Novel species interactions arising from synergistic environmental changes. Synergistic environmental changes, including climate and land use change, are altering Australia's ecosystems and creating novel species assemblages. We know little about how these assemblages develop and function, and yet they are likely to become more pervasive and provide a significant conservation and restoration challenge. We aim to improve our understanding of the factors affecting the creation of novel plant assemb ....Novel species interactions arising from synergistic environmental changes. Synergistic environmental changes, including climate and land use change, are altering Australia's ecosystems and creating novel species assemblages. We know little about how these assemblages develop and function, and yet they are likely to become more pervasive and provide a significant conservation and restoration challenge. We aim to improve our understanding of the factors affecting the creation of novel plant assemblages (through invasions and changes in species' ranges) in the York Gum woodlands of Western Australia. We will examine how novel assemblages function, improve the ability to predict potential ongoing changes in assemblages and provide guidance for the management of these and other internationally important plant communities.Read moreRead less
Why conserve genetic variation? Is this misdirected effort or a crucial concern? In attempting to conserve populations of threatened plants, ecosystem managers must prioritise allocation of resources to both immediate and long-term threats, including loss of genetic variation. This study will determine the importance of maintaining existing genetic variation within populations of several species in a major Australian plant group. As well as advancing theory in the area of plant ecological genet ....Why conserve genetic variation? Is this misdirected effort or a crucial concern? In attempting to conserve populations of threatened plants, ecosystem managers must prioritise allocation of resources to both immediate and long-term threats, including loss of genetic variation. This study will determine the importance of maintaining existing genetic variation within populations of several species in a major Australian plant group. As well as advancing theory in the area of plant ecological genetics and evolutionary biology, our results will provide a stronger scientific basis for the development of conservation policy and management decisions for conserving threatened plant species. Read moreRead less
Dealing with an indigenous despot - the Noisy Miner, a keystone species in the rural landscape of eastern Australia. This study will identify sustainable means of limiting the domination of remnant native and planted woodland by the hyper-aggressive Noisy Miner. This species excludes insectivorous birds from remnant woodlands, contributing to the decline of birds in eucalypt woodlands in rural southern Australia. Halting the decline in insectivorous birds in our agricultural areas is critical if ....Dealing with an indigenous despot - the Noisy Miner, a keystone species in the rural landscape of eastern Australia. This study will identify sustainable means of limiting the domination of remnant native and planted woodland by the hyper-aggressive Noisy Miner. This species excludes insectivorous birds from remnant woodlands, contributing to the decline of birds in eucalypt woodlands in rural southern Australia. Halting the decline in insectivorous birds in our agricultural areas is critical if we are to ever achieve truly sustainable agricultural production. This study will identify habitat characteristics that can be manipulated by land holders to make remnants and plantations less suitable for Noisy Miners, while enhancing the re-establishment of other threatened birds.Read moreRead less
Synthesising prior information for ecological research and management. While using existing information to design studies and compare results, ecologists rarely use existing information in their analyses. We will combine the results of previous ecological studies to summarise the existing information. We will test how well the traits of plants and animals can be predicted from previous research, and the benefit of this existing information for environmental management. By taking advantage of the ....Synthesising prior information for ecological research and management. While using existing information to design studies and compare results, ecologists rarely use existing information in their analyses. We will combine the results of previous ecological studies to summarise the existing information. We will test how well the traits of plants and animals can be predicted from previous research, and the benefit of this existing information for environmental management. By taking advantage of the wealth of previous ecological research, our project can save time and money for ecological research by scientists and environmental management by federal and state agencies. This will fundamentally change the way that ecology is conducted.Read moreRead less
Ecology and conservation of a unique, threatened guanophilic invertebrate community. This project aims to study the biology and ecology of a unique assemblage of insects and other invertebrates that live specifically in bat guano at Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. The caves are a major ecotourism and research location because of their world famous Pliestocene fossils, and because one cave is a critical breeding site for the large bentwing bat, Miniopterus s. bassianii. The guano cave, whic ....Ecology and conservation of a unique, threatened guanophilic invertebrate community. This project aims to study the biology and ecology of a unique assemblage of insects and other invertebrates that live specifically in bat guano at Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. The caves are a major ecotourism and research location because of their world famous Pliestocene fossils, and because one cave is a critical breeding site for the large bentwing bat, Miniopterus s. bassianii. The guano cave, which contains numerous endemic invertebrates, is potentially threatened by both direct and indirect human impacts. The results of this research will form the basis of a long-term management strategy to conserve this diverse community.Read moreRead less
Fire, bees and other disturbances: the basis for variation in genetic diversity in long-lived plants. An understanding of processes generating temporal and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in perennial plants must underpin successful conservation. Our long-term study will exploit systems in the family Proteaceae in which we have completed foundation studies. We will develop and extend molecular techniques to measure (i) genetic changes from seed to adult, (ii) gene flow by different pollina ....Fire, bees and other disturbances: the basis for variation in genetic diversity in long-lived plants. An understanding of processes generating temporal and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in perennial plants must underpin successful conservation. Our long-term study will exploit systems in the family Proteaceae in which we have completed foundation studies. We will develop and extend molecular techniques to measure (i) genetic changes from seed to adult, (ii) gene flow by different pollinator classes, and (iii) genetic contamination by foreign gene pools, in systems affected by introduced pollinators and natural and cultivar hybridization. Most importantly, we will use fire as an accelerant of generational change and test fitness consequences of changes in genotypic diversity.Read moreRead less
A new phylogenetic framework for estimating local, regional, and global biodiversity. Australia is one of the 12 megadiverse countries that together account for 75% of global biodiversity. Invertebrates comprise the single largest component of biodiversity. The Australian invertebrate fauna is poorly known and therefore most conservation planning takes place in the absence of knowledge about the group that contributes most to biodiversity. This project will provide novel methods for estimating i ....A new phylogenetic framework for estimating local, regional, and global biodiversity. Australia is one of the 12 megadiverse countries that together account for 75% of global biodiversity. Invertebrates comprise the single largest component of biodiversity. The Australian invertebrate fauna is poorly known and therefore most conservation planning takes place in the absence of knowledge about the group that contributes most to biodiversity. This project will provide novel methods for estimating invertebrate species richness for conservation planning as well as contributing to the important debate about the magnitude and distribution of global biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Refining Restoration Ecology: Is Range of Historical Variability an appropriate concept to guide ecosystem management and restoration? Ecosystem restoration is an urgent task in many Australian landscapes. Range of Historical Variability (RHV) theory provides an influential but largely untested framework to guide restoration activities. We will test the RHV proposition that biodiversity conservation is enhanced if the structure of altered ecosystems is restored within the pre-settlement range. P ....Refining Restoration Ecology: Is Range of Historical Variability an appropriate concept to guide ecosystem management and restoration? Ecosystem restoration is an urgent task in many Australian landscapes. Range of Historical Variability (RHV) theory provides an influential but largely untested framework to guide restoration activities. We will test the RHV proposition that biodiversity conservation is enhanced if the structure of altered ecosystems is restored within the pre-settlement range. Plants, vertebrates and invertebrates will be compared between ?unrestored? Callitris woodlands dominated by post-settlement regrowth, and ?restored? stands where regrowth has been reduced within the RHV. This will be the first test of RHV theory to encompass a range of taxonomic and functional groups at both local and landscape scales.Read moreRead less
An unprecedented opportunity to quantify biodiversity recovery after major wildfire. Recent fire disasters in southern Australia emphasise that wildfire is one of the major social, economic and ecological issues facing the nation. Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are also substantial national issues. The outcomes and new understanding obtained from this project will have enormous rural, regional, national and international benefits through developing better informed, and ecologica ....An unprecedented opportunity to quantify biodiversity recovery after major wildfire. Recent fire disasters in southern Australia emphasise that wildfire is one of the major social, economic and ecological issues facing the nation. Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are also substantial national issues. The outcomes and new understanding obtained from this project will have enormous rural, regional, national and international benefits through developing better informed, and ecologically sustainable, principles and practices for biodiversity conservation, vegetation management, and fire management. It also will guide natural resource managers such as national park staff and state forest managers in best practice methods to manage post-fire ecological recovery on land under their jurisdiction. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346454
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Native plant mesocosm facility. Mesocosms allow ecological processes to be studied at scales intermediate between the field and laboratory. We will establish a native plant mesocosm, allowing us to accurately manipulate environmental factors such as soil moisture, mineral nutrients and temperature. This will enable us to assess how plants adjust resource allocation patterns and determine genotypic and phenotypic responses to varying environmental conditions. Such research will provide insight in ....Native plant mesocosm facility. Mesocosms allow ecological processes to be studied at scales intermediate between the field and laboratory. We will establish a native plant mesocosm, allowing us to accurately manipulate environmental factors such as soil moisture, mineral nutrients and temperature. This will enable us to assess how plants adjust resource allocation patterns and determine genotypic and phenotypic responses to varying environmental conditions. Such research will provide insight into how native plants persist in and adapt to changing environmental conditions. The facility will strengthen existing collaboration with NSW NPWS, enhance post-graduate and post-doctoral training, and provide improved conservation and management outcomes for native plants.Read moreRead less