Ecosystem level impacts of climate change on a temperate grassland. The sustainable use of temperate native pastures is important economically because of grazing and for biodiversity since they are home to many threatened plants. Native pasture sustainability depends on maintaining species diversity and vegetation productivity, both of which have been shown to change in response to climate change. The aims of this project are to elucidate what impact these changes have on the ecosystem propertie ....Ecosystem level impacts of climate change on a temperate grassland. The sustainable use of temperate native pastures is important economically because of grazing and for biodiversity since they are home to many threatened plants. Native pasture sustainability depends on maintaining species diversity and vegetation productivity, both of which have been shown to change in response to climate change. The aims of this project are to elucidate what impact these changes have on the ecosystem properties of a native pasture. This is important, as it will allow likely problems caused by global climate change to be predicted by increasing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms as well as improving the management of grasslands in an environmentally sustainable way. Read moreRead less
Carbon uptake and water use by plants: is there pre-stomatal control? Society relies on mathematical descriptions of climate change, weather forecasting, crop performance, and other processes in which the control of carbon uptake and water loss by plants forms a basic element. Scientists also use the same element in ascribing sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), describing vegetation, hydrological and ecological processes. A key physiological assumption in this element is now in doubt and ....Carbon uptake and water use by plants: is there pre-stomatal control? Society relies on mathematical descriptions of climate change, weather forecasting, crop performance, and other processes in which the control of carbon uptake and water loss by plants forms a basic element. Scientists also use the same element in ascribing sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), describing vegetation, hydrological and ecological processes. A key physiological assumption in this element is now in doubt and we will test it rigorously and if necessary provide a robust alternative. We will do this by developing a novel 'window' on intact leaf functioning that will reveal the concentration of water vapour and other gases inside leaves.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560734
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Accelerated solvent extractor and evaporator for molecular and stable isotope analyses of sedimentary organic matter. The accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) uses pressurised liquid extraction to obtain the bitumen fraction easily measurable for molecular and isotopic composition of organic sediments in just a few minutes. This compares favourably to traditional extraction procedures, which can take two to three days. Our projects often require the analyses of large numbers of sediment extracts ....Accelerated solvent extractor and evaporator for molecular and stable isotope analyses of sedimentary organic matter. The accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) uses pressurised liquid extraction to obtain the bitumen fraction easily measurable for molecular and isotopic composition of organic sediments in just a few minutes. This compares favourably to traditional extraction procedures, which can take two to three days. Our projects often require the analyses of large numbers of sediment extracts to obtain chemical data at high geological resolution. The ASE/Evaporator will greatly assist these endeavours which aim to improve our understanding of Australian environments (incorporating the effects of natural and human-related processes) and identify source rocks offering good petroleum reserves.Read moreRead less
Enhancing long-term soil organic carbon sequestration. This project addresses National Research Priority One areas, restoration of land surfaces through sustainable land management practices and sequestration of carbon. The resulting data will be transferable to domestic and international sustainable agricultural and land rehabilitation applications. The project specifically addresses an area of global significance, the long-term, millennia rather than short-term sequestration of terrestrial car ....Enhancing long-term soil organic carbon sequestration. This project addresses National Research Priority One areas, restoration of land surfaces through sustainable land management practices and sequestration of carbon. The resulting data will be transferable to domestic and international sustainable agricultural and land rehabilitation applications. The project specifically addresses an area of global significance, the long-term, millennia rather than short-term sequestration of terrestrial carbon. There will be spin-off benefits including the provision of a formula for sustainable agriculture resources and localised employment opportunities, educational and financial incentives for farmers to improve on-farm soil health as well as health benefits from the reduction of atmospheric CO2.Read moreRead less
Devising a methodology for the digital soil map of the world. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. The output will enable the use of soil data and information to give a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in, the nation's land, vegetation and water resources and implications for their sustainable use. This global good will be used by district agricultural extension workers, and policy decision makers in developing countri ....Devising a methodology for the digital soil map of the world. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. The output will enable the use of soil data and information to give a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in, the nation's land, vegetation and water resources and implications for their sustainable use. This global good will be used by district agricultural extension workers, and policy decision makers in developing countries to assist in improved crop production and sustainable land management. Read moreRead less
Active-passive microwave soil moisture remote sensing: Towards sustainable land and water management from space. Soil moisture is a highly critical resource for the Australian agricultural economy which is stressed by climate change. Daily monitoring of paddock scale soil moisture from space represents a powerful tool to inform land management, allowing accurate crop yield and pasture growth predictions. At the continental scale, soil moisture information will result in better weather, climate a ....Active-passive microwave soil moisture remote sensing: Towards sustainable land and water management from space. Soil moisture is a highly critical resource for the Australian agricultural economy which is stressed by climate change. Daily monitoring of paddock scale soil moisture from space represents a powerful tool to inform land management, allowing accurate crop yield and pasture growth predictions. At the continental scale, soil moisture information will result in better weather, climate and extreme flood prediction skill and the ability to assess the effects of future climate change on Australia. It is therefore imperative that active-passive soil moisture retrieval algorithms be developed specifically for the Australian environment in order to take full advantage of the SMAP remote sensing mission when it is launched in 2012.Read moreRead less
High resolution mapping of surface and root zone soil moisture. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal variation of surface and root zone soil moisture content at high spatial resolution is critical to achieving more efficient water utilisation practices in agriculture. Australia's main river basins are under mounting pressure to satisfy a wide range of competing economic, social and environmental needs for water, particularly in terms of environmental flows and efficient irrigation. A better u ....High resolution mapping of surface and root zone soil moisture. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal variation of surface and root zone soil moisture content at high spatial resolution is critical to achieving more efficient water utilisation practices in agriculture. Australia's main river basins are under mounting pressure to satisfy a wide range of competing economic, social and environmental needs for water, particularly in terms of environmental flows and efficient irrigation. A better understanding of the soil moisture distribution at sub-farm scales will allow farmers to better utilise both the moisture in their soil and their limited allocation for irrigation. This will help alleviate soil moisture related problems in some of the nation's key catchments, such as the Murray Darling Basin.Read moreRead less
Saltland pastures in Southern Australia - opportunities for carbon sequestration and salinity management. Expanding areas of dryland salinity now seem inevitable in southern Australia. There is good evidence that productive saltland pastures can be developed on these areas, and there are opportunities to use these pastures for gaining carbon credits. The present study will account for the effects of saltland pasture establishment and management on carbon sequestration and for greenhouse gas emis ....Saltland pastures in Southern Australia - opportunities for carbon sequestration and salinity management. Expanding areas of dryland salinity now seem inevitable in southern Australia. There is good evidence that productive saltland pastures can be developed on these areas, and there are opportunities to use these pastures for gaining carbon credits. The present study will account for the effects of saltland pasture establishment and management on carbon sequestration and for greenhouse gas emissions from their saline, waterlogged soils. Budgets of carbon sequestration on saltland pastures will be critical evidence for Article 3.4 negotiations under the Kyoto Agreement. Scaled-up estimates of the carbon sequestered will account for site factors, composition of pastures and grazing.Read moreRead less