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
A landscape-scale experimental test of factors driving mammal declines in northern Australia. Australia has suffered the highest rate of modern mammal extinctions in the world. Foxes have been largely responsible for this extinction in southern Australia and probably also Central Australia. However the decline in mammals in northern Australia has occurred later than that in the south, and in the absence of foxes. We will adopt an experimental approach to determine the mechanisms driving mammal d ....A landscape-scale experimental test of factors driving mammal declines in northern Australia. Australia has suffered the highest rate of modern mammal extinctions in the world. Foxes have been largely responsible for this extinction in southern Australia and probably also Central Australia. However the decline in mammals in northern Australia has occurred later than that in the south, and in the absence of foxes. We will adopt an experimental approach to determine the mechanisms driving mammal declines and extinctions in northern Australia. Populations of brush-tail tree rats (Conilurus penicillatus) will be translocated to suitable habitat on mainland sites that experience different fire regimes and predation pressures.Read moreRead less
The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecologic ....The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecological impacts of industry development. Important benefits of the project include information and tools for streamlining development approvals and accurately assessing risks to threatened species to improve outcomes for both our economy and our natural environment.Read moreRead less
3D printing of custom musical instruments for heritage and industry needs. This Project will explore innovative heritage and commercial applications for the 3D modelling and printing of custom musical instruments to advance Australia’s flexible-manufacturing industry. Musical instruments are complex devices, often made with multiple parts and/or materials, that are commonly built to produce sound through a multitude of manufacturing processes to meet high-performance requirements. When hand-craf ....3D printing of custom musical instruments for heritage and industry needs. This Project will explore innovative heritage and commercial applications for the 3D modelling and printing of custom musical instruments to advance Australia’s flexible-manufacturing industry. Musical instruments are complex devices, often made with multiple parts and/or materials, that are commonly built to produce sound through a multitude of manufacturing processes to meet high-performance requirements. When hand-crafted, they can present considerable morphological variations, even within a single instrument type. The Project’s novel challenge of flexibly manufacturing custom music instruments to meet a diversity of end-user needs will create new digital heritage strategies and market opportunities for Australian research end-users.Read moreRead less