Using decision theory to design smart plant surveys. Threatened species may remain unprotected, or weeds detected too slowly if, because of imperfect detection, a species is believed to be absent when it is in fact present. This project will develop new theory and combine it with new estimates of detection rates to minimise the impact of imperfect detection on management decisions.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102221
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Investigating the susceptibility of native vegetation edges to alien plant invasion: a quantitative study to help prevent and control invasive species. Alien plant invasion is a major threat to biodiversity in national parks and nature reserves. Determining the relative influence of plant characteristics, number of alien plant seeds and availability of light, water and nutrients on weed invasion will indicate what prevention and control strategies should be used to combat invasive plants.
Predicting the causes and consequences of plant invasions. Invasive plants are one of the most costly and significant environmental threats in Australia. To deal with this threat we need to understand how and why certain plant species are able to invade into and dominate native communities. The aim of this project is to uncover the rules that govern this environmental threat. The project endeavours to use theory to predict the outcomes that would be observed given different underlying rules, and ....Predicting the causes and consequences of plant invasions. Invasive plants are one of the most costly and significant environmental threats in Australia. To deal with this threat we need to understand how and why certain plant species are able to invade into and dominate native communities. The aim of this project is to uncover the rules that govern this environmental threat. The project endeavours to use theory to predict the outcomes that would be observed given different underlying rules, and then test these predictions with field experiments. By uncovering the rules that govern invasions, this project could provide fundamental knowledge to assist in managing the environmental threat posed by new and emerging weeds.Read moreRead less
Building insights of our largest terrestrial carbon sink: rangelands soils. Rangelands soils represent Australia’s largest carbon sink. Yet, little is known about their potential for carbon sequestration or their vulnerability to climate and environmental change. This project leverages investments in national terrestrial observation platforms and integrates previous research outputs to develop new methods to measure and build understanding of soil carbon composition and dynamics in rangeland eco ....Building insights of our largest terrestrial carbon sink: rangelands soils. Rangelands soils represent Australia’s largest carbon sink. Yet, little is known about their potential for carbon sequestration or their vulnerability to climate and environmental change. This project leverages investments in national terrestrial observation platforms and integrates previous research outputs to develop new methods to measure and build understanding of soil carbon composition and dynamics in rangeland ecosystems. Under a framework that connects detailed measurements and small-scale processes, with machine-learning, data-model assimilation and large-scale next-generation biogeochemical modelling, it’ll allow more accurate predictions of soil carbon change and better decision-making to guide sustainable rangelands management.Read moreRead less
Finding lost dust storms: re-evaluation of the last 20 years of meteorological records to advance wind erosion mapping in Australia. The Dust Event Database (DEDB) at Griffith University is the only long term (1960 - present) record of wind erosion in Australia. It is used in many studies of the impact of dust on the terrestrial, atmospheric and marine environments as well as in studies of urban and regional air pollution and environmental health. Through this project, the revision of the DEDB w ....Finding lost dust storms: re-evaluation of the last 20 years of meteorological records to advance wind erosion mapping in Australia. The Dust Event Database (DEDB) at Griffith University is the only long term (1960 - present) record of wind erosion in Australia. It is used in many studies of the impact of dust on the terrestrial, atmospheric and marine environments as well as in studies of urban and regional air pollution and environmental health. Through this project, the revision of the DEDB will provide new knowledge on these impacts of wind erosion processes and will inform environmental policy through its contributions to the Caring for Our Country Program, the national State of the Environment, and the Australian Centre for Rangeland Information Systems.Read moreRead less
Improving the reintroduction success of mammals. Improving the reintroduction success of mammals. This project intends to improve the anti-predator traits of mammals and reduce the population density of introduced predators, using a novel two-pronged approach to combat predation by introduced predators. Predation by cats and foxes is the chief cause of reintroduction failure in Australian mammals. This project will look to improve the reintroduction success of burrowing bettongs outside predator ....Improving the reintroduction success of mammals. Improving the reintroduction success of mammals. This project intends to improve the anti-predator traits of mammals and reduce the population density of introduced predators, using a novel two-pronged approach to combat predation by introduced predators. Predation by cats and foxes is the chief cause of reintroduction failure in Australian mammals. This project will look to improve the reintroduction success of burrowing bettongs outside predator-free sanctuaries by exposing individuals to predators before release and by harnessing the suppressive effects of dingoes on introduced predators. Anticipated outcomes are improved re-introduction protocols for threatened mammals and re-established populations of endangered wildlife outside predator-free-sanctuaries.Read moreRead less
Are kangaroos jeopardizing conservation outcomes? There is concern that grazing by over-abundant kangaroos is jeopardising the goals of arid conservation reserves, but there is little evidence about the extent of their impacts. The goal of this proposal is to quantify kangaroos' grazing effects on biodiversity within arid conservation reserves. The results will provide a whole ecosystem understanding of how overgrazing by kangaroos influences the biodiversity conservation value of the vast lands ....Are kangaroos jeopardizing conservation outcomes? There is concern that grazing by over-abundant kangaroos is jeopardising the goals of arid conservation reserves, but there is little evidence about the extent of their impacts. The goal of this proposal is to quantify kangaroos' grazing effects on biodiversity within arid conservation reserves. The results will provide a whole ecosystem understanding of how overgrazing by kangaroos influences the biodiversity conservation value of the vast landscapes of arid Australia. Managers of many conservation reserves, including our project partners, and policy-makers need the information that our experiments will provide to inform the development of strategies to optimise biodiversity conservation and manage the impacts of kangaroos.Read moreRead less
Adaptive management of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Australia’s arid zones contain some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Management must begin immediately, but our understanding of these fragile species and ecosystems is currently very limited. This project will develop and apply new research in Adaptive Management (“learning by doing”) to ensure the persistence of these rare places.
Reserving nitrogen in soils through microbial nitrate reduction to ammonium. This project aims to identify those microbes able to transform nitrate to ammonium and thus increase soil nitrogen conservation. More than 50 per cent of the nitrogen in fertilisers applied to soils is lost into the environment, which is both a financial loss to farmers and a main anthropogenic source of nitrogen pollution. Some microbes can transform nitrate into ammonium through dissimilatory reduction (DNRA) and thus ....Reserving nitrogen in soils through microbial nitrate reduction to ammonium. This project aims to identify those microbes able to transform nitrate to ammonium and thus increase soil nitrogen conservation. More than 50 per cent of the nitrogen in fertilisers applied to soils is lost into the environment, which is both a financial loss to farmers and a main anthropogenic source of nitrogen pollution. Some microbes can transform nitrate into ammonium through dissimilatory reduction (DNRA) and thus increase soil nitrogen retention. However, the DNRA process and the responsible microbial groups remain largely unknown. This project plans to use isotope tracing and biomolecular approaches to identify those DNRA microbial groups and elucidate the DNRA reaction process. The findings may support the use of DNRA to improve soil nitrogen.Read moreRead less
Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aeria ....Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aerial pesticide spraying, determine the short-term effect of sprayed pesticides on the behaviour and condition of free-ranging target fauna that use the environment differently, and quantify the relative importance of dietary and non-dietary exposure routes to gauge the importance of animal behaviour on pesticide exposure. Anticipated outcomes are improved baseline assessments for locusticides.Read moreRead less