Comparative population structure of forest invertebrate species - habitat specific or species specific? Invertebrates that colonize decomposing logs are an important link in the food chain and major players in the recycling of forest debris. In addition, many threatened species occupy this habitat. Despite their undoubted economic and conservation significance, there is very little information on distribution, dispersal and population structure for any of these species. We will use genetic tool ....Comparative population structure of forest invertebrate species - habitat specific or species specific? Invertebrates that colonize decomposing logs are an important link in the food chain and major players in the recycling of forest debris. In addition, many threatened species occupy this habitat. Despite their undoubted economic and conservation significance, there is very little information on distribution, dispersal and population structure for any of these species. We will use genetic tools to investigate these patterns, and to determine whether they are specific to particular species, or the product of the habitat itself. Our results will indicate whether forest management strategies should focus on the preservation of individual species or their habitat.Read moreRead less
Mobility of log-dependent invertebrates in fragmented forest. Clearing of Australian native forests continues apace. This leads to declines in total forest area and creates isolated remnants with depleted woody debris. Critical forest processes driven by invertebrates occur in this debris. Despite its major economic and conservation significance, there is little information on the impacts of habitat loss and alteration on organisms in decomposing logs. We will utilize recent advances in popu ....Mobility of log-dependent invertebrates in fragmented forest. Clearing of Australian native forests continues apace. This leads to declines in total forest area and creates isolated remnants with depleted woody debris. Critical forest processes driven by invertebrates occur in this debris. Despite its major economic and conservation significance, there is little information on the impacts of habitat loss and alteration on organisms in decomposing logs. We will utilize recent advances in population genetics to compare impacts on a suite of log-dependent invertebrates in an islands-of-bush-in-a-sea-of-pines model. This will facilitate improvements in conservation and sustainable management outcomes in forests.Read moreRead less
Our rural wealth: using functional responses of native fauna to predict conservation values of agricultural landscapes. The aim of this project is to develop and test a new approach for assessing the conservation value of agricultural landscapes in Australia. It is based on identifying the functional responses of the fauna to the extent and pattern of native vegetation and types and intensity of agricultural land-uses in whole landscapes. Different response types will be interpreted in relatio ....Our rural wealth: using functional responses of native fauna to predict conservation values of agricultural landscapes. The aim of this project is to develop and test a new approach for assessing the conservation value of agricultural landscapes in Australia. It is based on identifying the functional responses of the fauna to the extent and pattern of native vegetation and types and intensity of agricultural land-uses in whole landscapes. Different response types will be interpreted in relation to ecological characteristics of species. We will use this knowledge to predict the status of birds and mammals in novel landscapes in three bioregions, and test the predictions by field studies. This new landscape-level approach will help land managers assess present agricultural environments as well as evaluate scenarios for future changes in land-use.Read moreRead less
Phylogeography, Conservation Genetics and Stocking Management of Perches and Basses. This project will use DNA data to address fundamental questions about the origin and maintenance of biodiversity in a popular and widely distributed fish group. From a conservation perspective, the project will produce a benchmark about management of fish resources. We will investigate questions related to important conservation issues (including the recovery plan of a nationally threatened species) and the mana ....Phylogeography, Conservation Genetics and Stocking Management of Perches and Basses. This project will use DNA data to address fundamental questions about the origin and maintenance of biodiversity in a popular and widely distributed fish group. From a conservation perspective, the project will produce a benchmark about management of fish resources. We will investigate questions related to important conservation issues (including the recovery plan of a nationally threatened species) and the management of stocking activities in recreational fisheries of coastal and inland waters. The latter is particularly relevant to rural communities since they provide both social and economic benefits to rural people.Read moreRead less
How much habitat and what configuration maintains natural levels of connectivity in southeast Australian native birds? Maintenance of biodiversity is fundamental to ecologically sustainable development. This project will deepen our understanding of the consequences of landscape change for native birds and enhance our national capacity to integrate nature conservation and agricultural production. We will contribute to sustainable use of rural landscapes by providing land managers with greater und ....How much habitat and what configuration maintains natural levels of connectivity in southeast Australian native birds? Maintenance of biodiversity is fundamental to ecologically sustainable development. This project will deepen our understanding of the consequences of landscape change for native birds and enhance our national capacity to integrate nature conservation and agricultural production. We will contribute to sustainable use of rural landscapes by providing land managers with greater understanding of (1) how and why landscape change affects bird species diversity and persistence, (2) which components of the landscape can most effectively be manipulated to enhance population survival, and (3) estimating the long-term effects of habitat fragmentation on the population structure and function of species.Read moreRead less
Quantifying and mitigating the barrier effect of roads on the movement and dispersal of wildlife. In fragmented landscapes, wildlife need to move between habitat patches to exchange genes, increase the size of declining populations and recolonise areas were animals have become extinct. For many species, roads may act as barriers that prevent or limit dispersal, potentially isolating some habitats. In this study, we aim to quantify the extent to which major highways in regional Australia form a ....Quantifying and mitigating the barrier effect of roads on the movement and dispersal of wildlife. In fragmented landscapes, wildlife need to move between habitat patches to exchange genes, increase the size of declining populations and recolonise areas were animals have become extinct. For many species, roads may act as barriers that prevent or limit dispersal, potentially isolating some habitats. In this study, we aim to quantify the extent to which major highways in regional Australia form a barrier to the movement of mammals and invertebrates. We will then test the effectiveness of measures that may facilitate safe crossing by measuring their rate of use, reduction in road kill and increase in population viability. This information can then be used to construct major roads that are more environmentally sustainable.Read moreRead less
Predicting co-extinction risk of invertebrates on endangered plants. Co-extinction occurs when a dependent species goes extinct with the loss of its host species. A recent overseas modelling study suggested losses to global biodiversity through this mechanism may be high, but only when a large number of hosts are extinguished. However, estimates were constrained because there are no datasets with insects sampled from endangered plants. Thus, the accuracy of the estimates remains unknown, particu ....Predicting co-extinction risk of invertebrates on endangered plants. Co-extinction occurs when a dependent species goes extinct with the loss of its host species. A recent overseas modelling study suggested losses to global biodiversity through this mechanism may be high, but only when a large number of hosts are extinguished. However, estimates were constrained because there are no datasets with insects sampled from endangered plants. Thus, the accuracy of the estimates remains unknown, particularly for Australian insects. This project will provide the most accurate estimate to date by sampling endangered plants and identify management strategies for sustaining viable populations of endangered insects, thereby conserving Australia's biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Preserving freshwater biodiversity: predictions to manage the effects of suspended sediment and salinity. Natural resource managers wish to minimise deleterious effects of suspended sediment and salinity on biodiversity but do not have adequate knowledge to do so. Increases in salinity and sediment are recognised as the major threats to freshwater biodiversity in Australian rivers. This research will lead to greatly enhanced information on the relative impacts of rising salinity and sediment on ....Preserving freshwater biodiversity: predictions to manage the effects of suspended sediment and salinity. Natural resource managers wish to minimise deleterious effects of suspended sediment and salinity on biodiversity but do not have adequate knowledge to do so. Increases in salinity and sediment are recognised as the major threats to freshwater biodiversity in Australian rivers. This research will lead to greatly enhanced information on the relative impacts of rising salinity and sediment on freshwater biodiversity and aid predictive modelling and scenario testing; enabling managers to make informed choices between various management actions. The project addresses several national research priority goals and it will result in significant national and community benefits by protecting freshwater biodiversity from salinity and sediment.Read moreRead less
Human-induced changes in the genetic structure of amphibian populations. This study will produce one of the first predictive models of the impact of humans on the genetic structure of animal populations. It will contribute to land-use planning in the greater Melbourne area, and support the regional action plan called Melbourne2030. It will promote active collaboration between universities and Museum Victoria, enriching our local intellectual community. The project will address current debates wi ....Human-induced changes in the genetic structure of amphibian populations. This study will produce one of the first predictive models of the impact of humans on the genetic structure of animal populations. It will contribute to land-use planning in the greater Melbourne area, and support the regional action plan called Melbourne2030. It will promote active collaboration between universities and Museum Victoria, enriching our local intellectual community. The project will address current debates within landscape genetics, and strengthen Australia's international standing in landscape ecology. Several Australian undergraduate and PhD students will participate in cutting-edge science, which helps Australia maintain its prominent international reputation in these fields.Read moreRead less
Trophic associations involving fish and crustaceans in coastal saltmarsh. Coastal saltmarsh is an endangered ecological community utilised by a diverse assemblage of fish during spring tides. Little attempt has been made to determine why fish visit saltmarsh, or what contribution saltmarsh makes to the diet of fish. This study combines gut analysis with novel approaches involving stable isotopes and radioactive markers to determine trophic interactions between fish and permanent members of the s ....Trophic associations involving fish and crustaceans in coastal saltmarsh. Coastal saltmarsh is an endangered ecological community utilised by a diverse assemblage of fish during spring tides. Little attempt has been made to determine why fish visit saltmarsh, or what contribution saltmarsh makes to the diet of fish. This study combines gut analysis with novel approaches involving stable isotopes and radioactive markers to determine trophic interactions between fish and permanent members of the saltmarsh fauna and flora. The project will provide coastal resource managers with quantifiable indicators of the relative significance of different saltmarsh communities to estuarine fisheries.Read moreRead less