Plastic pollution: new driver altering responses to variable environments. This project aims to determine how bisphenol A (BPA), which now represents a novel environmental driver, alters physiological responses of animals, and how it interacts with other environmental variables to alter ecological and evolutionary trajectories. Plastic pollution is a monumental global environmental and health problem, and Australia has one of the world’s highest exposures to BPA, a plastics leachate. This projec ....Plastic pollution: new driver altering responses to variable environments. This project aims to determine how bisphenol A (BPA), which now represents a novel environmental driver, alters physiological responses of animals, and how it interacts with other environmental variables to alter ecological and evolutionary trajectories. Plastic pollution is a monumental global environmental and health problem, and Australia has one of the world’s highest exposures to BPA, a plastics leachate. This project will use a new zebrafish gene knock-out model to show whether the effects of BPA are transferred between generations, and will establish an international collaboration, thereby increasing Australia's research capacity. Outcomes from the project are expected to benefit environmental management.Read moreRead less
Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotope ....Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotopes and aboriginal land management. The project will provide a late Quaternary environmental reconstruction along a transect from the coastal regions in South Australia into the Lake Eyre Basin and explore the methodological limitations at sites with long fossil records.Read moreRead less
The impact of noise and vibration from road traffic on the community composition and acoustic communication of birds and frogs. Roads cover a significant and increasing proportion of the Australian landscape, but their ecological impact is poorly understood. Traffic noise from busy roads can disturb animals over long distances, and may interfere with acoustic communication. In addition, ground vibration caused by passing traffic may disturb sensitive terrestrial animals. This project aims to ass ....The impact of noise and vibration from road traffic on the community composition and acoustic communication of birds and frogs. Roads cover a significant and increasing proportion of the Australian landscape, but their ecological impact is poorly understood. Traffic noise from busy roads can disturb animals over long distances, and may interfere with acoustic communication. In addition, ground vibration caused by passing traffic may disturb sensitive terrestrial animals. This project aims to assess the impact of traffic noise and vibration on communities of birds and frogs. Results of this research will provide vital information on the effects of roads on vulnerable wildlife, and the potential benefits to conservation of noise mitigation measures such as construction of tunnels and sound barriers.Read moreRead less
Manipulating foraging by mammalian herbivores with plant odours. This project aims to reveal how mammalian herbivores exploit leaf odour to detect plants while foraging. Insects track plant odour to find host plants, yet how mammalian herbivores use olfaction to forage and how this can be harnessed is unknown. This project will provide new perspectives on foraging ecology, and will pioneer novel ways to help protect plants using chemical camouflage, and to help protect animals from road collisio ....Manipulating foraging by mammalian herbivores with plant odours. This project aims to reveal how mammalian herbivores exploit leaf odour to detect plants while foraging. Insects track plant odour to find host plants, yet how mammalian herbivores use olfaction to forage and how this can be harnessed is unknown. This project will provide new perspectives on foraging ecology, and will pioneer novel ways to help protect plants using chemical camouflage, and to help protect animals from road collisions by attracting them to safety.Read moreRead less
Dynamic networks in a patchy landscape: will species interactions adjust to increased climatic extremes? This project addresses pressing questions on how increased climatic extremes will affect species diversity in arid Australia, building on the longest ecological dataset available for the continent's vast but fragile inland landscapes. Our tests of key ideas about strong interactions among species, their role in building resilient communities and conserving biodiversity, will generate consider ....Dynamic networks in a patchy landscape: will species interactions adjust to increased climatic extremes? This project addresses pressing questions on how increased climatic extremes will affect species diversity in arid Australia, building on the longest ecological dataset available for the continent's vast but fragile inland landscapes. Our tests of key ideas about strong interactions among species, their role in building resilient communities and conserving biodiversity, will generate considerable international interest, while our focus on interactions of species at water sources will address knowledge gaps to inform best practice in managing converted pastoral lands. The results will contribute to retaining healthy functioning ecosystems, and the vital production systems they support, as the global climate changes.Read moreRead less
Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on ....Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on biological communities. The project expects to improve understanding of how behaviour and social interactions influence ecological outcomes, improving conservation and management.Read moreRead less
Temperature-dependent toxicity of plant secondary compounds to mammalian herbivores. Changes in the toxicity of plant secondary compounds is an unexplored consequence of rises in ambient temperatures. Evidence from agricultural and laboratory studies suggests that temperature dependent toxicity can have major effects on the intake and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites by mammals. These effects are mediated by a decrease in liver metabolism and by the effects of plant secondary metabolite ....Temperature-dependent toxicity of plant secondary compounds to mammalian herbivores. Changes in the toxicity of plant secondary compounds is an unexplored consequence of rises in ambient temperatures. Evidence from agricultural and laboratory studies suggests that temperature dependent toxicity can have major effects on the intake and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites by mammals. These effects are mediated by a decrease in liver metabolism and by the effects of plant secondary metabolites on mitochondrial function which leads to greater heat production. The project will quantify the importance of temperature dependent toxicity and measures the changes in the cost of detoxification to better model the effects of climate change on marsupial herbivores.Read moreRead less
Keystone effects of Australia's top predators: dingoes, devils and biodiversity. This project will study the interactions of Australia's two largest predators, the dingo and Tasmanian devil, with other species. The project will help develop an understanding of the value of these predators in maintaining ecosystem processes and diversity, and guide their management in the future.
Plant-herbivore interactions: a model two-species system from northern Australia. The proposed research addresses a critical aspect of magpie goose ecology. Understanding the interaction between the birds and the bulbs is critical to respond effectively to past and threatened losses of important sedge habitats to sea level rise. This knowledge will inform management of the Kakadu World Heritage Site and an iconic waterfowl of great cultural and economic significance. In addition to their importa ....Plant-herbivore interactions: a model two-species system from northern Australia. The proposed research addresses a critical aspect of magpie goose ecology. Understanding the interaction between the birds and the bulbs is critical to respond effectively to past and threatened losses of important sedge habitats to sea level rise. This knowledge will inform management of the Kakadu World Heritage Site and an iconic waterfowl of great cultural and economic significance. In addition to their importance as a Gondwanan relic and sole member of the Family Anseranatidae, the species is an important food-source for Aboriginal people, and tourists travel to the Kakadu wetlands to witness huge dry season congregations.Read moreRead less
The pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be ab ....The pharmacokinetics of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on feeding in the brushtail possum. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are considered to protect against herbivory, although the mechanisms are not well understood. This project will determine how marsupial folivores avoid toxicity when browsing on Eucalyptus leaf. Blood levels of terpenes, phenols and their metabolites will be measured in the brushtail possum while it feeds on a diet of varying PSM content. We expect to be able to show relationships between the ingestion and blood levels of PSMs and feeding behaviour. This will give a greater understanding of the effect of plant toxins on browsing behaviour, enabling improved foraging models and more effective habitat management.Read moreRead less