Enhancing nutrient retention in soils through management of microbial biomass. Soil microbial-processes are generally studied in relation to mineralisation of nutrients but rarely for their potential to retain nutrients and reduce nutrient leaching. We hypothesise that management of microbial immobilisation will enhance nutrient retention in nutrient enriched soils during seasonal rains. This hypothesis will be tested under strongly seasonal environments of southwest Australia where nutrient lea ....Enhancing nutrient retention in soils through management of microbial biomass. Soil microbial-processes are generally studied in relation to mineralisation of nutrients but rarely for their potential to retain nutrients and reduce nutrient leaching. We hypothesise that management of microbial immobilisation will enhance nutrient retention in nutrient enriched soils during seasonal rains. This hypothesis will be tested under strongly seasonal environments of southwest Australia where nutrient leaching from soils degrades quality of surface and groundwater. We will first investigate pathways and conditions leading to microbial immobilisation. We will then explore the regulation of substrate and nutrient conditions to promote such retention, and subsequently develop management interventions based on microbially-mediated nutrient retention.Read moreRead less
Species redundancy in response to multiple disturbances. This project aims to elucidate how the context within which disturbances occur affects food web linkages and how these map to responses in ecosystem function. There is a critical need to test the common assumption in environmental management that high biodiversity makes ecosystems resilient to disturbances. Studies that merely observe biodiversity change after disturbance cannot identify ecological processes connecting high diversity and e ....Species redundancy in response to multiple disturbances. This project aims to elucidate how the context within which disturbances occur affects food web linkages and how these map to responses in ecosystem function. There is a critical need to test the common assumption in environmental management that high biodiversity makes ecosystems resilient to disturbances. Studies that merely observe biodiversity change after disturbance cannot identify ecological processes connecting high diversity and ecosystem function, making experiments that manipulate identical disturbances in ecosystems with different biodiversity essential. This project will use field experiments that manipulate disturbances in streams replicated in low and high biodiversity regions and across gradients of chronic background stress to show how biodiversity sustains functional ecosystems, and how much diversity can be lost before ecosystems collapse.Read moreRead less
Testing the Flood Pulse Concept for rivers with variable flow regimes. For floodplain rivers the major unifying conceptual model linking hydrology, biogeochemistry and ecology is the Flood Pulse Concept (FPC). The model is based on rivers that have a seasonally predictable and long duration inundation of floodplain habitats. Recent reviews of the FPC indicate that the model needs to be broadened to describe the function of rivers with more variable flow regimes. This project will test some of th ....Testing the Flood Pulse Concept for rivers with variable flow regimes. For floodplain rivers the major unifying conceptual model linking hydrology, biogeochemistry and ecology is the Flood Pulse Concept (FPC). The model is based on rivers that have a seasonally predictable and long duration inundation of floodplain habitats. Recent reviews of the FPC indicate that the model needs to be broadened to describe the function of rivers with more variable flow regimes. This project will test some of the predictions of the FPC for variable dryland rivers by investigating how food webs in the channels of a floodplain reach respond to flows of different magnitude, seasonal timing and duration.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100041
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the developme ....A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the development of groundwater resources, the relative dependency of ecosystems on groundwater versus soil and surface water, and an assessment of the likely impacts of altered hydrology, especially dewatering and salinisation, on ecosystems. In addition, they will also be used to extend our knowledge of climate variability in the recent past and increase understanding of critical marine resources.Read moreRead less
Sources of genetic and phenotypic variation in sexual selection. This project will contribute towards Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research in evolutionary biology is conducted. The project will focus on the evolution of mate choice in the Western Australian rainbowfish, which has never been formally studied. Our research will therefore work towards a better understanding of Australian native fauna. Conceptually, the work encompasses new and innovative experim ....Sources of genetic and phenotypic variation in sexual selection. This project will contribute towards Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research in evolutionary biology is conducted. The project will focus on the evolution of mate choice in the Western Australian rainbowfish, which has never been formally studied. Our research will therefore work towards a better understanding of Australian native fauna. Conceptually, the work encompasses new and innovative experimental procedures that will address fundamental questions in sexual selection. The results will ultimately be geared towards publication in the highest ranking journals, thereby promoting Australian science on the international stage. Australian science will further benefit from the training of young scientists.Read moreRead less
Ecological responses of native fishes to dynamic water flows in northwest arid Australia. This project will investigate the biological adaptations and ecology of native fishes of northwest Australia in order to assess their resilience to altered water flows due to mining activities and changing climate. The project findings will contribute to sustainable management of water and biodiversity in arid environments.
Postcopulatory sexual selection and intraspecific variation in sperm competition traits. This project will contribute towards Australia's burgeoning reputation as a country where excellent and original research in behavioural ecology and evolution is conducted. By focusing on the evolution and function of sperm and genitalic traits, the project will address fundamental questions at the core of contemporary evolutionary research, thereby yielding results that will have a significant international ....Postcopulatory sexual selection and intraspecific variation in sperm competition traits. This project will contribute towards Australia's burgeoning reputation as a country where excellent and original research in behavioural ecology and evolution is conducted. By focusing on the evolution and function of sperm and genitalic traits, the project will address fundamental questions at the core of contemporary evolutionary research, thereby yielding results that will have a significant international impact. Australian science will further benefit from the research fellow's established collaborations with international scientists and through the training of young scientists.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100321
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,000.00
Summary
Responses of fish to climate change. Climate variation will continue to impact biodiversity on our globe. Exciting new evidence has suggested that terrestrial ectotherms can minimise their vulnerability to changing temperatures by altering their thermoregulatory behaviour. Fish, unlike terrestrial ectotherms do not possess the same ability to thermoregulate and it is unclear how behavioural changes may reduce a population's vulnerability to climate change. This project aims to combine bio-loggin ....Responses of fish to climate change. Climate variation will continue to impact biodiversity on our globe. Exciting new evidence has suggested that terrestrial ectotherms can minimise their vulnerability to changing temperatures by altering their thermoregulatory behaviour. Fish, unlike terrestrial ectotherms do not possess the same ability to thermoregulate and it is unclear how behavioural changes may reduce a population's vulnerability to climate change. This project aims to combine bio-logging technology, energy budget theory and climate models to predict the potential role that changing behaviours may have in reducing the vulnerability of fish populations to climate change.Read moreRead less