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
Establishing an ecological basis for stocking density of Australian bass in freshwaters: Experimental field tests of a general numerical model. Large numbers of the Australian public go fishing, particularly in rivers and impoundments. Angling in these waterways provides a strong source of income for rural and regional communities. The stocking of native fish to support inland angling also sustains much of the aquaculture industry in western NSW and Queensland. This study will develop an optimal ....Establishing an ecological basis for stocking density of Australian bass in freshwaters: Experimental field tests of a general numerical model. Large numbers of the Australian public go fishing, particularly in rivers and impoundments. Angling in these waterways provides a strong source of income for rural and regional communities. The stocking of native fish to support inland angling also sustains much of the aquaculture industry in western NSW and Queensland. This study will develop an optimal approach to stocking Australian bass which is relevant for other stocked freshwater species, and will allow stocking to be undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner. This will both enhance the outcome of investment of public funds in stocking, and enhance the recreational fishing experience that is so important to rural regional communities.Read moreRead less
Role of vegetation patchiness and self organisation in the ecohydrologic response of water limited ecosystems to climate variability and change. The semi-arid Australian rangelands are some of the most sensitive regions to degradation and climate change, particularly with respect to hydrology and ecology. Our predictive ability in these environments is quite poor, however, climatic change (particularly changes in rainfall regimes) are expected to intensify vegetation patterning, intensify erosi ....Role of vegetation patchiness and self organisation in the ecohydrologic response of water limited ecosystems to climate variability and change. The semi-arid Australian rangelands are some of the most sensitive regions to degradation and climate change, particularly with respect to hydrology and ecology. Our predictive ability in these environments is quite poor, however, climatic change (particularly changes in rainfall regimes) are expected to intensify vegetation patterning, intensify erosion and reduce runoff. This project will develop a modelling framework to better understand the impact of these natural (climate variability and change) and anthropogenic (grazing, deforestation) disturbances on runoff and erosion in these regions.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560920
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$129,800.00
Summary
Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in ....Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in the development of new algorithms, indices and techniques of vegetation discrimination from remotely sensed imagery. It will help in the understanding of reflectance in plants under stress or pest damage. The spectroradiometer will enable the group to expand applications in the field of urban fire hazard mapping, precision agriculture, crop physiology, species mapping, viticulture and canopy modelling.Read moreRead less
Setting rehabilitation targets for regulated floodplain wetlands: linking system structure and function. Limited understanding of ecosystem processes in floodplain wetlands impedes adaptive management strategies for combating the decline in aquatic productivity and biodiversity. This project addresses three knowledge gaps critical for effective floodplain wetland management: 1) hierarchical spatial and temporal patterns of structural diversity; 2) correspondence between patterns of structural d ....Setting rehabilitation targets for regulated floodplain wetlands: linking system structure and function. Limited understanding of ecosystem processes in floodplain wetlands impedes adaptive management strategies for combating the decline in aquatic productivity and biodiversity. This project addresses three knowledge gaps critical for effective floodplain wetland management: 1) hierarchical spatial and temporal patterns of structural diversity; 2) correspondence between patterns of structural diversity, rates of system production, and food web structure, and 3) conceptual models of relationships between hydrologic regime and wetland structure and function. The project will improve understanding of the impacts of regulation on floodplain wetlands, contribute to adaptive management, and set rehabilitation targets for delivery of environmental flows for ecosystem sustainability.Read moreRead less
An innovative approach to maximising catchment water yield in a changing climate. Australia is facing a crisis in water availability and management within many of the continent's major cities and the Murray-Darling and Sydney Basins. Risk to water resources will also be exacerbated by climate change. Past solutions of increasing water supply by building dams are no longer easily implemented because of the significant environmental consequences. To maximise yield, better management of current res ....An innovative approach to maximising catchment water yield in a changing climate. Australia is facing a crisis in water availability and management within many of the continent's major cities and the Murray-Darling and Sydney Basins. Risk to water resources will also be exacerbated by climate change. Past solutions of increasing water supply by building dams are no longer easily implemented because of the significant environmental consequences. To maximise yield, better management of current resources is required, dependent on understanding what factors affect water yield and how they may be better manipulated. This project innovatively integrates ecological and hydrological processes by modelling the expression of water use by vegetation and its management and water availability at fine resolutions.Read moreRead less
River sensitivity to change: An assessment of threshold shifts between River Styles in Coastal NSW. Over 70% of coastal catchments in northern NSW comprise confined or partly-confined valleys in which floodplains are absent or discontinuous. Evolutionary controls on floodplain presence and their sensitivity to disturbance since European settlement will be explained. Increased understanding of the character, behaviour and evolution of these river types will provide a generic framework to assess ....River sensitivity to change: An assessment of threshold shifts between River Styles in Coastal NSW. Over 70% of coastal catchments in northern NSW comprise confined or partly-confined valleys in which floodplains are absent or discontinuous. Evolutionary controls on floodplain presence and their sensitivity to disturbance since European settlement will be explained. Increased understanding of the character, behaviour and evolution of these river types will provide a generic framework to assess river sensitivity to change. The understanding achieved via this project will form the basis upon which to manage these rivers in an environmentally sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Designing landscapes to deliver ecosystem services to agriculture. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by employing a pioneering management framework that identifies situations where agriculture can gain maximum benefit from nature's services. Services like pollination are crucial; approximately 35% of global food production comes from crops pollinated by bees or birds. These services contribute billions of dollars to production. Our model will greatly enh ....Designing landscapes to deliver ecosystem services to agriculture. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by employing a pioneering management framework that identifies situations where agriculture can gain maximum benefit from nature's services. Services like pollination are crucial; approximately 35% of global food production comes from crops pollinated by bees or birds. These services contribute billions of dollars to production. Our model will greatly enhance the flow of services from nature to agriculture by linking land-use options with service availability. This will improve economic returns to local communities and agricultural industries, and promote protection of native species by recognising their contribution to agriculture. Read moreRead less
Full-Waveform Lidar Remote Sensing for Forest Inventory. Australia has the sixth largest forest area in the world, consisting of 164 million hectares covering 21% of the continent. The Australian government has invested in research for management of forests by construction of forest database and detection of forest change. The successful application of full-waveform lidar data for the extraction of plot statistics such as percentile tree counts, stem measurement, canopy cover and leaf area inde ....Full-Waveform Lidar Remote Sensing for Forest Inventory. Australia has the sixth largest forest area in the world, consisting of 164 million hectares covering 21% of the continent. The Australian government has invested in research for management of forests by construction of forest database and detection of forest change. The successful application of full-waveform lidar data for the extraction of plot statistics such as percentile tree counts, stem measurement, canopy cover and leaf area index, will contribute to forest resource management and analysis. Significantly, this research will be of benefit to Forests New South Wales as well as the many industries that require reliable forest resource data, such as land care, national defence, emergency services, and fire fighting authorities.Read moreRead less
Fine-scale responses of freshwater fish to environmental flows in arid-zone rivers and wetlands. The community is demanding that river health be improved to sustainable levels through increased river flows. This will come through the efficient use of available environmental water that supports the ecology of Australia's river systems. This project will substantially inform the operational management of water for native fish populations and other organisms to specific wetlands and will guide the ....Fine-scale responses of freshwater fish to environmental flows in arid-zone rivers and wetlands. The community is demanding that river health be improved to sustainable levels through increased river flows. This will come through the efficient use of available environmental water that supports the ecology of Australia's river systems. This project will substantially inform the operational management of water for native fish populations and other organisms to specific wetlands and will guide the delivery of environmental flows to maintain native fish stocks. The project will help management of declining fish populations and more generally wetlands by improving our understanding of the role of environmental flows.Read moreRead less