Environmental geodesy: variations of sea level and water storage in the Australian region. It is essential for Australia's long-term planning and security that the effects of global warming on our nation's water resources and coastlines are quantified. Sea level variations projected into the future vary around Australia and have large uncertainties, yet the impacts have substantial social and financial ramifications for our community. Australia hasn't yet quantified accurately its critical water ....Environmental geodesy: variations of sea level and water storage in the Australian region. It is essential for Australia's long-term planning and security that the effects of global warming on our nation's water resources and coastlines are quantified. Sea level variations projected into the future vary around Australia and have large uncertainties, yet the impacts have substantial social and financial ramifications for our community. Australia hasn't yet quantified accurately its critical water resources nor how they are changing. This proposal will address both these issues, providing for the first time valuable and accurate information for planning appropriate strategies to mitigate the impact of sea level rise and water storage on the Australian society.Read moreRead less
Effects of physical disturbance on kelp-dominated reef communities across a broad temperate-tropical transition zone. The outcomes of this project will improve the understanding of the interactions between physical disturbances, nutrient enrichment and climate change. This addresses the national research priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia (priority goals sustainable use of biodiversity and responding to climate changes) and will contribute directly to Australia's commitments on ....Effects of physical disturbance on kelp-dominated reef communities across a broad temperate-tropical transition zone. The outcomes of this project will improve the understanding of the interactions between physical disturbances, nutrient enrichment and climate change. This addresses the national research priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia (priority goals sustainable use of biodiversity and responding to climate changes) and will contribute directly to Australia's commitments on marine ecosystem management and conservation.Read moreRead less
Climate Change, Industrial Structure and the Knowledge Economy: Key Issues for an Effective Response on Greenhouse Gases. The objectives of this project are to undertake a major, long term study of the impact of global structural change on greenhouse gas emissions and on climate change, and to develop a detailed knowledge base concerning trade in embodied emissions. It is hoped that the knowledge generated will both inform global responses to this vital problem and contribute to the continuing d ....Climate Change, Industrial Structure and the Knowledge Economy: Key Issues for an Effective Response on Greenhouse Gases. The objectives of this project are to undertake a major, long term study of the impact of global structural change on greenhouse gas emissions and on climate change, and to develop a detailed knowledge base concerning trade in embodied emissions. It is hoped that the knowledge generated will both inform global responses to this vital problem and contribute to the continuing development of effective responses within Australia. The output - a book and many papers - will be directed in part to contribute to the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report.Read moreRead less
Ocean-reef interactions as drivers of continental shelf productivity in a changing climate. Poor coastal management results in the irreparable destruction of reef systems' function and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including forward planning in the context of climate change. A critical limitation in determining appropriate actions is a poor understanding of mechanisms driving productivity. Our project will p ....Ocean-reef interactions as drivers of continental shelf productivity in a changing climate. Poor coastal management results in the irreparable destruction of reef systems' function and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including forward planning in the context of climate change. A critical limitation in determining appropriate actions is a poor understanding of mechanisms driving productivity. Our project will provide key information on the oceanographic mechanisms supporting Australia's coastal systems, linking nutrient supply, physical drivers and climate. By linking all these factors we will both assist in determining appropriate ecosystem management, and provide a knowledge base to support adaptation to future changes in Australia's climate.Read moreRead less
Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the ....Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the project will contribute directly to an Environmentally Sustainable Australia and improve national capacity for responding to climate change and variability in coral reef environments. It will enable Australian remote sensing scientists to contribute knowledge and tools to the international community for application to coral reef and coastal waters globally. Read moreRead less
The connectivity of pore theory - does it influence microbial community composition and function? Climate change scenarios indicate that Australia will be directly affected by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Soil microbial activity is responsible for a large proportion of such emissions; therefore it is important that we understand how such changing climate patterns are likely to influence key microbial populations in soil, particularly those involved in the production of greenhouse ga ....The connectivity of pore theory - does it influence microbial community composition and function? Climate change scenarios indicate that Australia will be directly affected by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Soil microbial activity is responsible for a large proportion of such emissions; therefore it is important that we understand how such changing climate patterns are likely to influence key microbial populations in soil, particularly those involved in the production of greenhouse gases. This research interfaces two disciplines, earth and biological sciences, and will establish a new international collaboration that will ensure Australia is at the forefront of a rapidly developing research field.Read moreRead less
Impacts of deforestation and afforestation on greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon and water resources in the Daly River catchment, north Australia. Over the last decade, north Australia have been viewed as a potentially exploitable resource, given issues of salinisation, soil acidification, over-allocation of water resources and rainfall declines in south Australian agricultural regions. Improved pastures and plantation forestry are two land uses that may expand in the NT. Clearing of savanna v ....Impacts of deforestation and afforestation on greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon and water resources in the Daly River catchment, north Australia. Over the last decade, north Australia have been viewed as a potentially exploitable resource, given issues of salinisation, soil acidification, over-allocation of water resources and rainfall declines in south Australian agricultural regions. Improved pastures and plantation forestry are two land uses that may expand in the NT. Clearing of savanna vegetation would be required, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, water resources and dry season environmental flows. This project will track greenhouse emissions and water use from uncleared and cleared savanna that has been converted to pasture and timber plantations, providing critical understanding of the environmental implication of such land use change in savanna.Read moreRead less
Biological Oceanographic Mechanisms Driving Australia's Coastal Fisheries. Overfishing results in the irreparable destruction of fish stocks and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including catch limits for low stock sizes. However a critical limiting factor in determining appropriate actions is our poor understanding of the mechanisms driving production. Our project will provide key information on the biologica ....Biological Oceanographic Mechanisms Driving Australia's Coastal Fisheries. Overfishing results in the irreparable destruction of fish stocks and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including catch limits for low stock sizes. However a critical limiting factor in determining appropriate actions is our poor understanding of the mechanisms driving production. Our project will provide key information on the biological oceanographic mechanisms supporting Australia's coastal fisheries, linking nutrient supply, biological drivers and climate. By linking all these factors we will not only assist in determining appropriate ecosystem management but provide a knowledge base to support adaptation to future changes in Australia's climate.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
High-resolution ITRAX XRF core scanning facility for global change research. This facility will enable researchers to obtain high-resolution geochemical profiles in the study of environmental change and climate variability. It will provide archive data on the variation of density and chemical element composition along sediment and soil cores, rock cores, wood samples, speleothems and corals. These archives contain important information such as human activity, climate variability, water quality c ....High-resolution ITRAX XRF core scanning facility for global change research. This facility will enable researchers to obtain high-resolution geochemical profiles in the study of environmental change and climate variability. It will provide archive data on the variation of density and chemical element composition along sediment and soil cores, rock cores, wood samples, speleothems and corals. These archives contain important information such as human activity, climate variability, water quality changes, pollution histories, recent geomorphological change, land-use change, introduction of invasive species and the occurrence of bushfires. A better understanding of the occurrence and timing of these major environmental issues is of national and regional importance.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100041
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the developme ....A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the development of groundwater resources, the relative dependency of ecosystems on groundwater versus soil and surface water, and an assessment of the likely impacts of altered hydrology, especially dewatering and salinisation, on ecosystems. In addition, they will also be used to extend our knowledge of climate variability in the recent past and increase understanding of critical marine resources.Read moreRead less