process-explicit models can reconstruct human migration across large islands, producing validated, high resolution spatiotemporal projections of human occupancy and abundance that account for dispersal and population dynamics. This modelling framework should prove effective across any islands and archipelagos where climate and archaeological records are available.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-08-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S00360-012-0681-8
Abstract: This study investigated the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and evaporative water loss (EWL) responses of three Australian trapdoor-constructing mygalomorph spider species, two undescribed arid-zone species (Aganippe 'Tropicana A' and A. 'Tropicana B') and a mesic-dwelling species (A. rhaphiduca) to acute environmental regimes of temperature and relative humidity. There were significant effects of species, temperature, and relative humidity on SMR. SMR was lower for A. raphiduca than both A. 'Tropicana' spp. with no difference between the two A. 'Tropicana' spp. Metabolic rate increased at higher temperature and relative humidity for all three species. There were significant effects of species, temperature, and relative humidity on EWL. The mesic Aganippe species had a significantly higher EWL than either arid Tropicana species. EWL was significantly higher at lower relative humidity. Our results suggest an environmental effect on EWL but not SMR, and that mygalomorphs are so vulnerable to desiccation that the burrow provides a crucial refuge to ameliorate the effects of low environmental humidity. We conclude that mygalomorphs are highly susceptible to disturbance, and are of high conservation value as many are short-range endemics.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/PLB.13069
Abstract: Caladenia is a erse Australian genus that is exceptional among orchids in having both species pollinated by food-seeking and sexually deceived insects. Here, we investigated the pollination of Caladenia nobilis, a species predicted to be food-deceptive due to its large, cream-coloured and apparently nectarless flowers. Pollinator observations were made using experimental clumps of flowers. Measurements of floral colour were undertaken with a spectrometer, nectar was tested using GC-MS, and reproductive success was quantified for 2 years. While C. nobilis attracted nine species of insect, only males of the thynnine wasp Rhagigaster discrepans exhibited the correct size and behaviour to remove and deposit pollen. Male R. discrepans attempted to feed from the surface of the labellum, often crawling to multiple flowers, but showed no evidence of sexual attraction. Most flowers produced little or no nectar, although some may provide enough sucrose to act as a meagre reward to pollinators. Floral colouration was similar to a related Caladenia species pollinated by sexual deception, although the sexually deceptive species had a dull-red labellum. Reproductive success was generally low and highly variable between sites and years. In addition to most visitors being of inappropriate size for pollinia removal, the lack of response to the orchid by several co-occurring species of thynnine wasp suggests filtering of potential pollinators at the attraction phase. Our discovery of a pollination strategy that may be intermediate between food deception and food reward raises the question, how many putatively rewardless orchids actually produce meagre amounts of nectar?
Publisher: The Company of Biologists
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1242/JEB.172874
Abstract: We explore a recent innovative variation of closed-system respirometry for terrestrial organisms, whereby pO2 is repeatedly measured fluorometrically in a constant-volume chamber over multiple time points. We outline a protocol that aligns this technology with the broader literature on aerial respirometry, including the calculations required to accurately convert O2 depletion to metabolic rate (MR). We identify a series of assumptions, and sources of error associated with this technique, including thresholds where O2 depletion becomes limiting, that impart errors to the calculation and interpretation of MR. Using these adjusted calculations, we found that the resting MR of five species of angiosperm seeds ranged from 0.011 to 0.640 mL.g−1.h−1, consistent with published seed MR. This innovative methodology greatly expands the lower size limit of terrestrial organisms that can be measured, and offers the potential for measuring MR changes over time as a result of physiological processes of the organism.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12905
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-09-2016
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.2455
Start Date: 2021
End Date: 2018
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2016
End Date: 2018
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2011
End Date: 2016
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity