Change ecology - gaining broad-scale, timely biodiversity knowledge in a time of uncertainty. Australians are confronted daily with the consequences of changes wrought by human over-exploitation of natural resources. Our capacity to track and respond to change is very limited and slow. Thus, rapid deterioration of ecologically important aspects is detected late and is not reflective of the general state because knowledge is derived from small-scale measurements that are difficult to generalize. ....Change ecology - gaining broad-scale, timely biodiversity knowledge in a time of uncertainty. Australians are confronted daily with the consequences of changes wrought by human over-exploitation of natural resources. Our capacity to track and respond to change is very limited and slow. Thus, rapid deterioration of ecologically important aspects is detected late and is not reflective of the general state because knowledge is derived from small-scale measurements that are difficult to generalize. We will build a capacity for providing large-scale knowledge of vegetation condition and flow-on effects on biodiversity, which also will allow us to make informed assessments of the ecological consequences of some existing (climate change, drying) and imminent (biofuel plantings) drivers of change.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstructi ....Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstruction scenarios. This links use of existing data sets for initial modelling, a validation phase for testing model reliability and for refining models, and a subsequent GIS-based modelling phase in which alternative options for reconstructing landscapes are evaluated for their effectiveness in sustaining landscape-scale native biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Increasing sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) recruitment in regional Western Australia through mammal conservation. The highly prized sandalwood is the basis of an industry that employs over 100 people and generates $12 million export income annually in regional WA. Natural recruitment of sandalwood is poor. This project will build on research, conducted by Murdoch University and the Forest Products Commission, that indicates natural recruitment of the tree is greatly enhance in the presence of nat ....Increasing sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) recruitment in regional Western Australia through mammal conservation. The highly prized sandalwood is the basis of an industry that employs over 100 people and generates $12 million export income annually in regional WA. Natural recruitment of sandalwood is poor. This project will build on research, conducted by Murdoch University and the Forest Products Commission, that indicates natural recruitment of the tree is greatly enhance in the presence of native rat-kangaroos who cache the seeds. This project will train an APA(I) postgraduate through an industry based project that will evaluate increased recruitment of sandalwood by native mammal caching. Many of these mammals are Conservation Dependent or Threatened with extinction.Read moreRead less
Population genetic structure and habitat specialisation in amphibians. This will be the first study to uncover the initial stages of ecological speciation in a fully natural setting, which will solidify Australia's leading position in evolutionary biology. The project promotes active international collaboration and bolsters the vibrant intellectual community here at home. Many Australian undergraduate and PhD students will participate in cutting-edge science and develop connections with overseas ....Population genetic structure and habitat specialisation in amphibians. This will be the first study to uncover the initial stages of ecological speciation in a fully natural setting, which will solidify Australia's leading position in evolutionary biology. The project promotes active international collaboration and bolsters the vibrant intellectual community here at home. Many Australian undergraduate and PhD students will participate in cutting-edge science and develop connections with overseas colleagues, helping Australia maintain its prominent international reputation in the future. The work also advances knowledge and appreciation of the natural world - a more urgent objective now than ever before. Ecological information is especially critical for amphibians, many of which are declining in Australia.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
Towards sustainable floodplain communities: Assessing River Red Gum health. Floodplain vegetation in Australia has suffered severe degradation from river regulation but there is limited understanding of the functioning, responses and requirements of the ecosystem's most critical species, the River Red Gum. We will address three knowledge gaps needed for effective management of floodplain river red gums by assessing current and past health, determining stressors affecting health and by building ....Towards sustainable floodplain communities: Assessing River Red Gum health. Floodplain vegetation in Australia has suffered severe degradation from river regulation but there is limited understanding of the functioning, responses and requirements of the ecosystem's most critical species, the River Red Gum. We will address three knowledge gaps needed for effective management of floodplain river red gums by assessing current and past health, determining stressors affecting health and by building a model for predicting future health based on projected trends. Outcomes from this study will help land managers to prioritise environmental flow allocations based on the requirements for sustaining future river red gum populations.Read moreRead less
Climate change and phenotypic divergence at a landscape scale. Birds provide key ecosystem functions like pollination, insect control, and seed dispersal in Australia. Climate change is well documented and has a pronounced effect on birds, commonly leading to range shifts. This study will quantify patterns of gene flow at a landscape scale in declining and common birds in Australia and abroad. The project builds on strong international links to the Galapagos Islands as well as a regional focus f ....Climate change and phenotypic divergence at a landscape scale. Birds provide key ecosystem functions like pollination, insect control, and seed dispersal in Australia. Climate change is well documented and has a pronounced effect on birds, commonly leading to range shifts. This study will quantify patterns of gene flow at a landscape scale in declining and common birds in Australia and abroad. The project builds on strong international links to the Galapagos Islands as well as a regional focus for South Australia. The linkage organisations are committed to implementing management outcomes for native flora and fauna, which need to be underpinned with quality baseline data. The outcomes will also inform climate modelling for the State and Australia. Read moreRead less
Are frogs in fragmented lowland rainforest especially susceptible to both disease and climate change? On a world scale, amphibian declines have been especially severe in Australia. Major causes of amphibian declines here are disease and habitat destruction. Our project will significantly advance our knowledge of frogs in coastal lowland rainforest. These frogs are a key to understanding the evolution of disease resistance to the amphibian disease fungus, and they are also likely to experience ....Are frogs in fragmented lowland rainforest especially susceptible to both disease and climate change? On a world scale, amphibian declines have been especially severe in Australia. Major causes of amphibian declines here are disease and habitat destruction. Our project will significantly advance our knowledge of frogs in coastal lowland rainforest. These frogs are a key to understanding the evolution of disease resistance to the amphibian disease fungus, and they are also likely to experience severe impacts from climate change. Thus, studies in this region will allow us to better understand the mechanisms responsible for frog declines in Australia. Also, this project will be useful to industries constructing infrastructure in rainforest, allowing an assessment of the impacts of works on already stressed frog populations. Read moreRead less
Population genetics and dynamics of orchids and their pollinators in fragmented landscapes of South Australia. Many species of orchids in fragmented landscapes need active management to secure their persistence. The effects of fragmentation can be direct (e.g. reduction in population sizes, environmental quality, increased inbreeding, reduced dispersal ability), or indirect through negative effects on pollinators. Little information exists on the complex interactions between effects of fragmenta ....Population genetics and dynamics of orchids and their pollinators in fragmented landscapes of South Australia. Many species of orchids in fragmented landscapes need active management to secure their persistence. The effects of fragmentation can be direct (e.g. reduction in population sizes, environmental quality, increased inbreeding, reduced dispersal ability), or indirect through negative effects on pollinators. Little information exists on the complex interactions between effects of fragmentation on plants and their pollinators. This project aims to understand how fragmentation affects the genetic diversity and demography of selected populations of orchids and their pollinators in the Mt.Lofty/Flerieu Peninsula area. This information will help to develop and implement more effective conservation plans.Read moreRead less
Assessing long term change in rangeland health and building models for change, using historical photos and monitoring data. Long-term photo sites and vegetation data will be used to make an assessment of change over the last few decades in the arid pastoral rangelands of Western Australia.
The aims are to: make a judgement about whether the changes have been positive or negative (for particular value systems); make a case for causality; explore links between vegetation data and soil surface, ....Assessing long term change in rangeland health and building models for change, using historical photos and monitoring data. Long-term photo sites and vegetation data will be used to make an assessment of change over the last few decades in the arid pastoral rangelands of Western Australia.
The aims are to: make a judgement about whether the changes have been positive or negative (for particular value systems); make a case for causality; explore links between vegetation data and soil surface, biodiversity and remotely-sensed data; and contribute to the building of models of expected change.
Outcomes will include the meeting of national and international conventions and strategies, and an increased ability of the pastoral industry to access international markets.
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