Contribution of comammox bacteria to soil nitrification. This project aims to understand the diversity, activity and environmental relevance of comammox bacteria, the newly-discovered complete nitrifiers, in Australian soils, and to evaluate their relative contributions to nitrification processes compared to other canonical nitrifying prokaryotes. Nitrogen transformations are pivotal microbial processes, with nitrification largely responsible for nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide emissions a ....Contribution of comammox bacteria to soil nitrification. This project aims to understand the diversity, activity and environmental relevance of comammox bacteria, the newly-discovered complete nitrifiers, in Australian soils, and to evaluate their relative contributions to nitrification processes compared to other canonical nitrifying prokaryotes. Nitrogen transformations are pivotal microbial processes, with nitrification largely responsible for nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching in the terrestrial ecosystems. The expected outcomes will develop new knowledge on the comammox bacteria and provide novel insights into refined strategies to manipulate nitrification processes for improved nitrogen use efficiency and sustainable agricultural management.Read moreRead less
The impacts of land ownership change on rural social and economic change. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework for explaining how and why rural land is changing hands, what this means for the ways we understand socio-economic change in rural Australia, and how it can inform best-practice rural and regional decision making by public, private and community sector interests. The project will generate a unique, research-ready database that will detail every land transaction in rura ....The impacts of land ownership change on rural social and economic change. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework for explaining how and why rural land is changing hands, what this means for the ways we understand socio-economic change in rural Australia, and how it can inform best-practice rural and regional decision making by public, private and community sector interests. The project will generate a unique, research-ready database that will detail every land transaction in rural NSW over a period of ten years, and analyse these data in light of complementary datasets and a series of in-depth interviews with land-owners and key stakeholders. The project expects to transform national understanding of rural land-ownership change, and promote best practice decision making.Read moreRead less
Mineral transformation and oxidant production in subsurface environments. Sporadic influx of oxygen-rich rainwater / groundwater into subsurface waste sites induces dramatic biogeochemical changes which greatly influence the transport of contaminants present. In this project, fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of redox oscillations upon contaminant behaviour in these sediments will be addressed through a comprehensive program of field studies at a purpose-constructed experimental f ....Mineral transformation and oxidant production in subsurface environments. Sporadic influx of oxygen-rich rainwater / groundwater into subsurface waste sites induces dramatic biogeochemical changes which greatly influence the transport of contaminants present. In this project, fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of redox oscillations upon contaminant behaviour in these sediments will be addressed through a comprehensive program of field studies at a purpose-constructed experimental facility in an existing waste site, and complementary laboratory investigations. The intended outcomes are to improve understanding of contaminant mobility at the field-scale in these pervasive sites spread across the globe, and provide critical insight into their remediation using cost-effective techniques.Read moreRead less
Transforming invasive plant management in northern Australia. This project aims to investigate how rapid socio-ecological transformation in northern Australia is reconfiguring invasive plant management, and evaluate the social and cultural factors and development context that contributes to its effectiveness. Through innovative qualitative research, the project will generate new knowledge of plant introductions, the emerging assemblages of people and practices that are facilitating or disrupting ....Transforming invasive plant management in northern Australia. This project aims to investigate how rapid socio-ecological transformation in northern Australia is reconfiguring invasive plant management, and evaluate the social and cultural factors and development context that contributes to its effectiveness. Through innovative qualitative research, the project will generate new knowledge of plant introductions, the emerging assemblages of people and practices that are facilitating or disrupting change, and the consequences for Indigenous people dealing with land-use change. Expected outcomes include enhancing Australia's environmental management capacity by identifying opportunities for more effective invasive plant management, and more equitable and sustainable sharing of the benefits it brings.Read moreRead less
Big data modelling to forecast crop yield to enable precision fertilisation. This project aims to lay a foundation for a generic data-driven approach to more precise management of our agricultural landscapes. A multitude of agriculture-related data streams are now available to growers to characterise their yield, management, soil and weather. However, currently there is no approach able to digest all these disparate data streams to enable a management decision. The project will develop an appro ....Big data modelling to forecast crop yield to enable precision fertilisation. This project aims to lay a foundation for a generic data-driven approach to more precise management of our agricultural landscapes. A multitude of agriculture-related data streams are now available to growers to characterise their yield, management, soil and weather. However, currently there is no approach able to digest all these disparate data streams to enable a management decision. The project will develop an approach to harness all of these data streams to guide spatially variable applications of nitrogen fertilisers with a focus on grains cropping. This should provide the opportunity to allocate fertiliser inputs as required at fine spatial scales according to local soil and weather conditions to maximise profit and minimise off-farm impacts of excessive fertilisation.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
A new 3D data model to integrate underground land information in Australia. This project aims to develop a novel 3D digital approach to managing subterranean ownership spaces by referencing these spaces to the physical reality of the underground environment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of underground land administration using new 3D data modelling techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include a new underground 3D data model to improve management and communi ....A new 3D data model to integrate underground land information in Australia. This project aims to develop a novel 3D digital approach to managing subterranean ownership spaces by referencing these spaces to the physical reality of the underground environment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of underground land administration using new 3D data modelling techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include a new underground 3D data model to improve management and communication of physical location and ownership extent of Australia’s underground assets. This should provide significant benefits such as protecting underground assets, decreasing the risk of damaging utilities, avoiding unnecessary disruptions and delays when planning, constructing and managing underground infrastructure. Read moreRead less
Effect of faults and barriers on groundwater flow and solute transport. This project will address the role of faults and dykes on groundwater flow and solute transport. Faults and dykes can act as barriers to groundwater flow, yet faults can also be conduits for flow through otherwise impermeable layers. Understanding their role is critical to assessing the impacts of mining, unconventional gas and water resource developments. This project expects to develop new methods to quantify groundwater f ....Effect of faults and barriers on groundwater flow and solute transport. This project will address the role of faults and dykes on groundwater flow and solute transport. Faults and dykes can act as barriers to groundwater flow, yet faults can also be conduits for flow through otherwise impermeable layers. Understanding their role is critical to assessing the impacts of mining, unconventional gas and water resource developments. This project expects to develop new methods to quantify groundwater flow through and along faults and dykes by combining geological, hydraulic and geochemical approaches with detailed 3D numerical models. The expected outcome will be an improved understanding of the role of faults and barriers in subsurface hydrology, and an improved ability to model complex groundwater systems.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC190100031
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,973,202.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE). Understanding the cumulative impact of actions regarding the use of our resources has important long-term consequences for Australia’s economic, societal and environmental health. Yet despite the importance of these cumulative impacts, and the availability of data, many decisions and policies are based on limited amounts of data and rudimentary data analysis, with little appreciation of the critical role that understand ....ARC Training Centre in Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE). Understanding the cumulative impact of actions regarding the use of our resources has important long-term consequences for Australia’s economic, societal and environmental health. Yet despite the importance of these cumulative impacts, and the availability of data, many decisions and policies are based on limited amounts of data and rudimentary data analysis, with little appreciation of the critical role that understanding and quantifying uncertainty plays in the process. The aim of Data Analytics in Resources and Environment (DARE) is to develop and deliver the data science skills and tools for Australia’s resource industries to make the best possible evidence-based decisions in exploiting and stewarding the nation’s natural resources.Read moreRead less
Using fire to manage biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. Using fire to manage biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. This project intends to develop a conservation management tool for use in fire-prone fragmented landscapes to reverse biodiversity loss. It will address two critical knowledge gaps: the combined effects of fire and fragmentation on animal movement, and the implications of current and future fire regimes for native animal populations. Land-use change has severely fragmented 40% ....Using fire to manage biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. Using fire to manage biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. This project intends to develop a conservation management tool for use in fire-prone fragmented landscapes to reverse biodiversity loss. It will address two critical knowledge gaps: the combined effects of fire and fragmentation on animal movement, and the implications of current and future fire regimes for native animal populations. Land-use change has severely fragmented 40% of Australia’s natural landscapes, resulting in loss of habitat for native biodiversity. Remaining habitat fragments are at risk from increases in the frequency and intensity of fire, which also threatens biodiversity. The anticipated outcome is a conservation management tool that is readily transferable to any fire-prone system.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,205,137.00
Summary
Founding an Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network. This proposal founds a new network of Australian Critical Zone Observatories. The network will fill essential knowledge gaps about interactions of under- and above-ground environmental processes and their responses to disturbance and change. These interactions determine the sustainability of food, clean water, mineral resources and Australian ecosystems, and cannot be studied with existing environmental infrastructure. The 5 foundation ....Founding an Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network. This proposal founds a new network of Australian Critical Zone Observatories. The network will fill essential knowledge gaps about interactions of under- and above-ground environmental processes and their responses to disturbance and change. These interactions determine the sustainability of food, clean water, mineral resources and Australian ecosystems, and cannot be studied with existing environmental infrastructure. The 5 foundational sites will host integrated monitoring equipment to observe stocks and fluxes of carbon, water, energy and mass across the “Critical Zone” – the vertical span from plant canopies to fresh bedrock. Joining a burgeoning international movement, the network will catalyse Critical Zone science in Australia.Read moreRead less