Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101226
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Plant community responses to fire regime: the role of plant–soil feedbacks. We need to know how different prescribed burning regimes set the stage for long-term changes in plant community composition, diversity, and flammability. This project aims to reveal how plant community dynamics under different fire scenarios can be predicted based on contemporary interactions between plants and soil micro-organisms. This innovative approach to fire ecology integrates soil biology and plant ecophysiology ....Plant community responses to fire regime: the role of plant–soil feedbacks. We need to know how different prescribed burning regimes set the stage for long-term changes in plant community composition, diversity, and flammability. This project aims to reveal how plant community dynamics under different fire scenarios can be predicted based on contemporary interactions between plants and soil micro-organisms. This innovative approach to fire ecology integrates soil biology and plant ecophysiology with sophisticated experiments and novel modelling techniques. Expected outcomes include a much-needed mechanistic framework for early detection of major ecological changes under novel fire regimes, with direct benefits for land managers and the long-term conservation of Australia’s iconic vegetation.Read moreRead less
Improving desert fire management with culturally directed science. This project aims to improve fire management in Australian deserts. Working with 4 Indigenous ranger teams managing >150,000 km2 of the Great Sandy Desert, the project expects to document fire patterns caused by pre-European, traditional burning practices over large environmental gradients; compare these with contemporary fire patterns; and undertake extensive fieldwork to understand how fire affects native fauna, including cultu ....Improving desert fire management with culturally directed science. This project aims to improve fire management in Australian deserts. Working with 4 Indigenous ranger teams managing >150,000 km2 of the Great Sandy Desert, the project expects to document fire patterns caused by pre-European, traditional burning practices over large environmental gradients; compare these with contemporary fire patterns; and undertake extensive fieldwork to understand how fire affects native fauna, including culturally significant species. This information will shape a template for fire management planning and evaluation that is culturally meaningful to local managers. The project should support Indigenous rangers to access sustainable funding pathways for conservation management through emerging biodiversity markets.Read moreRead less
Movement ecology of granivores: informing fire management of savannas. This project aims to examine the decline in granivorous finches across north Australia and test the hypothesis that an increasingly nomadic lifestyle, associated with tracking grass seed availability over larger spatial scales, is the cause. The project also aims to evaluate how fire affects rangeland functioning, particularly grass diversity, to improve fire management of tropical savannas in northern Australia. This project ....Movement ecology of granivores: informing fire management of savannas. This project aims to examine the decline in granivorous finches across north Australia and test the hypothesis that an increasingly nomadic lifestyle, associated with tracking grass seed availability over larger spatial scales, is the cause. The project also aims to evaluate how fire affects rangeland functioning, particularly grass diversity, to improve fire management of tropical savannas in northern Australia. This project will provide new tools and technologies that will monitor mobile small vertebrates. Expected outcomes will improve the understanding of tropical savanna functioning and fire management. The research aligns with ‘savanna burning’ methodologies and carbon sequestration goals in north Australia.
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Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH220100002
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,999,700.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Fire Resilience Infrastructure, Assets and Safety Advancements (FRIASA) in Urban, Resources, Energy and Renewables Sectors . This Hub aims to develop, manufacture and deploy next generation technologies and solutions that will protect Australia’s critical infrastructure and assets against major natural and man-made fires. The Hub expects to position Australia as a powerhouse of fire readiness by developing end-to-end integrated systems of advanced engineering and digital te ....ARC Research Hub for Fire Resilience Infrastructure, Assets and Safety Advancements (FRIASA) in Urban, Resources, Energy and Renewables Sectors . This Hub aims to develop, manufacture and deploy next generation technologies and solutions that will protect Australia’s critical infrastructure and assets against major natural and man-made fires. The Hub expects to position Australia as a powerhouse of fire readiness by developing end-to-end integrated systems of advanced engineering and digital technologies which will allow industry to improve fire safety training and operations with significant benefits. Expected outcomes include advanced manufacturing capacity for fire resilience and sustainable products, strategic partnerships and commercialisation pathways and opportunities by translating R&D into economic benefits such as jobs and new exports for local and international markets.Read moreRead less
The role of bush fires in the formation and fate of dioxin like chemicals in Australia. A global (POPs) treaty signed by more than 100 nations targets the reduction and elimination of dioxins, which are persistent, bioaccumlative and highly toxic to humans. Bushfires have been suggested as the major source of dioxins in Australia. Experimental data indicate bushfires may not represent the actual sources of dioxin. Our aim is to experimentally establish the levels of dioxins formed and re-emi ....The role of bush fires in the formation and fate of dioxin like chemicals in Australia. A global (POPs) treaty signed by more than 100 nations targets the reduction and elimination of dioxins, which are persistent, bioaccumlative and highly toxic to humans. Bushfires have been suggested as the major source of dioxins in Australia. Experimental data indicate bushfires may not represent the actual sources of dioxin. Our aim is to experimentally establish the levels of dioxins formed and re-emitted from bushfires in Australia. The results will assist to make informed decisions that lead to effective action for reducing dioxin contamination in Australia, fulfilling the treaty requirements and protecting the population and environment.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100373
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,320.00
Summary
The role of resource fluctuations in structuring microbial communities. The flow of nutrients through ecological systems fluctuates through time and yet the impact this variability has on the maintenance of biodiversity is poorly understood. Drawing on emerging theory and a tight integration of modelling and experiments in a model microbial system, this project aims to investigate the impact of modified nutrient regimes on the structure and stability of ecological communities. This project expec ....The role of resource fluctuations in structuring microbial communities. The flow of nutrients through ecological systems fluctuates through time and yet the impact this variability has on the maintenance of biodiversity is poorly understood. Drawing on emerging theory and a tight integration of modelling and experiments in a model microbial system, this project aims to investigate the impact of modified nutrient regimes on the structure and stability of ecological communities. This project expects to generate new knowledge at the forefront of research into diversity maintenance, ecosystem functioning and higher-order interactions. The outcomes should provide a deep mechanistic understanding of microbial community dynamics, with applications from animal health to environmental flows and insect pest management.Read moreRead less
Life history constraints on sexual selection: an investigation using territoriality in butterflies. Contemporary studies into the evolution of male contest behaviour largely ignore the influence of life history. However, contest behaviour should be influenced by life history because the costs of fighting (injury or death) are extracted in a life history currency. Here I aim to measure reproductive value in a territorial butterfly, and to isolate the effects of this parameter, physiological condi ....Life history constraints on sexual selection: an investigation using territoriality in butterflies. Contemporary studies into the evolution of male contest behaviour largely ignore the influence of life history. However, contest behaviour should be influenced by life history because the costs of fighting (injury or death) are extracted in a life history currency. Here I aim to measure reproductive value in a territorial butterfly, and to isolate the effects of this parameter, physiological condition and fighting experience upon male aggression. I propose an innovative experimental approach to unraveling the effects of these covarying life history influences which promises exciting and highly original insights into the evolution of contest behaviour.Read moreRead less
The role of plant chemical defences in the population ecology of mammal herbivores. Plants defend themselves against herbivores by producing toxic compounds in their leaves. Many studies show that such compounds influence diet selection by mammal herbivores, but we understand much less about their effects on populations of such species. This project will investigate how concentrations of leaf toxins in eucalypts affect reproductive success, distribution and abundance of the marsupials that feed ....The role of plant chemical defences in the population ecology of mammal herbivores. Plants defend themselves against herbivores by producing toxic compounds in their leaves. Many studies show that such compounds influence diet selection by mammal herbivores, but we understand much less about their effects on populations of such species. This project will investigate how concentrations of leaf toxins in eucalypts affect reproductive success, distribution and abundance of the marsupials that feed on them. The knowledge gained by this study will be important in modelling populations of these marsupial species and predicting their responses to environmental change.Read moreRead less
The costs and consequences of resistance to stress in microbial systems. The coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive bacteria in microbial communities represents a paradox. Combining novel ecological models and competition experiments, this project aims to investigate how the pulsing of antibiotics and resources affects the coexistence of resistant and sensitive bacteria. This project expects to generate new knowledge into how the complex non-equilibrium dynamics of natural systems fee ....The costs and consequences of resistance to stress in microbial systems. The coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive bacteria in microbial communities represents a paradox. Combining novel ecological models and competition experiments, this project aims to investigate how the pulsing of antibiotics and resources affects the coexistence of resistant and sensitive bacteria. This project expects to generate new knowledge into how the complex non-equilibrium dynamics of natural systems feeds back to regulate the spread of antibiotic resistance in microbial communities. This should advance our fundamental understanding of microbial competition, and provide a foundation for the development of new ecologically-aware strategies for managing resistance.Read moreRead less
Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain tim ....Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain times is critical for sustaining the Australian crocodile population, whilst ensuring public safety. This long term study will utilise the latest advancement in underwater acoustic technology to monitor the behavioural and physiological strategies used by estuarine crocodiles in occupying critical habitats, providing vital information for resource managers and policy makers. Read moreRead less