Hotspots of endemism for invertebrate conservation in south-east Australia. The project aims to identify and predict hotspots of species endemism to guide conservation and restoration efforts. This work is significant in the current extinction crisis because endemic species (those unique to a region) are at higher risk of extinction due to human causes. The project will model the relationship of narrow range endemic species with contemporary and past environments, estimate the historical loss of ....Hotspots of endemism for invertebrate conservation in south-east Australia. The project aims to identify and predict hotspots of species endemism to guide conservation and restoration efforts. This work is significant in the current extinction crisis because endemic species (those unique to a region) are at higher risk of extinction due to human causes. The project will model the relationship of narrow range endemic species with contemporary and past environments, estimate the historical loss of species through land-clearing and fire, and predict future responses to climate change, to inform conservation planning. Lastly, it will test the efficacy of habitat transplants in restoring local invertebrate assemblages. Benefits include better informed conservation planning and new restoration approaches.Read moreRead less
Is New Guinea the missing link for understanding Australia’s rainforests? This project aims to understand the extent to which the animals in Australia have shared histories with animals from the islands of Melanesia, and especially New Guinea. Key outcomes will be identification of hotspots of unique and high evolutionary diversity across both regions, and understanding of whether New Guinea has been an overall refuge or source for rainforest animals as Australia became more arid over the last 2 ....Is New Guinea the missing link for understanding Australia’s rainforests? This project aims to understand the extent to which the animals in Australia have shared histories with animals from the islands of Melanesia, and especially New Guinea. Key outcomes will be identification of hotspots of unique and high evolutionary diversity across both regions, and understanding of whether New Guinea has been an overall refuge or source for rainforest animals as Australia became more arid over the last 20 million years. Expected benefits include addressing fundamental gaps in our knowledge of the history of both the Australian continent and its resident biota such as when landbridges first formed with New Guinea, and the identification of priority areas for conservation investment in both Australian and Melanesia.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100140
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,237.00
Summary
Supporting Australia’s conservation agencies to control foxes & feral cats. This project aims to empower land managers to better protect Australia’s native wildlife. Introduced predators (foxes and feral cats) are a key driver of wildlife loss in Australia, and millions of dollars are invested in management annually. The project expects to advance the efficacy of introduced predator management by building robust datasets on predator densities, conducting continental-scale syntheses on predator e ....Supporting Australia’s conservation agencies to control foxes & feral cats. This project aims to empower land managers to better protect Australia’s native wildlife. Introduced predators (foxes and feral cats) are a key driver of wildlife loss in Australia, and millions of dollars are invested in management annually. The project expects to advance the efficacy of introduced predator management by building robust datasets on predator densities, conducting continental-scale syntheses on predator ecology, developing advanced simulation models to predict the effects and cost of management and monitoring, and making these accessible via free decision-support tools. The project will enhance the capacity of land managers to conduct best-practice management and substantially advance understanding of predator ecology.Read moreRead less
Detecting and deciphering extinction dynamics under environmental change. This project aims to improve knowledge of extinction processes and impacts. It will use high-performance computing and museum collections to disentangle the ecological mechanisms that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of Australia's unique mammals. Its significance is that it will establish the historical ranges and past population trajectories of Australian threatened mammals, pinpointing the combi ....Detecting and deciphering extinction dynamics under environmental change. This project aims to improve knowledge of extinction processes and impacts. It will use high-performance computing and museum collections to disentangle the ecological mechanisms that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of Australia's unique mammals. Its significance is that it will establish the historical ranges and past population trajectories of Australian threatened mammals, pinpointing the combinations of ecological characteristics and threats that most affect risk of extinction from environmental change. Expected outcomes and benefits are new data and verified models to enrich conservation research and inform evidence-based solutions to better protect and recover some of Australia’s most threatened species.Read moreRead less
The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecologic ....The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecological impacts of industry development. Important benefits of the project include information and tools for streamlining development approvals and accurately assessing risks to threatened species to improve outcomes for both our economy and our natural environment.Read moreRead less
Conservation management of the endangered Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard. There is a second chance to rescue a lizard species that was recently considered extinct. This project builds on biological knowledge about the lizard to develop programs for monitoring and maintaining viable populations, to advise landholders of management options, and to inform and involve local communities in conservation action.
Translocation as a Conservation Strategy for the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard. This project contributes to the body of research guiding efforts to conserve the biodiversity of Australia. It will benefit the broader scientific community by advancing knowledge of the dynamics of endangered species, and the role of recruits to the population. It has particular potential benefits for the local conservation activities of the community of the Burra area, by informing landholders of best conservation practi ....Translocation as a Conservation Strategy for the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard. This project contributes to the body of research guiding efforts to conserve the biodiversity of Australia. It will benefit the broader scientific community by advancing knowledge of the dynamics of endangered species, and the role of recruits to the population. It has particular potential benefits for the local conservation activities of the community of the Burra area, by informing landholders of best conservation practices and by providing a firm basis for actions by the pygmy bluetongue recovery programRead moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0775793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,800.00
Summary
The extent of competition between the native and introduced herbivores of Kangaroo Island. This project examines grazing behaviour and competition among native and introduced herbivores to optimise limited resources in an ecologically fragile environment. The project will provide a biological basis for the development of management strategies to provide positive outcomes for the Kangaroo Island environment and potential economic benefit to the local and national economy. Environmental benefit in ....The extent of competition between the native and introduced herbivores of Kangaroo Island. This project examines grazing behaviour and competition among native and introduced herbivores to optimise limited resources in an ecologically fragile environment. The project will provide a biological basis for the development of management strategies to provide positive outcomes for the Kangaroo Island environment and potential economic benefit to the local and national economy. Environmental benefit includes the reduction of total grazing pressure on pastures and native vegetation of Kangaroo Island, which is one of Australia’s top 15 biodiversity ‘hot spots’, and thus help with conservation efforts on Kangaroo Island. Economic benefit will follow if farmers receive income from a currently wasted resource.Read moreRead less
Ecology and conservation of a unique, threatened guanophilic invertebrate community. This project aims to study the biology and ecology of a unique assemblage of insects and other invertebrates that live specifically in bat guano at Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. The caves are a major ecotourism and research location because of their world famous Pliestocene fossils, and because one cave is a critical breeding site for the large bentwing bat, Miniopterus s. bassianii. The guano cave, whic ....Ecology and conservation of a unique, threatened guanophilic invertebrate community. This project aims to study the biology and ecology of a unique assemblage of insects and other invertebrates that live specifically in bat guano at Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. The caves are a major ecotourism and research location because of their world famous Pliestocene fossils, and because one cave is a critical breeding site for the large bentwing bat, Miniopterus s. bassianii. The guano cave, which contains numerous endemic invertebrates, is potentially threatened by both direct and indirect human impacts. The results of this research will form the basis of a long-term management strategy to conserve this diverse community.Read moreRead less
Integrating climate adaptation into rainforest restoration plantings. This project aims to investigate the impact of within species adaptation to climate on restoratoin success in the Australian Wet Tropics. For a suite of six species of tropical tree frequently employed in rainforest restoration plantings in northeast Queensland, this project aims to test the hypothesis that collecting seed from populations in similar ecoclimatic settings to the planting site will result in superior seedling gr ....Integrating climate adaptation into rainforest restoration plantings. This project aims to investigate the impact of within species adaptation to climate on restoratoin success in the Australian Wet Tropics. For a suite of six species of tropical tree frequently employed in rainforest restoration plantings in northeast Queensland, this project aims to test the hypothesis that collecting seed from populations in similar ecoclimatic settings to the planting site will result in superior seedling growth and survival. The expected outcome is to provide practical advice to restoration practitioners about the importance of matching the provenance of seed source to planting sites, and opportunities for selecting provenances pre-adapted to predicted future climatic conditions at planting sites.Read moreRead less