Using pollinators to optimise plant conservation translocation. This project aims to address the low success rate of conservation translocations of threatened orchids. While pollinators are critical for plant reproduction, they are very rarely considered when establishing new populations of endangered species. Our innovative approach to conservation translocation involves using pollinators in site selection, developing strategies to mitigate risks of hybridisation, and optimising plant reproduct ....Using pollinators to optimise plant conservation translocation. This project aims to address the low success rate of conservation translocations of threatened orchids. While pollinators are critical for plant reproduction, they are very rarely considered when establishing new populations of endangered species. Our innovative approach to conservation translocation involves using pollinators in site selection, developing strategies to mitigate risks of hybridisation, and optimising plant reproduction through planting design. The key outcome will be best-practice protocols to fast-track the establishment of self-sustaining populations. Due to their novelty, the approaches we develop will benefit plant translocations worldwide, and lead to enhanced conservation outcomes at reduced financial cost. Read moreRead less
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
Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on ....Leader of the pack: social structure and predator management. This project aims to quantify the importance of the individual in behaviour and social structures when managing social predator populations to protect economic and environmental assets. Using dingoes as a model system this project will characterise social structure and behaviour under varying management scenarios. This information will be embedded within models of ecological networks to examine the effects of disrupting dingo packs on biological communities. The project expects to improve understanding of how behaviour and social interactions influence ecological outcomes, improving conservation and management.Read moreRead less
The roles of stress and immunocompetence in biological invasions. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity worldwide; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Building on recent studies that reveal weakened immune systems in invasion-front toads, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of immune responses in cane toads and native frogs, with the aim of exploiting the toads' immunocompromised state to develop new and more ....The roles of stress and immunocompetence in biological invasions. Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity worldwide; and within Australia, cane toads are widely viewed as one of the biggest such problems. Building on recent studies that reveal weakened immune systems in invasion-front toads, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of immune responses in cane toads and native frogs, with the aim of exploiting the toads' immunocompromised state to develop new and more effective control measures. The project will develop a new paradigm about the roles of stress and immunity in biological invasion, applicable to the control of other invasive species and to understanding processes at work when environmental changes force species to shift their ranges.Read moreRead less
Naturalisation to invasion: how do naturalised plants become successful invaders? Invasive plants have enormous environmental, economic and social impacts in Australia, significantly affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes, agricultural productivity and recreational amenity. This research will contribute substantially to our understanding of the processes that underlie the transition from naturalised to invasive for introduced plants. By identifying the key factors enabling naturalised pl ....Naturalisation to invasion: how do naturalised plants become successful invaders? Invasive plants have enormous environmental, economic and social impacts in Australia, significantly affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes, agricultural productivity and recreational amenity. This research will contribute substantially to our understanding of the processes that underlie the transition from naturalised to invasive for introduced plants. By identifying the key factors enabling naturalised plant species to become invasive pests, this research will enable plant species most likely to threaten Australia's biodiversity and agricultural productivity to be identified and prioritized for screening and eradication.Read moreRead less
Ecology of insect herbivore assemblages: influence of climate, evolutionary history and plant traits. The results from this project will be a key reference when assessing future impacts of human-induced impacts on natural communities. Our research will provide insights into the impacts of climate change on herbivorous insects associated with Acacia: the dominant plant genus in the major climatic zones of Australia. Results and conclusions from this research will aid land-holders, government agen ....Ecology of insect herbivore assemblages: influence of climate, evolutionary history and plant traits. The results from this project will be a key reference when assessing future impacts of human-induced impacts on natural communities. Our research will provide insights into the impacts of climate change on herbivorous insects associated with Acacia: the dominant plant genus in the major climatic zones of Australia. Results and conclusions from this research will aid land-holders, government agencies and other parties in determining how important Acacia-dominated ecosystems are in conserving insect biodiversity in a range of different habitats within regional and rural Australia. Our research will also aid in a better understanding of biocontrol agents of Australian Acacia pest species here and overseas.Read moreRead less
Change ecology - gaining broad-scale, timely biodiversity knowledge in a time of uncertainty. Australians are confronted daily with the consequences of changes wrought by human over-exploitation of natural resources. Our capacity to track and respond to change is very limited and slow. Thus, rapid deterioration of ecologically important aspects is detected late and is not reflective of the general state because knowledge is derived from small-scale measurements that are difficult to generalize. ....Change ecology - gaining broad-scale, timely biodiversity knowledge in a time of uncertainty. Australians are confronted daily with the consequences of changes wrought by human over-exploitation of natural resources. Our capacity to track and respond to change is very limited and slow. Thus, rapid deterioration of ecologically important aspects is detected late and is not reflective of the general state because knowledge is derived from small-scale measurements that are difficult to generalize. We will build a capacity for providing large-scale knowledge of vegetation condition and flow-on effects on biodiversity, which also will allow us to make informed assessments of the ecological consequences of some existing (climate change, drying) and imminent (biofuel plantings) drivers of change.Read moreRead less
Mammal declines in northern Australia: science for conservation and recovery. Australia’s unique mammal fauna is a rich biological heritage for the nation. It provides a wealth of ecosystem services, and many mammal species have special cultural or aesthetic value. However, our mammals are sadly depleted, and we already have the worst record of recent mammal extinction of any nation. Preventing further mammal extinctions, and managing environments to allow declined mammals to recover, will be of ....Mammal declines in northern Australia: science for conservation and recovery. Australia’s unique mammal fauna is a rich biological heritage for the nation. It provides a wealth of ecosystem services, and many mammal species have special cultural or aesthetic value. However, our mammals are sadly depleted, and we already have the worst record of recent mammal extinction of any nation. Preventing further mammal extinctions, and managing environments to allow declined mammals to recover, will be of great benefit to Australian biodiversity and to the ecosystem processes and human values that depend on it.Read moreRead less
Understanding and predicting the success of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of plant communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem processes globally. This proposal seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments both now and under predicted future conditions, using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Comparative and experimental approaches will be used to understand leaf trait relationships of invasive ....Understanding and predicting the success of invasive plants: a leaf carbon strategy approach. Invasion of plant communities by exotic plants is a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem processes globally. This proposal seeks to understand strategies of invasive plants in novel environments both now and under predicted future conditions, using the framework of leaf carbon strategies. Comparative and experimental approaches will be used to understand leaf trait relationships of invasive compared with native species. This will contribute substantially to our understanding of global plant functional relationships, thereby enabling better prediction of potential invaders. The resulting data will also provide critical input for models of plant, ecosystem and biosphere responses to global change incorporating invasion dynamics.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstructi ....Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstruction scenarios. This links use of existing data sets for initial modelling, a validation phase for testing model reliability and for refining models, and a subsequent GIS-based modelling phase in which alternative options for reconstructing landscapes are evaluated for their effectiveness in sustaining landscape-scale native biodiversity.Read moreRead less