Influence of energy intake on reproduction. Understanding reproduction is fundamentally important to ecology and conservation. Despite intensive research, the processes that regulate energy acquisition and allocation for reproduction are still unclear for most animal species. Many of the obstacles to progress in this field of research are logistical, reflecting the complexity and temporal overlap of significant components of energy allocation pathways. Our proposed study avoids many of these l ....Influence of energy intake on reproduction. Understanding reproduction is fundamentally important to ecology and conservation. Despite intensive research, the processes that regulate energy acquisition and allocation for reproduction are still unclear for most animal species. Many of the obstacles to progress in this field of research are logistical, reflecting the complexity and temporal overlap of significant components of energy allocation pathways. Our proposed study avoids many of these logistical difficulties by focusing on animals (snakes) that display clear temporal partitioning between successive segments of the reproductive cascade (i.e., vitellogenesis, ovulation, embryogenesis); and by adopting a simple but novel method (based on stable isotope analysis) to tease apart the relationship between energy acquisition and energy expenditure in different phases of the animal's life-history.Read moreRead less
The evolutionary effect of the domestication process in a model organism. A significant proportion of research in the field of evolutionary biology, focuses on captive populations of laboratory-bred animals. Little is known about the impact of the domestication process on these species, raising questions about the relevance of such studies. The Australian zebra finch is the avian model species of choice in evolutionary biology laboratories in Europe and the USA and the focus of many high profile ....The evolutionary effect of the domestication process in a model organism. A significant proportion of research in the field of evolutionary biology, focuses on captive populations of laboratory-bred animals. Little is known about the impact of the domestication process on these species, raising questions about the relevance of such studies. The Australian zebra finch is the avian model species of choice in evolutionary biology laboratories in Europe and the USA and the focus of many high profile publications. Our investigation into the affect of domestication on the evolutionary biology of this key model species will have a high international impact, raising the profile of Australian research, in addition to providing fundamental knowledge across several areas of reproductive biology.Read moreRead less
Comparative studies of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity globally. This proposal is to strengthen collaborative links between the Plant Invasion Research Laboratories of Leishman in Australia and Richardson in South Africa. Their current research seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Australian plants invasive in South A ....Comparative studies of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity globally. This proposal is to strengthen collaborative links between the Plant Invasion Research Laboratories of Leishman in Australia and Richardson in South Africa. Their current research seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Australian plants invasive in South Africa and South African plants invasive in Australia provide an ideal model system. This collaborative research will enable better prediction of potential invaders, as well as providing important input for models of plant, ecosystem and biosphere responses to global change incorporating invasion dynamics.Read moreRead less
Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and ....Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and the USA. Ecological generalities obtained can be used to support policy development that ensures sustainable management of estuaries. This work will also facilitate training of early career researchers and focus research efforts of leading US researchers towards issues crucial for Australian estuarine management.Read moreRead less
Understanding fungal diversity and functioning in forest soils using molecular and stable isotope approaches. The project aims to investigate fungal community structure and functioning in forest soils using novel molecular, stable isotope and physiological approaches. This will provide new insights into the linkage between diversity and functioning in forest soil fungal communities and the importance of these organisms in ecosystem processes. In addition, this pioneering research will facilitate ....Understanding fungal diversity and functioning in forest soils using molecular and stable isotope approaches. The project aims to investigate fungal community structure and functioning in forest soils using novel molecular, stable isotope and physiological approaches. This will provide new insights into the linkage between diversity and functioning in forest soil fungal communities and the importance of these organisms in ecosystem processes. In addition, this pioneering research will facilitate development and refinement of methodologies that will pave the way for future investigations of fungal ecology. The on-going collaboration will produce high quality joint publications and provide significant opportunities for early career researchers to gain international experience in a dynamic research environment.Read moreRead less
Long-term natural ecological consequences of disturbance on coral reefs: the benthic foraminifera perspective. The tropical coastline of Australia encompasses world-renowned coral reefs (Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Marine Park). Even these reefs are not pristine and are increasingly susceptible to disturbance from human impact. The long-term ecological effects of disturbance on reef communities cannot be experimentally determined; but natural experiments from the fossil record provide mech ....Long-term natural ecological consequences of disturbance on coral reefs: the benthic foraminifera perspective. The tropical coastline of Australia encompasses world-renowned coral reefs (Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Marine Park). Even these reefs are not pristine and are increasingly susceptible to disturbance from human impact. The long-term ecological effects of disturbance on reef communities cannot be experimentally determined; but natural experiments from the fossil record provide mechanisms to ensure that managers of Australia's reefs have critical information on how past disturbance frequency and intensity has affected coral reef communities. This information will help ensure the continuation of ecosystem goods and services from Australia's high diversity coral reefs.Read moreRead less
Ecological patterns in deep-sea macro- and microbiotic communities on Vailulu'u Seamount and Ta'u Island, American Samoa. Volcanoes are viewed as large mountains that occasionally spurt smoke and debris into the air. But terrestrial volcanoes are but a small fraction of the volcanos on our planet, most simmer unobserved underneath the sea. The interdependence of biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere at volcanoes is amongst the most exciting and important research topics that help us understand ....Ecological patterns in deep-sea macro- and microbiotic communities on Vailulu'u Seamount and Ta'u Island, American Samoa. Volcanoes are viewed as large mountains that occasionally spurt smoke and debris into the air. But terrestrial volcanoes are but a small fraction of the volcanos on our planet, most simmer unobserved underneath the sea. The interdependence of biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere at volcanoes is amongst the most exciting and important research topics that help us understand how our planet has evolved and works through time. This project will used manned submersibles and remotely operated vehicles to conduct experiments at a submarine volcano that will help us understand how complex biological systems can form under such extreme conditions.Read moreRead less
From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less
Global implications of Australian Cretaceous faunas: biogeography, evolution and effects of climate change. Climate change is a critical issue with poorly known long-term effects. This collaboration will provide information on how marine and terrestrial faunas have responded to environmental alteration in the past. Mesozoic vertebrates make spectacular fossils that capture public attention. This collaboration will enhance public museum displays by collection and preparation of important new spec ....Global implications of Australian Cretaceous faunas: biogeography, evolution and effects of climate change. Climate change is a critical issue with poorly known long-term effects. This collaboration will provide information on how marine and terrestrial faunas have responded to environmental alteration in the past. Mesozoic vertebrates make spectacular fossils that capture public attention. This collaboration will enhance public museum displays by collection and preparation of important new specimens; many found by the investigators are already centerpieces in major museums (e.g. SA Museum). This project will also promote awareness and sustainable use of the environment through media promotion and 'earthwatch-style' ecotourism field trips; these highlight finite fossil resources as lucrative sources of tourism revenue to regional communities. Read moreRead less
Future climate change: consequences for decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through rhizosphere fungal communities. The proposed collaboration will provide novel insights into likely consequences of global climate change on decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through forest soils. This will refine predictive models of future climate change and its impacts on the sustainability of Australia's forests. It will also enhance the protection of our valued habitats and their important soil ....Future climate change: consequences for decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through rhizosphere fungal communities. The proposed collaboration will provide novel insights into likely consequences of global climate change on decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through forest soils. This will refine predictive models of future climate change and its impacts on the sustainability of Australia's forests. It will also enhance the protection of our valued habitats and their important soil biodiversity. The knowledge gained will help land managers to adapt current practices to meet the demands of future climate change. This will maximize the opportunities for sequestering carbon in Australia's forests and so contribute to meeting Australia's global responsibility for mitigation of climate change.Read moreRead less