Improving water market outcomes through a better understanding of market behaviour. The issue of water resources and their sustainable use is probably the most important issue facing the rural sector. The water reform process and its aim to secure water for the environment will cause economic and social pain and result in structural change within the irrigation sector. Properly functioning water markets will play an instrumental role in facilitating this process by providing water for the envir ....Improving water market outcomes through a better understanding of market behaviour. The issue of water resources and their sustainable use is probably the most important issue facing the rural sector. The water reform process and its aim to secure water for the environment will cause economic and social pain and result in structural change within the irrigation sector. Properly functioning water markets will play an instrumental role in facilitating this process by providing water for the environment and allowing water to move between competing resources. This study will enable policy makers and water managers to optimise the positive outcome of water markets and increase the likely success of programs to purchase environmental water.Read moreRead less
Identifying cost-effective reforestation approaches for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in the Australian wet tropics. There is great potential for rainforest reforestation to help in the protection of Australia's tropical flora and fauna. Little is known, however, about how to reforest pasture to rainforest for the purpose of maximising the recovery of native biodiversity. We propose a unique experimental study of rainforest reforestation practices with biodiversity conservat ....Identifying cost-effective reforestation approaches for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in the Australian wet tropics. There is great potential for rainforest reforestation to help in the protection of Australia's tropical flora and fauna. Little is known, however, about how to reforest pasture to rainforest for the purpose of maximising the recovery of native biodiversity. We propose a unique experimental study of rainforest reforestation practices with biodiversity conservation as a primary goal. Reforestation is currently an unlikely option for most landholders in Australia's tropics given the lack of data on the economic benefits obtainable from such efforts. Our study examines the profits obtainable through the carbon market for each reforestation approach with the goal of increasing the feasibility of rainforest reforestation in North Queensland.Read moreRead less
The mechanisms and roles of receptor clustering in cell activation and wound healing by growth factors. Growth factors regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentation by interaction with receptors. Such receptors are usually localized at the cell surface, and require intracellular transduction systems to transmit the signal to the cell interior. We have recently shown the hormone-induced clustering of heterologous hormone receptors in cells, and that this occurs with the co-clustering ....The mechanisms and roles of receptor clustering in cell activation and wound healing by growth factors. Growth factors regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentation by interaction with receptors. Such receptors are usually localized at the cell surface, and require intracellular transduction systems to transmit the signal to the cell interior. We have recently shown the hormone-induced clustering of heterologous hormone receptors in cells, and that this occurs with the co-clustering of downstream signalling molecules at sites of engagement with the extracellular matrix. In addition, we have found that cells presented with an extracellular matrix respond better to subsequent growth factor stimulation. The project aims to determine the cellular mechanisms underlying receptor clustering and the basis of the receptor-extracellular matrix interaction. This will enhance our understanding of growth factor function in a number of conditions, including wound healing. We will extend our in vitro results to the animal model to define parameters for enhanced wound repair.Read moreRead less