Optimising fire management for a resilient future. Optimising fire management for a resilient future. This project aims to quantify how changes in fire frequency, fire season, invasive weeds and climate interact to affect native species’ persistence. Fire risk management is a conundrum for agencies responsible both for protection of life and property and biodiversity conservation. Global change factors (rainfall decline, warming, invasive species, ecosystem fragmentation) interact with changes i ....Optimising fire management for a resilient future. Optimising fire management for a resilient future. This project aims to quantify how changes in fire frequency, fire season, invasive weeds and climate interact to affect native species’ persistence. Fire risk management is a conundrum for agencies responsible both for protection of life and property and biodiversity conservation. Global change factors (rainfall decline, warming, invasive species, ecosystem fragmentation) interact with changes in fire regime (interval and season) associated with prescribed burning to affect native species’ regeneration capacity. Anticipated outcomes are fuel reduction burning policy and management changes that balance and minimise risk of fire to economy, society and biodiversity.Read 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
Optimising biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. How to meet human needs for timber while limiting harm to biodiversity is an urgent scientific goal. The project will address this challenge by quantifying the impacts of forestry systems and wildfire on mammal species. Novel network modelling of interactions among plants, animals, and environmental variables will establish cost-effective management improvements to maximise biodiversity values. A systematic conservation planning ....Optimising biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. How to meet human needs for timber while limiting harm to biodiversity is an urgent scientific goal. The project will address this challenge by quantifying the impacts of forestry systems and wildfire on mammal species. Novel network modelling of interactions among plants, animals, and environmental variables will establish cost-effective management improvements to maximise biodiversity values. A systematic conservation planning approach will deliver spatially and temporally explicit solutions to balancing trade-offs between production and conservation taking into account dynamic impacts from climate change and fire. Outcomes will provide a foundation for policy changes to put theoretical solutions into practice.Read moreRead less
Conserving biodiversity in timber production forests. Intensified forestry to meet rising demand for timber is placing biodiversity at risk. The aim of this project is to develop and field-test a novel framework to reconcile forest conservation with production. The project seeks to resolve whether intensive forestry coupled with a large reserve network produces better biodiversity outcomes than less intensive forestry with fewer reserves. I will integrate abundances of plant and animal species w ....Conserving biodiversity in timber production forests. Intensified forestry to meet rising demand for timber is placing biodiversity at risk. The aim of this project is to develop and field-test a novel framework to reconcile forest conservation with production. The project seeks to resolve whether intensive forestry coupled with a large reserve network produces better biodiversity outcomes than less intensive forestry with fewer reserves. I will integrate abundances of plant and animal species with forest industry timber yield data in a uniquely suited landscape. Survey results will be synthesised with global data on biodiversity responses to forestry. This research will benefit the forest industry by providing guidelines that improve conservation outcomes while maintaining timber yield.Read moreRead less
Protecting the Tasmanian wilderness from an expanding deer population. This project aims to address the threats posed by deer to the unique sensitive environments in Tasmania, especially in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It will analyse the current and potential distribution of deer in Tasmania, describe their impacts on vegetation, and test how those impacts on vegetation interact with fire. The project will use data to develop options for management of deer to limit their enviro ....Protecting the Tasmanian wilderness from an expanding deer population. This project aims to address the threats posed by deer to the unique sensitive environments in Tasmania, especially in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It will analyse the current and potential distribution of deer in Tasmania, describe their impacts on vegetation, and test how those impacts on vegetation interact with fire. The project will use data to develop options for management of deer to limit their environmental impacts, and to prevent future damage to sensitive environments. This will provide environmental and economic benefits by safeguarding ecosystems of high value.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100121
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,534.00
Summary
Why do some declining species persist while others go extinct? Global change is driving thousands of species towards extinction. Legislation requires the protection of biodiversity, but current scientific understanding of species declines limits effective action. By taking a new approach to studying species declines, this integrative research aims to identify why some species persist, while others decline. This project is expected to improve understanding of species vulnerability to extinction, ....Why do some declining species persist while others go extinct? Global change is driving thousands of species towards extinction. Legislation requires the protection of biodiversity, but current scientific understanding of species declines limits effective action. By taking a new approach to studying species declines, this integrative research aims to identify why some species persist, while others decline. This project is expected to improve understanding of species vulnerability to extinction, and the conditions which allow species to coexist with threats. Anticipated benefits include advancing ecological theory, improving conservation planning, and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of policy and management to prevent species extinctions.Read moreRead less
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
Feast or famine: how Australian plants stay productive under low phosphorus. Phosphorus (P) is in low supply in soils around the nation, and limits plant production in the Australian landscape, as well as for many tropical forests worldwide. How scarce P restricts photosynthetic capacity has remained elusive. We will determine how Australian plants achieve high phosphorus-use efficiency despite low P concentrations in leaves and soils. We will synthesise knowledge of how plants maintain producti ....Feast or famine: how Australian plants stay productive under low phosphorus. Phosphorus (P) is in low supply in soils around the nation, and limits plant production in the Australian landscape, as well as for many tropical forests worldwide. How scarce P restricts photosynthetic capacity has remained elusive. We will determine how Australian plants achieve high phosphorus-use efficiency despite low P concentrations in leaves and soils. We will synthesise knowledge of how plants maintain productivity with low P availability, and inform global models how to represent P biogeochemistry and photosynthesis to improve C-cycle estimates. The understanding of plant photosynthetic and P-saving mechanisms that emerge should provide benefits through improved ecological models and enhanced management of primary production.Read moreRead less
Can animal dispersal inform fire management for species conservation? This project aims to improve fire management for environmental outcomes in northern Australia. It will address a key knowledge gap in our understanding of the effects of fire on biodiversity, relating to the spatial pattern of fire in the landscape. This is important because changing patterns of fire are not only a risk to humans but have major effects on our environment. This project will involve researchers, environmental ma ....Can animal dispersal inform fire management for species conservation? This project aims to improve fire management for environmental outcomes in northern Australia. It will address a key knowledge gap in our understanding of the effects of fire on biodiversity, relating to the spatial pattern of fire in the landscape. This is important because changing patterns of fire are not only a risk to humans but have major effects on our environment. This project will involve researchers, environmental managers and indigenous land owners to design better fire management strategies for biodiversity. The key benefits include new knowledge and tools to better manage fire and address one of our major environmental challenges, the decline of native wildlife in northern Australia.Read moreRead less
Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. ....Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. Dieback of our iconic snow gum forests is diminishing the ecological, hydrological and cultural values of the Australian Alps and will impact state and national water-supply and power-generation systems. Our research will inform Alps-wide management efforts designed for long-term success.Read moreRead less