New thinking on the relationship of dingo ecology to biodiversity conservation and sustainable cattle production. This project will provide new understanding of the role of Australia's only native large mammal predator in sustaining biodiversity and ecological function. This will result in improved management of dingoes as a key part of Australian ecosystems. The project will also test the possibility that relaxation of current controls on dingoes could provide net benefits to beef cattle produc ....New thinking on the relationship of dingo ecology to biodiversity conservation and sustainable cattle production. This project will provide new understanding of the role of Australia's only native large mammal predator in sustaining biodiversity and ecological function. This will result in improved management of dingoes as a key part of Australian ecosystems. The project will also test the possibility that relaxation of current controls on dingoes could provide net benefits to beef cattle producers, and thereby improve the viability and sustainability of Australia's cattle-grazing industry.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 pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be ab ....The pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be able to show relationships between the ingestion and blood levels of PSMs and feeding behaviour. This will give a greater understanding of the effect of plant toxins on browsing behaviour, enabling improved foraging models and more effective habitat management.Read moreRead less
Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem ....Community and ecosystem consequences of adaptive evolution in Eucalyptus. There is emerging evidence across plant systems that genes in one species influence biodiversity and the services ecosystems provide, including soil fertility, carbon storage, and pollination. These results suggest that adaptive evolution in plants can lead to change in biodiversity and ecosystem function. If this finding proves to be true, results from this proposal might be critical to future decisions on the ecosystem consequences of landscape level selective events. There may be major implications for the rapidly expanding environmental and forestry plantings across Australia and temperate regions of the world where choice of seed source may have far reaching consequences.Read moreRead less
Impacts of Eucalypt genetics at the community and ecosystem levels. The genetics of a dominant tree species has recently been shown to have far reaching effects on associated biodiversity and ecosystem processes. If this finding proves to be general and is shown to be the case for Australia's iconic eucalypts then understanding their genetics will provide significant insights into the drivers of biological organisation and ecological processes in Australia's native forests and woodlands. This w ....Impacts of Eucalypt genetics at the community and ecosystem levels. The genetics of a dominant tree species has recently been shown to have far reaching effects on associated biodiversity and ecosystem processes. If this finding proves to be general and is shown to be the case for Australia's iconic eucalypts then understanding their genetics will provide significant insights into the drivers of biological organisation and ecological processes in Australia's native forests and woodlands. This will also have major implications for the rapidly expanding environmental and forestry plantings across Australia where choice of seed source may have far reaching consequences.Read moreRead less
Partitioning of primary production by crustacean grazers in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Crustaceans are an important component of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Large numbers live in or close to the sea-ice cover, using it as a refuge from predation and a source of food. However, the impact of these animals on algae that grows in the sea-ice is unknown. This study will examine the diets and grazing rates of crustaceans in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. These results will aid our understanding ....Partitioning of primary production by crustacean grazers in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Crustaceans are an important component of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Large numbers live in or close to the sea-ice cover, using it as a refuge from predation and a source of food. However, the impact of these animals on algae that grows in the sea-ice is unknown. This study will examine the diets and grazing rates of crustaceans in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. These results will aid our understanding of the fate of algal production in sea-ice and will enable the construction of realistic carbon budgets for this ecosystem.Read moreRead less
Inbreeding and Amphibian Decline: from an Individual to a Global Perspective. Amphibian decline is not a phenomenon unique to overseas continents and countries. In the long line of research papers addressing this issue in the best science journals (e.g., Nature and Science), Australian frog decline has even been singled out for specific coverage. This project targets the interplay between habitat fragmentation, loss of genetic variation (inbreeding), and its effects on UV and pathogen resistance ....Inbreeding and Amphibian Decline: from an Individual to a Global Perspective. Amphibian decline is not a phenomenon unique to overseas continents and countries. In the long line of research papers addressing this issue in the best science journals (e.g., Nature and Science), Australian frog decline has even been singled out for specific coverage. This project targets the interplay between habitat fragmentation, loss of genetic variation (inbreeding), and its effects on UV and pathogen resistance in a laboratory model system. It integrates three disciplines (immunobiology, evolutionary genetics, and conservation biology) to resolve fundamental aspects of the drastic, ongoing disappearance of the most significant ecological indicator taxa known today (amphibians). Read moreRead less
Ecology, impacts and management of wild dogs in urbanising coastal landscapes of the wet tropics, Queensland. All management agencies and local governments in north Queensland identify wild dogs as a significant threat and a complex problem for management, and are in the process of developing wild dog management plans. However, these plans tend to be reactive and short-term, because too little is known to develop effective long-term management strategies. This project will provide a sound basis ....Ecology, impacts and management of wild dogs in urbanising coastal landscapes of the wet tropics, Queensland. All management agencies and local governments in north Queensland identify wild dogs as a significant threat and a complex problem for management, and are in the process of developing wild dog management plans. However, these plans tend to be reactive and short-term, because too little is known to develop effective long-term management strategies. This project will provide a sound basis for the development of such strategies. The results of the study will also inform wild dog management in many other parts of Australia that face similar problems.Read moreRead less
Winter Foraging Locations Of Southern Ocean Predators In Relation To Stochastic Variation In Sea-Ice Extent. Antarctic marine communities are likely to be amongst the first anywhere to show changes due to climate change. A top national priority for Australia is to understand how Antarctic communities will be affected if climate change does occur. As predators reflect changes occurring lower in the food chain, these are an important group to study. This study will be the first to specifically lin ....Winter Foraging Locations Of Southern Ocean Predators In Relation To Stochastic Variation In Sea-Ice Extent. Antarctic marine communities are likely to be amongst the first anywhere to show changes due to climate change. A top national priority for Australia is to understand how Antarctic communities will be affected if climate change does occur. As predators reflect changes occurring lower in the food chain, these are an important group to study. This study will be the first to specifically link ice extent with the habitat use of predators, and quantify how this varies over time. Some work already indicates that there have been community level changes in some predators in the Antarctic due to changes in ice extent, so developing tools to predict the nature and magnitude of these changes are needed. Read moreRead less
Effectiveness of temperate Australian marine protected areas as tools for biodiversity conservation and informing fisheries management. The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) for biodiversity protection and informing fisheries management will be investigated at a continental scale for the first time. Communities of fishes, invertebrates and plants at >100 sites within MPAs in WA, NSW and Tasmania will be studied from prior to fisheries protection, with changes over time compared with ....Effectiveness of temperate Australian marine protected areas as tools for biodiversity conservation and informing fisheries management. The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) for biodiversity protection and informing fisheries management will be investigated at a continental scale for the first time. Communities of fishes, invertebrates and plants at >100 sites within MPAs in WA, NSW and Tasmania will be studied from prior to fisheries protection, with changes over time compared with changes at fished reference sites. This study represents a human predator exclusion experiment with a scale sufficiently large to distinguish general patterns from among site specific and species specific variability. It will provide management authorities with information crucial to determining MPA number, size and configuration.Read moreRead less