Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,000.00
Summary
Why are biodiversity hotspots found where they are? This project aims to develop a method to study how evolution within species shapes the broad-scale distribution of unique biological diversity across landscapes and continents. The distribution of biological diversity is strikingly uneven, with much diversity found only in small ‘hotspots’. What factors determine the locations of these hotspots of endemism? This project aims to answer this question by using three biologically diverse areas as t ....Why are biodiversity hotspots found where they are? This project aims to develop a method to study how evolution within species shapes the broad-scale distribution of unique biological diversity across landscapes and continents. The distribution of biological diversity is strikingly uneven, with much diversity found only in small ‘hotspots’. What factors determine the locations of these hotspots of endemism? This project aims to answer this question by using three biologically diverse areas as test cases. It plans to use a new model to simulate processes of evolution over time, including range shifts, niche evolution, isolation and extinction, to determine how dynamics of divergence evolving within species contribute to broad-scale patterns of diversity. The project intends to improve understanding and management of biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Deciphering the coral minimal microbiome. This project aims to decipher the functions of coral-associated bacteria by taking advantage of low-diversity microbiomes that are naturally found in some coral species. A further aim is to unveil the importance of bacterial genome evolution in coral adaptation to climate change. Climate warming is the biggest threat to coral reefs with half of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals dead due to recent summer heat waves. Expected outcomes are an incr ....Deciphering the coral minimal microbiome. This project aims to decipher the functions of coral-associated bacteria by taking advantage of low-diversity microbiomes that are naturally found in some coral species. A further aim is to unveil the importance of bacterial genome evolution in coral adaptation to climate change. Climate warming is the biggest threat to coral reefs with half of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals dead due to recent summer heat waves. Expected outcomes are an increased understanding of how bacteria contribute to coral heat tolerance, and new knowledge to assist in the development of bacterial probiotics for enhancing coral thermal tolerance. This should provide significant benefits to the protection of the GBR and Australia’s economy.Read moreRead less
Where currents collide: tracking the biological impacts of climate change. This project will track the effects of climate change on Australia's unique marine biodiversity. Understanding the impacts of changing ocean currents on our coastal communities underpins the conservation and management of our valuable coastal resources.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL110100104
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,939,883.00
Summary
New approaches to discovering biodiversity and understanding its response to past climate change. New technologies will be used to predict and discover biodiversity hotspots in Australia, especially in the monsoonal tropics. New capacity will be built in biodiversity science, and the results used to improve conservation policy and the effectiveness of conservation planning.
The Eocene high latitude Australasian 'tropics' in a changing climate: resolving conflicting evidence. Between 45 to 30 million years ago, high latitude subtropical floras in Australia and New Zealand experienced significant climate change, leading to the evolution of present day vegetation. Understanding the effects of this climate change on extinction and speciation will produce more accurate predictions about modern floras when faced with climate change.
The physiology of biome shifts and macroevolutionary change: how did Australian skinks colonise the arid zone so successfully? This project will examine two of Australia's most diverse lizard lineages, Lerista and Ctenotus, and will identify the physiological and morphological traits that enabled them to adaptively radiate within the arid zone. It will highlight those traits likely to be adaptive for environments predicted to become widespread under climate change.
Evolution in a changing environment. Climate change is having dramatic effects on wild animal populations. This project will investigate how and why these effects occur, and whether populations will be able to evolve to adapt to a changing environment.
The dark side of light: species and community impacts of night lighting. The presence of artificial light at night (LAN) is one of the most profound recent changes in urban ecosystems. Correlated with increases in LAN are declines in the survival and fitness of species living in urban environments. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to explore the effect of LAN on survival, reproduction and physiology. It integrates field surveys with laboratory and field experiments and aims ....The dark side of light: species and community impacts of night lighting. The presence of artificial light at night (LAN) is one of the most profound recent changes in urban ecosystems. Correlated with increases in LAN are declines in the survival and fitness of species living in urban environments. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to explore the effect of LAN on survival, reproduction and physiology. It integrates field surveys with laboratory and field experiments and aims to utilise sophisticated physiological assays to identify the links between LAN, melatonin, immunity, survival and reproduction. The intended outcome of this research is to provide fundamental insights into the biological consequences of LAN at the species and community levels.Read moreRead less
Australian and global plant diversity from first principles. This project aims to explain the composition of vegetation in Australia and worldwide using ecological and evolutionary first principles. Researchers have studied how climate shapes vegetation for centuries, but still lack a basic quantitative theory predicting what types of plants should be found where and why. Combining first principles models, statistics and large Australian data synthesis, this project will determine whether vegeta ....Australian and global plant diversity from first principles. This project aims to explain the composition of vegetation in Australia and worldwide using ecological and evolutionary first principles. Researchers have studied how climate shapes vegetation for centuries, but still lack a basic quantitative theory predicting what types of plants should be found where and why. Combining first principles models, statistics and large Australian data synthesis, this project will determine whether vegetation structure and diversity is predictable and thus improve predictive models. Predicting the long term effects of evolutionary adaptation and humans on ecosystems could enable the management of terrestrial carbon and underpin effective ecosystem management and restoration.Read moreRead less
Escalating the arms race: Understanding when and how trees get really tall. Australia's giant Eucalypt trees are an amazing phenomenon and resource; underpinning unique ecosystems, rich in timber, stored carbon, and animal habitat. While tree height generally arises via an evolutionary arms race for light, the race has escalated dramatically in some locations and species. Using a computational framework that simulates adaptation driven by size-structured competition, this project will quantify h ....Escalating the arms race: Understanding when and how trees get really tall. Australia's giant Eucalypt trees are an amazing phenomenon and resource; underpinning unique ecosystems, rich in timber, stored carbon, and animal habitat. While tree height generally arises via an evolutionary arms race for light, the race has escalated dramatically in some locations and species. Using a computational framework that simulates adaptation driven by size-structured competition, this project will quantify how distinct factors-including climate, recruitment, and disturbance-enhance the race for light and can thereby explain the origins of Australia's giant Eucalypt. With calibrated models of species evolution, coupled with targeted fieldwork and big data, this project clarifies key forces shaping present and future vegetation.Read moreRead less