Honours in Ecology and Environmental Science
2017 Honours Projects
2017 Honours Projects
2017 Honours Projects
2017 Honours Projects
2017 Honours Projects
2017 Honours Projects
www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/future-students/honours
2017 Honours Projects
Table of Contents
Overview of Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology and Environmental Science ................ 3
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
How to apply............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Structure of the Honours program in Ecology and Environmental Science .............................. 5
Honours Projects and Supervisors ..................................................................................................................... 7
Choosing a Research Project ............................................................................................................................. 7
Terrestrial Plant Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Ecology and Behaviour of Birds, Plant-Animal Interactions; Conservation Biology;
Restoration Ecology ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Plant Physiology; Nutrient Uptake, Ecotoxicology, Plant Molecular Biology .............................. 13
Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology............................................................................................................. 14
Functional Ecology of Animals & Plants, Especially Evolutionary Adaptations ........................ 15
Marsupial / Native Rodent - Life-History, Reproduction, Population Biology, Disease and
Conservation............................................................................................................................................................... 17
Invasion Biogeography & Quantitative Ecology ........................................................................................ 18
Global Change Biology; Climate Change Ecology & Macroecology................................................... 20
Water Research Group – Catchments, Lakes, Estuaries & Rivers ..................................................... 21
Marine Ecology .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Marine & Freshwater Ecology; Fish/Cephalopod Biology & Ecology ............................................. 25
Fish ecology, Climate Change, Estuaries & Coasts .................................................................................... 27
Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Biology ................................................................................................... 28
Spatial Information, Environmental Remote Sensing and GIS ........................................................... 30
Landscape Systems.................................................................................................................................................. 34
Centre for Applied Conservation Science; and Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility ........... 35
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Overview of Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology and
Environmental Science
The Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology and Environmental Science within the School of
Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide is the gateway to increased job opportunities and to
a great range of rewarding careers from research to working in natural environments. Our teaching
and research staff are international leaders in their fields. Join us for your Honours project and you
will be a member of a research team working at the leading edges of ecological and environmental
sciences.
This booklet includes many of the research projects in Ecology and Environmental Science that are
available to honours students. However, we encourage you to talk with staff as the projects in the
booklet do not reflect all the projects available. After identifying your preferred projects or areas,
please contact the academics who supervise those projects or those areas that interest you for more
details. You may also want to talk with current Honours students to find out what Honours is like
from a student perspective.
What is Honours like?
As an Honours student you become a member of the School and a valued colleague. You will spend
most of your time as part of a research group sharing goals, triumphs, disappointments and all of the
other things that are part of the adventure of scientific research. For the first time, you become
responsible for the outcome of your own scientific work. Honours students also partake in all
aspects of the social life of the School. You will form friendships and professional associations that
could last a lifetime.
The Honours degree will give you a thorough training in scientific method and a detailed insight into
ecological and environmental processes in the area of research that you pursue, as well as
exposure to analytic tools and techniques. The scientific approach to problem solving and
communicating science, and the self-confidence gained during the Honours year will equip you for a
wide variety of careers. Many of our students elect to continue in the research domain by enrolling in
the School's PhD programs. However, the analytical and communication skills that our students
acquire have led other Honours graduates into a range of careers in many different fields.
David Paton & José M. Facelli
EES Honours Co-ordinators
For information about Honours in Ecology and Environmental Sciences contact:
A/Prof. José Facelli, Room 104, Benham Building. Ph (08) 8313 4559
email: [email protected]
or
A/Prof. Bertram Ostendorf, Room Mo3, Davies Building, Waite Campus. Ph (08) 8313 7317
email: [email protected]
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Introduction
As an undergraduate you have learned about many facts, ideas and resources, and you have
demonstrated your ability to recall, organise and interpret that information. These are skills that you
will call upon many times in the future. So far, however, you may not have had many chances to
develop and apply your own ideas. This is one of the great attractions of the year ahead!
Completing a Honours year is a very worthwhile supplement to your B.Sc. degree. It is not just a
bridge to a postgraduate degree, nor simply a chance to explore an area of biology that especially
interests you. It is also an opportunity for personal development: a test of your imagination, self reliance and self-discipline. It will help to develop your confidence and prowess in clear thinking,
constructive criticism, communication and a variety of technical skills. These "advanced" skills are
likely to enhance your prospects for employment in many areas, quite apart from biology.
Honours in Ecology and Environmental Science is the recommended option for the student who is
enthusiastic about a career in research and academic pursuits from ecology, behaviour and
physiology to landscape science and the conservation and management of wildlife. The Honours
degree is the usual stepping-stone to a higher degree but all possibilities for future employment
remain open to you and are improved with an honours degree. Entry qualifications are normally
credits in 9 - 12 points of level 3 courses for your major or relevant to your Honours research project,
or equivalent. Students from outside the University and from allied departments within the university
may have equivalent courses and are encouraged to apply. Honours in Ecology and Environmental
Sciences will run from early February until November. It is also possible to begin in second
semester, commencing in late July and completing in late May. Under exceptional circumstances,
the Honours degree can be done on a half-time basis, over two years. For further information,
contact one of the EES Honours Coordinators.
During the year you will need to commit yourself to a series of challenging assignments, and you will
be responsible for most decision-making and management of your time. This information booklet
tells you about the content of the Honours program and offers suggestions about the various
options, particularly the research project. If you need more information about a project you are
encouraged to contact individual supervisors.
Toward a higher degree
Over the past several years, the number of students achieving a first class Honours degree in the
Environmental Biology has been about 50%, the Science Faculty average. Students with a first class
Honours are competitive in the scholarship rankings for postgraduate research in a PhD or Master of
Philosophy.
Eligibility
To win a place in Honours Ecology and Environmental Sciences you need to (1) have completed
your Science degree; (2) hold credits (65%) or better in the Level III subjects for your major and/or
relevant to your research project; and (3) have approval from a staff member with whom you have
discussed a possible project, and who has indicated that they would be willing to be your supervisor.
If you are in any doubt over your eligibility, please ask one of the Honours Coordinators.
Some supervisors may not be able to accept you because there is a limit on the number they are
allowed to supervise. You should investigate several alternative supervisors and projects and submit
at least 2 preferences when you submit your application.
If you come from another university, you may be eligible for Honours at Adelaide, depending on the
courses you have taken and your results. Please contact one of the Honours Coordinators in the
first instance with your transcripts and scholastic desires and they will advise you.
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How to apply
If you are interested in studying Honours you need to contact a prospective supervisor to discuss
potential honours projects and submit an Expression of Interest form to the Faculty of Sciences and
await an offer of a place in the class. You are then free to accept or reject the offer; your application
is not binding.
To find out how to submit your Expression of Interest and key dates go to the Faculty of Sciences
Honours website at:
http://www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/future-students/honours/
For those intending to start in First Semester, the nominal deadline for applications is late October,
so that offers can be sent out in December. Later applications are possible, but there may be delays
in processing. Those wanting to begin in Second Semester may apply in November, if they wish, or
postpone their application until, at the latest, the end of May. If you are sure that you wish to make a
mid-year start, you should apply in November, as potential supervisors may no longer be available
by the May selection period. In some years certain kinds of projects are more popular than others,
and it may not always be possible to give you your first choice of research project and supervisor. In
case complications do arise, we ask you to nominate a reserve choice.
Scholarships for Honours
In general students should consult the web-site: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/scholarships/honours/
Some staff have research grants that may include a scholarship for a project that falls within the
grant's umbrella. There are also a few 6-8 week summer scholarships available before honours, but
not for honours projects. Talk to potential supervisors about these.
Structure of the Honours program in Ecology and Environmental Science
The structure of the Honours programs in the Faculty of Sciences consist of two separate year-long
courses that collectively equate to 24 units. For Honours in Ecology and Environmental Science the
two courses are:
 Advanced Ecology and Environmental Science (Hons) worth 9 units
 Honours Ecology and Environmental Science Project worth 15 units
The course “Advanced Ecology and Environmental Science (Hons) contains three tasks that are
completed across the full academic year and focus on building research and (written)
communication skills. The three components are a literature review and research proposal, a
broadening essay and a short essay.
The course “Honours Ecology and Environmental Science Project” covers the major research
project. The research project consists of about 18 weeks of full time research and is presented as a
thesis written in the form of a research paper (hopefully with the intention of publication) with a
substantially expanded discussion to cover relevant literature and to explore project issues more
fully.
In addition to the assessed tasks, students will also undertake an Occupation Health and Safety
induction course and complete a Senior First Aid certificate, and should also attend regular or
special seminars and interact with the postgraduate students and staff. Honours students should
also become involved in some of the other activities that are part of University life, like assisting in
an undergraduate camp, or accompanying an academic or postgraduate student in the field if you
have the time. There will also be meetings between the class and the Honours Coordinator(s) and
between individual students and their supervisor. Other meetings during the year will be devoted to
discussions about the progress of your research, about ways to prepare essays, talks and posters,
and the use of school resources (e.g. computer software and statistical methods).
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Assessment
The Honours grading system is not like the one used for under-graduate courses. It ranges from
First Class (I) through Second Class Division A (IIA), Second Class Division B (IIB) and Third Class
(III), each with a numerical value. The greatest rewards in assessment are for originality, insight,
clear thinking and technical competence. These things will come through hard work and dedication.
For the purpose of scholarship competition, all students will be ranked. The ranking within the
classes is confidential.
Research supervisors
Most staff should be available as supervisors, but some may be unavailable, either because they
have their quota of students or they are on leave for part of the year. In addition, some of the staff
employed at the South Australian Museum, State Herbarium, Dept of Environment, Water & Natural
Resources, CSIRO and SARDI (Aquatic Sciences) are affiliated with the School of Biological
Sciences, and can offer projects and act as supervisors. Some of these external supervisors are
included below in the list of potential supervisors. Other external supervisors are possible but may
need to work with a staff member as an "internal" supervisor. If you have ideas in this direction,
discuss them with the appropriate staff member and one of the Honours Coordinators.
Role of the supervisor
Your research supervisor is someone with enough expertise in your field of interest to be able to
advise you about techniques, literature and so on. S/he should not direct your research, but offer
support, counsel and criticism, particularly in the planning stages. In consultation with your
supervisor, you need to refine the original idea (which may be only vaguely defined) and develop a
work plan. It may be a month before you have a clear set of goals. In this process you are expected
to play the major role: your supervisor will look to you for bright ideas and initiative.
Supervisors know from experience that student's inclinations and abilities differ, and they adjust their
contribution accordingly. Of course, you may need to make comparable adjustments in the demands
you make on your supervisor! Your relationship with your supervisor therefore is important. S/he
should be someone you find easy to talk with and, most importantly, someone you feel you could
work with and learn from.
Finally, it is your responsibility to maintain close contact with your supervisor and work out problems
immediately when they arise. There will be problems, and they tend to get worse if not dealt with
quickly.
Role of the Honours Coordinators
The Coordinators will want to keep in touch with the progress of each student and, in particular, to
offer advice and support if needed. The Coordinators are there to direct the course as a whole, to
oversee assessment of components, to organise and sit on marking committees, and to assemble
final reports so that the academic staff can decide on final marks and rankings.
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Honours Projects and Supervisors
Choosing a Research Project
Try to put aside the idea that now is the time to commit yourself to your future career. Honours
provides an introduction to research, and there are many pragmatic considerations to over-ride what
may be a long-held interest in tropical rainforests, dingoes, crocodiles, whales or other intriguing
organisms. Even if a competent supervisor is available, some project ideas will be judged as simply
impractical for Honours. Your project need not be a commitment to the kind of work you want to do
in future. Even so, you must have a genuine interest in it. If your enthusiasm is tentative, you may
find it hard to weather bouts of drudgery or those occasions when your best-laid plans go wrong.
As a rough guide, the research project is equivalent to about 18 weeks of full-time work (excluding
the literature review). As your time is limited, your project should be a modest one. It is much wiser
to "take a small bite and chew it well" than to be over-ambitious.
Your budget also is limited. The School allots a modest sum of money to your supervisor to support
your research. However, if your project involves extensive travel you will run down your budget very
quickly, unless you are able to offset the costs personally or by arranging shared field trips. Consult
your supervisor about the likely costs of your proposed research and how those costs will be met.
Your project should be foolproof. That is, it should have a straightforward core that will guarantee
you some results even if all your experiments fail. By all means be adventurous, but insure yourself
against disappointments. If the subject of your study is a population of animals, it should be
abundant, easily accessible and, if necessary, easily maintained in the lab. It is better to work with
houseflies than platypuses. Avoid projects that depend on seasonally available animals or plants.
Your project should have some scope for your ingenuity. A simple survey is likely to produce a
rather drab, uninteresting thesis, unless some form of critical inquiry accompanies it. One way to
develop this part of your project is to design experiments to explore what you see as the critical
questions. They may not work through no fault of yours, and importantly you are unlikely to be
penalised if you understand clearly what went wrong and what might be done in future. Your
examiners will be interested in your reaction to whatever difficulties may arise; endeavour to learn
from your mistakes and turn them to your advantage. Some of our most highly regarded theses
contain few original results; their winning virtues are more in the realm of "good ideas".
One way to think about a topic is to look beyond your project to a prospective publication in a
scientific journal. If you are planning to go on to a higher degree, a publication based on your
Honours research is a fine way to launch your career! In short, choose a reasonably simple project
that you would find interesting, and one "safe" enough to guarantee some results and yet provide
scope for innovation and experiment. Your work can be hypothesis-oriented or descriptive, or both.
Sometimes a project can begin with a relatively "safe" core of descriptive material. As the work is
carried out, unforseen questions arise and hypotheses can be tested.
The research interests of potential supervisors within the Department of Ecology and Environmental
Science are provided below with a few suggested projects. Bear in mind that these are suggestions
only. They give an idea of the research areas of potential supervisors and what they are interested
in at the moment. The supervisors also think that they are feasible. However, staff will be pleased to
discuss your own ideas and determine their feasibility.
If you are interested in any of these suggestions, or if you would like to discuss variations related to
the staff member's research interests, make an appointment to talk with them. If you are from
interstate, please contact the appropriate staff member(s) by email or telephone. Sometimes
supervisors are on leave and unable to take part in the Honours program. Be sure to confirm that
your supervisor is available for the period of your study.
Please note that there are other projects that overlap with the research areas outlined above that
are offered by colleagues in the Department of Genetics and Evolution and interdisciplinary projects
with the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.
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Terrestrial Plant Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR Assoc. Prof. José M. Facelli
[email protected]
CO-SUPERVISORS Dr Renate Faast, Dr Evelina Facelli, Dr Emma Steggles ,Dr Jasmin Packer,
Assoc. Prof. George Ganf, Dr John Goodfellow
The Terrestrial Plant Ecology research focuses on arid lands, and Mediterranean-type
environments, using an approach that always includes a strong conceptual component and rigorous
experimental design and statistical analyses.
Currently there are projects available in the following areas.
Effects of fire on terrestrial orchids and their pollinator.
This project aims to assess the impacts of fire on the reproductive output of threatened orchid
populations, taking into account the impacts of pollination, grazing, seed viability and seedling
establishment. It targets several species of orchids with contrasting pollination biology to fire
management regimes. Projects available include addressing the impact of prescribed burns on the
viability of orchid seeds and impact of prescribed burns on the survival and recruitment of orchid
seedlings. This project would suit an Honours intake at the beginning of the year, as most shallowtubered orchid species emerge in late autumn.
Root distribution and salinity and soil water dynamics in a chenopod shrubland: implications
for restoration ecology
Underground ecosystem processes (i.e. water distribution and use by plants) are central to arid land
ecology, but they are complex and poorly understood. In post-mining reconstructed soil profiles they
have to be re-established to make the system self-sustained. This project investigates the
distribution of roots and the use of water by key species in an open woodland with shrub understorey in a restored site in South Australia. It also investigates the effects of salinity redistribution
during the revegetation process. The information will help to understand long term dynamics of
these ecosystems and provide insight in their possible responses to climate change. It will also
provide essential information for restoration ecology. At least part of the work is conducted in a
remote mine site, sometimes staying for extended periods and working long hours under strenuous
conditions (flights, accommodation and meals are provided at the mine site). There are projects
available in the demography and reproduction biology of key species, adaptations of arid land plants
to stress and disturbances.
Interactions between microbes and plants
Plants modify the microbial community in the soil in ways that may favour or harm them. Some
invasive species, in particular, seem to be able to obtain an advantage over native plants through
this mechanism. The research in this area includes the effects of mycorrhizal and rhizobial
associations on seedling establishment and plant competition, plant-soil-microbe feedbacks, and the
effects of pathogens on native vegetation. This research can be particularly important to understand
the success of invasive species and to address limits to our ability to effect restoration of native
vegetation.
The sources and consequences of spatial and temporal variability in chenopod shrublands.
Spatial and temporal variability is a key aspect of the structure and function of arid land ecosystems.
During the last 12 years we have investigated how some of this heterogeneity is generated (e.g. by
accumulation of nutrients around perennial plants, through the effect of grazing animals, etc.). We
have also investigated the role of heterogeneity on population dynamics, community structure and
ecosystem processes). Some of our research in this area has direct practical implications for the
management of rangelands, while other aspects of the research are more directly linked to the
development of current ecological theory, in particular through the testing of the Storage Effect
Model of species coexistence. There are opportunities for research on the interactions between
annual plants and shrubs, assessment of heterogeneity in distribution of seeds in the soil seed bank,
and aspects of the competitive effects between shrubs. NOTE: Because of the seasonality of the
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system most project are available only for the beginning-of-the-year intake. The research is based at
the Middleback Field Centre, near Whyalla, at the Koonamore Vegetation reserve, near Yunta. This
work requires 4WD experience and extended stays in remote areas.
The ecology of invasive plants in native ecosystemsInteractions between plant parasites and
their hosts
Parasitic plants are widespread and abundant in Australia. However, their role in shaping the
population dynamics of their hosts and their effects on ecosystem processes are poorly understood.
There are opportunities to investigate the interactions between mistletoes and their host in along
environmental gradients to determine how abiotic stress affects the relationship. We are also
interested in the interactions between Cassytha spp (native coiling hemi-parasite) and their host,
particularly invasive species: Cassytha pubescens is often found on species such as Scotch broom
and gorse, having much stronger negative effects that on native hosts. These projects require
understanding of Plant ecophysiology.
Ecology and management of Phragmites australis
The common reed is an important species in freshwater and brackish ecosystems. While it is native
to local wetlands, its abundance is reported to have increased, probably in response to changes in
management regime. We are undertaking research to determine the drivers and consequences of
the expansion of the species, and obtaining information to help to develop control strategies. In
addition there is a project aimed to determine the genetics of the species, including ploidy
assessment on 50 living collection samples and sampling to inform species distribution modelling
(predictive modelling under different climate and management scenarios).
Faunal assemblages in wetlands of the Fleurieu Peninsula: effects of floristic changes
Fleurieu peninsula swamps are dynamic and changing systems. Research is currently being
undertaken on the management of the successional states within the Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps.
This research is focused on determining the effects of disturbance effected to alter the successional
stages on the flora within swamps on animal assemblages. The projects include assessment of
areas with different levels of dominance by blackberry and common reed.
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Ecology and Behaviour of Birds, Plant-Animal Interactions; Conservation
Biology; Restoration Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
CO-SUPERVISORS
Assoc. Prof. David Paton [email protected]
Dr Daniel Rogers, Dr Katherine Moseby
We have broad interests in terrestrial ecology and behaviour that are all aimed at providing research
outcomes that facilitate the management, conservation and restoration of biodiversity. Much of our
research investigates spatial and temporal variation in resources, and how these, and perturbations
like fire and drought, influence the distribution, abundance, behaviour and population demography of
flora and fauna, but particularly birds. We have a range of on-going research and long-term
monitoring programs being conducted in different areas of the State, and we list some project ideas
under each of these. These should act as a guide to the types of projects that could be developed
for an Honours degree.
Ecology and behaviour of birds and their resources in the Coorong
The Coorong is a Wetland of International Significance that is changing as a consequence of a lack
of adequate environmental flows. These in turn lead to changes in the distribution and abundance of
key food resources used by birds, such as the submerged aquatic plant Ruppia tuberosa. These
changes are likely to affect the quality of the habitats for waterbirds. One method of assessing
habitat quality from a waterbird perspective is by the amount of time allocated to foraging. Some
shorebirds (sandpipers, stints) and waterfowl (e.g. Black Swans) allocate most of the day to foraging
suggesting the quality of the Coorong wetlands is poor from their perspective. Potential projects
could investigate the performances of selected shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers, stilts,
oystercatchers and greenshank) that feed in both estuarine and hypermarine systems of the
Coorong and/or other wetlands that differ in types and abundances of available resources and so
test this idea. Other projects could explore the spatial and temporal patterns in the distributions and
aggregations of some of the piscivorous bird species in the region (terns, cormorants, herons,
egrets). These projects are aimed at assessing the quality of habitats for waterbirds, determining the
niches of waterbird species and in turn their ecological responses to changes in environmental flows
to the Coorong and adjacent Lower Lakes. The projects link to other work building habitat suitability
models for selected waterbird species and Ruppia tuberosa. There are also other projects that
explore how filamentous algae interfere with Ruppia tuberosa.
Other potential projects exist in the Coorong based on terrestrial birds and would involve
investigating use of space and habitat by co-existing honeyeaters in coastal vegetation.
Declining woodland birds in the Mt Lofty Ranges
A variety of potential projects on woodland birds are possible. These include autecological studies
on species that are regarded as declining in the Mt Lofty Ranges such as the Brown Thornbill and
Brown Treecreeper. The project on Brown Thornbills would involve documenting the shrub species
being used for foraging to determine if they have a predilection to use some species preferentially
and assessing home range sizes in different parts of the Mt Lofty Ranges. Willie Wagtails and Jacky
Winters are other species that could be studied.
Restoration ecology at Arid Recovery, Roxby Downs
Arid Recovery is multi-award winning partnership between the University of Adelaide, BHP Billiton
and the Dept of Environment, Water and Natural Resources that aims to restore an arid ecosystem
to something close to its pre-European condition. Projects on birds, endemic and re-introduced
mammals, invertebrates, plant demography, herbivory, and interactions between predators all have
the potential to be developed for an honours project. Although ecological restoration in these arid
systems takes time, there are a series of enclosures that now contain differing densities of bettongs,
bilbies and stick-nest rats that allow some experimental comparisons, as well as areas outside the
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reserve that lack the re-introduced native mammals but have rabbits, cats and foxes. In recent years
there has been an over-abundance of bettongs that has resulted in significant over-browsing of
selected native plants. To reduce these impacts the numbers of bettongs has been reduced
(translocated to outside areas) and so opportunities exist to examine recovery of vegetation
elements post-bettong removal. One of the key plants that was virtually eliminated in the presence
of high numbers of bettongs was Enchylaena tomentosa and this might be a suitable focal species
to study where the capacity of the plant to recover following removal of bettong (using small
enclosures) could be explored. This could include translocating seeds from outside the reserve into
areas that are and are not protected from grazing by bettongs.
Influence of fire, drought and topography on flora and fauna in Ngarkat
Ngarkat is a large reserve south of Lameroo and east of Tintinara. This largely mallee-heath system
has experienced a series of droughts and extensive fires over the last two decades. Projects here
would look at assessing the recovery of these heath-lands, particularly spatial and temporal (time
since fire) variation in recovery. Projects could investigate this recovery from a plant, invertebrate,
mammal, reptile or bird perspective, but a plant or invertebrate-based project is probably better for
an Honours degree. We already know that certain locations (the bases of southern and eastern
faces of dunes) are more likely to be used by birds and understanding why these patterns exist by
looking at plant productivity and invertebrate biomasses may provide the explanation. Various webforming spiders are also more prominent in mature heaths, greater than 10 years post-fire. So
another project could involve investigating the relationships between vegetation structure, plant
productivity, invertebrate abundance and spider ecology and behaviour. Other heathlands closer to
Adelaide are likely to provide similar opportunities, such as the Fleurieu Peninsula swamps.
Performance of revegetated areas in the Monarto area, and their re-colonisation by fauna
The Monarto region was planted with a wide range of local and exotic native trees (various
eucalypts mainly from Western Australia). Only the tree layer was planted before the revegetation
works ceased. This area is gradually being re-colonized by native fauna (birds, brush-tailed
possums, invertebrates) and understorey plants, the latter mainly arriving via birds. A range of a
potential projects suitable for honours exist building on previous work that has examined patterns of
use of the newly established novel woodlands by selected fauna relative to their use of nearby
remnants. Future projects could investigate colonisation patterns of selected invertebrates (ants,
wolf-spiders, native bees), birds, reptiles, and development of pollinator networks. Other projects
could investigate patterns to reproductive outputs and recruitment into the existing planted
populations, and or document and compare the performances (growth, survival, flowering) of the
different tree and shrub species that have been planted. Significant additional areas of farming land
are also being set aside for restoration providing opportunities to explore factors such as weeds and
grazing that may limit future revegetation works.
Use of hollows by hollow-dependent birds
There are a wide range of bird species, notably various pardalotes, tree martins, treecreepers,
parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos, owlet-nightjars, owls and ducks that use hollows in trees for breeding.
Other fauna including brush-tailed possums, bats and introduced honeybees also use hollows. This
project would involve documenting hollow use, hollow availability and assessing potential
competition between different species for access to suitable hollows. The project could be
conducted on properties in the nearby Mt Lofty Ranges, such as Para Woodland where lorikeets,
parrots, treecreepers and pardalotes are prominent hollow-users. Another project could be based on
Kangaroo Island where the focus would likely be on hollow use and interactions between different
species of cockatoo and or honeybees. This project could also be developed in other woodland
areas with mature trees. These projects are probably better suited to a mid-year start.
Restoring woodland habitats
Restoration of habitats is often promoted as a key initiative for preventing biodiversity losses. On
ground works vary from removing grazing by domestic stock (sheep, cattle), the control of weeds, to
replanting areas using different methods (direct seeding, planting tube stock). There is usually little if
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any monitoring of the outcomes from those actions. A suite of projects are possible under this broad
restoration heading from assessing benefits from excluding stock from patches of remnant
vegetation, to assessing some of the techniques used to germinate seeds and establish plants
(these latter projects could be done with staff from the Botanic Gardens), to exploring weed
competition or studying weed dispersal. In the Mt Lofty Ranges, high densities of Western Grey
Kangaroos have been recorded over-grazing native vegetation, and this erodes the quality of the
remnant vegetation. They are also a significant nuisance in revegetation works. Documenting the
extent of damage caused by kangaroos, whether there are any preferences for certain species or
spatial characteristics to the grazing impacts (edge effects) and testing whether heavily browsed
plants can recover (exclusion experiments), aid in the development of sensible management
actions.
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Plant Physiology; Nutrient Uptake, Ecotoxicology, Plant Molecular
Biology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Assoc. Prof. Rob Reid
[email protected]
The broad focus of our group is plant physiology, with specific interests in plant nutrition and plant
stresses caused by hostile soils or soil-based pollution, and the way in which these stresses can
limit productivity or adversely affect human health. Most projects are lab or glasshouse-based, but
can involve some aspect of fieldwork. The main techniques used in this work are: (a) measurement
of plant growth under favourable and toxic conditions; (b) radioactive tracers to measure uptake and
root to shoot transfer of nutrients and other elements; (c) elemental analysis by ICP and colorimetry;
and (d) basic molecular biology (database mining, PCR, gene sequencing, analysis of gene
expression). There are many projects suitable for an honours year including, but not limited to:
Acid Sulphate Soils in the Lower Murray River
The drawing down of water in the Murray River and the lower lakes has exposed soil which can
rapidly become very acidic, releasing toxic metals into the environment. Little is known about the
extent to which the release from these acid sulphate soils will impact on plant survival and
accumulation of toxic metals in plants. The project would examine these issues. There is currently
intense interest in this problem, and there may be research funds available to assist with the running
of the project.
Arsenic in plants.
In many areas of the world, particularly developing countries in Asia, arsenic compounds occur in
high concentrations in soil and water, either through the natural geochemistry or via contamination.
As a consequence, large numbers of people are being slowly poisoned through drinking water and
ingestion of agricultural produce with elevated levels of arsenic. Attempts to limit arsenic in food
crops have focussed on how arsenic is absorbed by plants and how it is stored and transported
around plants. There is scope for studying the transport processes, the biochemical conversions of
arsenic inside the plant, or the molecular biology on which these activities depend.
Heavy metal uptake by plants
Excess heavy metal uptake can impact adversely on plant growth and on humans and other animals
who ingest plant products containing high concentrations of heavy metals. Relatively little is know
about the processes involved in the accumulation and internal transport of heavy metals in plants.
However, it is well known that some plants take up very little heavy metal while others take up very
large amounts (‘hyperaccumulators’). Physiological investigation of heavy metals and plants could
involve examination of the mechanisms of toxicity and/or detoxification, membrane transport or
mechanisms or strategies for limiting heavy metal loading into edible plant tissues.
Boron toxicity and tolerance in plants
Boron toxicity is a problem for many plants and there have been some recent advances in the
understanding of mechanisms of boron tolerance. This work is now mostly being tackled at the
molecular level by identifying the genes responsible. Nevertheless there is still much to be learnt
about how boron exerts toxic effects, and how tolerant plants are able to deal with the toxicity.
Feel free to propose any topic in the area of soil-plant-nutrition-heavy metal interaction that you think
might make an interesting honours project.
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Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR Prof. Phil Weinstein
CO-SUPERVISOR Prof Andy Austin
[email protected]
Chironomids in extreme environments
Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) are very similar to mosquitoes, and are masters at survival: their
larvae live in waters that can be surprisingly hot (hot springs), cold (Antarctica), deep (2 km!), acidic,
saline, ephemeral, or otherwise challenging. We are interested in comparing larval habitats in South
Australia to what is known from the international literature: are the larvae in our Dalhousie hot
springs tougher than their counterparts overseas? How acid and salt tolerant are larvae in the
Coorong compared to elsewhere? Can our larvae survive desiccation in ephemeral water bodies,
like the ones in Africa? The exact focus and hypothesis to be tested will be developed under this
umbrella, depending on the interests and skills of the student – it could include aspects of
vulnerability to climate change, molecular approaches to cryptic species identification, and
biodiversity conservation.
The University of Adelaide
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Functional Ecology of Animals & Plants, Especially Evolutionary
Adaptations
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Em. Prof. Roger Seymour
[email protected]
I encourage students to develop their own projects within my area of expertise. Most recent Honours
student projects from my lab have been published in reputable journals, and the expected aim is to
produce more new research at a professional level. The best projects evolve from discussions about
what interests the student and me at the time. The project should have a core that is certain to be
successful but offer scope for students to expand in less certain ways. But in case you need ideas,
below are a few suggestions that I think would make good Honours projects. They are projects that
have not been done before, but are generally quite feasible with the available time and resources. To
get sufficient background, it is advisable for a student to study relevant aspects of comparative
ecophysiology of animals at the beginning of the year under my supervision.
Buoyancy and aquatic stability of sauropod dinosaurs
The aim here is to use computer models and 3-D printed models to examine the proposal that
sauropod dinosaurs were aquatic. The student should have some ability to learn CAD and boat
buoyancy software. Another question revolves around the problem of pulling feet from mud, and this
could be approached with physical models.
Estimating blood flow from holes in bone
This project extends from previous projects that have been very fruitful (four publications from four
honours students). The idea is simple. One can assess the amount of blood flowing through the
arteries to organs if one knows the size of the vessel. We have already measured the femoral nutrient
foramen of mammals, birds, reptiles and dinosaurs that is involved in locomotion. One can predict
the maximum metabolic rate of the organism from the size of these holes. We have also looked at the
carotid foramen of primates which shows how much blood goes to the brains during evolution of the
group. Recently the technique has been applied to human evolution, with startling results. The project
next stage could involve other groups of vertebrates, and ask, for example, whether female birds have
greater blood flow to their bones than males because they recruit calcium for eggshell formation. The
results from this could lead to analysis of dinosaur bones and possibly distinguish the sex of the
animal.
Heat-producing flowers
Flowers of about 14 families of plants produce enough heat from metabolism to raise their
temperatures significantly above the temperature of the air. Some species can warm themselves 35C
above the environment, with metabolic rates that exceed all living animals except for a few flying
insects. Some species regulate the floral temperature with striking precision. They do this apparently
for the benefit of insect pollinators. The literature in this area has come largely from my laboratory
and from collaborators. If funded for 2017, there is scope for someone interested in botany and
pollination biology to join in research in Adelaide and possibly overseas.
Respiration and energetics in wood-boring beetle larvae
Many larvae of insects burrow through wood of living and dead trees. This behaviour raises two
main questions concerning the cost/benefit of the activity in terms of energy and the respiratory
environment inside the burrows. Energy balance could be measured by respiration during burrowing
and relating it to the distance burrowed, the volume and energy content of the wood, and the energy
assimilation efficiency of the larvae. Respiratory environment could be measured with oxygensensitive fibre-optic probes called optodes. Two students could be involved with this project and
share resources and techniques.
Endothermy of dung beetles
Adult dung beetles belong to the scarab family, a group that shows facultative endothermy
(physiological warming of the body) during locomotion: walking, flying and burrowing. An earlier
Honours project showed that it was possible to measure metabolic rate during burrowing in dung
beetles from Australia. Burrowing is an important behaviour because the adults bury dung in which
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their eggs are laid. However it is not known whether endothermy is involved during burrowing of any
insect, let alone scarabs. Manipulation of soil characteristics and measurements of temperature and
oxygen consumption would offer insights into this essential activity of a most important group of
insects.
Aquatic spiders
Some Australian spiders are known to make webs on the bottom of shallow lakes near the Coorong.
Underneath the web is a layer of air in which the spiders live. The composition of that air, how it is
maintained and whether oxygen is gained from the water through the web is unknown. By using tiny
fibre-optic oxygen sensors, we can measure the oxygen level in this gas space in the field and possibly
the lab. Then we could model how gas moves across the web to keep the spiders alive.
The University of Adelaide
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Marsupial / Native Rodent - Life-History, Reproduction, Population
Biology, Disease and Conservation.
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Dr David Taggart
[email protected]
I have strong interests in marsupial and native rodent life history, applied conservation and
rewilding, reproductive ecology, assisted breeding, population biology, wildlife health and disease,
spatial distribution; comparative physiology; behaviour and conservation genetics. I am keen to
supervise passionate, high-quality students interested in the fields described above.
If these general areas of research are of interest, then I would be happy to discuss possible Honours
projects with you further. Potential projects and supervision will vary from year to year depending
upon student interests and academic background; available funding; research priorities and current
student numbers. Some specific projects are listed under ‘Spatial Information, Environmental
Remote Sensing and GIS’.
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Invasion Biogeography & Quantitative Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
CO-SUPERVISORS
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Assoc Prof Phill Cassey
 [email protected]
 www.cassey-invasion-ecology.org
Dr Rebecca Boulton, Dr Thomas Prowse, Dr Steven Delean
Dr Andrew Woolnough (DEDJTR, Victoria), Dr John Virtue (PIRSA)
Human actions have contributed to pervasive changes in biodiversity at a variety of scales through
the dual processes of species extinction and introduction. We are interested in the use of invasive
vertebrate populations as models for studying the flexibility in behavioural and physiological traits
during the invasion process. All projects will be well-supported logistically and the development of
individual research projects, to match the students’ interests, will be particularly encouraged.
Interested candidates should refer to our website for further information:
http://www.cassey-invasion-ecology.org/
Our research has strong research and collaborative funding ties with Biosecurity SA
(http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa ) and the quantitative sciences and invasive species groups
in the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences
(http://www.daff.gov.au/abares ). We are participating members of the Invasive Animals CRC
(http://www.invasiveanimals.com/ ). Scholarships are available for candidates with particularly strong
academic records.
A number of projects are available in Animal Behaviour and Physiology, Biosecurity Risk and Policy,
Invasive Species Biology, Global Change Ecology, and Biogeography. Examples of some of these
are listed below:
Distribution and habitat preferences of overabundant vertebrate pests
South Australia has a number of over-abundant (exotic and native) vertebrate pest species. These
species include over-abundant native marsupials (Kangaroo Island) and exotic mammals (Mount
Lofty Ranges). These projects will work with state and local Government agencies and stakeholder
groups to determine the distribution and habitat preferences of over-abundant species and the
impacts that these populations are having on other species and native communities. Guidelines for
their future management will be developed. The suitable candidate should be prepared to undertake
a project with both intensive field and quantitative components, and (on Kangaroo Island) live away
from Adelaide for extended periods.
Monitoring of threatened species in the Mount Lofty Ranges
Effective conservation of threatened species relies on an adequate and reliable knowledge of their
distribution. Threatened species are usually sparsely distributed and their populations are localised,
resulting in challenging situations to conduct essential monitoring programs. These projects will
examine different methods and techniques for obtaining reliable information about the status of: (i) a
vulnerable bird species (Zoothera lunulata halmaturina); and (ii) threatened reptile species in the
Mount Lofty Ranges. The results would be of interest not only for the management of the particular
study species, but also to a broader audience of both researchers and managers. The suitable
candidate should be prepared to undertake a project with both intensive field and quantitative
components.
Overgrazing in the Mount Lofty Ranges
Overgrazing of remnant woodlands by native and exotic herbivores is a critical conservation issue.
However, the spatial distribution of grazing pressure, and flow-on effects for biodiversity, are poorly
understood. This project will map current grazing pressure throughout the Mount Lofty Ranges using
rapid vegetation assessments and, using comprehensive data available from the woodland bird
monitoring programme, quantify relationships between grazing pressure and bird diversity. This
project will inform herbivore-management approaches and links strongly with currently funded
research seeking woodland management strategies that optimise conservation outcomes. The
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student will be expected to work closely with a number of internal and external stakeholders,
including the Department of Environment and Water Resources and the Nature Conservation
Society of South Australia. The suitable candidate should be prepared to undertake a project with
both intensive field and quantitative components.
Native predators as novel promoters of exotic pest control
Mice plagues are an increasing agricultural issue with the change of tilling practices in the South
Australian range lands. This project (based on the Yorke Peninsula) will examine the distribution and
resource limitation of native barn owls, Tyto alba (habitat, roosting, and nesting), and the potential
placement and occupancy of artificial nest boxes across agricultural and conservation areas. The
suitable candidate should be prepared to undertake a project with both intensive field and
quantitative components, and live away from Adelaide for extended periods.
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Global Change Biology; Climate Change Ecology & Macroecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR Dr Damien Fordham  [email protected]
Global extinction rates have soared over the past century, due predominantly to the resource
demands of a burgeoning human population. Shifting land-use and wildlife exploitation, and elevated
rates of competition and predation by invasive organisms, have reduced the range and abundance
of many species, directly causing severe biodiversity loss at local scales, and indirectly limiting the
scope for sufficient ecological and evolutionary adaptation to future environmental change.
Understanding how biodiversity will respond to future human impacts requires innovative new
approaches which explicitly couple ecological and climatic-geophysical processes.
Research in my group is focused on:
 Delivering the predictive tools required to anticipate ecological responses to climate change in the
context of other human-driven threatening processes.
 Identifying the mechanisms that drive range contractions. This is important for the conservation
and management of biodiversity, because the contraction of a species’ distribution generally
precedes its extinction.
 Determining why some species are present in some locations, but not others? This is a simple,
fundamental ecological question, yet surprisingly, our answers on this point remain far from
complete.
Our research utilizes the latest developments in quantitative ecology, paleoclimatology,
geochronology and genomics.
A number of honours projects are available in the areas of climate change ecology, global change
impacts on biodiversity, species range dynamics and extinction processes. Examples of some of
these are listed below:
Management strategies for mitigating climate change impacts on frogs.
Recently we developed species’ range dynamics models for 24 frogs in the protected Wet Tropics of
Queensland UNESCO World Heritage Area. These models showed that 4 species face extinction by
2080 due to human-induced climate change. However, the research also showed that for at least
three species, there might be more time than first expected for conservation managers to intervene
successfully. The next step in this on-going research project is to use these range dynamics models
to compare the efficacy of different on-ground management interventions, including the translocation
of frogs to more suitable environments.
Mapping the pace and stability of past climate change in Australia
Climate metrics, such as the speed of climate change and frequency of extreme events, can be
used to estimate the influence of climate shifts on poorly described (ecologically) species, which
represent most of the Earth’s biodiversity. Therefore ecologists are using climate metrics with an
increasing frequency to forecast future biological responses to climate change. In this project we are
using PaleoView, a climate analysis and viewing tool that we recently developed, to map the speed
and magnitude of climate change since the last glacial maximum (approximately 21,000 years ago)
for marine and terrestrial systems in Australia. This information will be used to identify areas of high
and low climate stability and quantify their relative effect on macro-ecological patterns.
Modelling the effects of climate change on the range dynamics of plants
For the last few years we have been modelling the past distributions of plant species using
physiological models. Recently we independently tested predictions of climate-driven range shifts
from these models using the fossil record. These validation tests showed that our physiological
models tend to do a good job at predicting ‘real-world’ range shifts in response to past climate
change. There is now opportunity to use these good performing models to investigate the impacts of
likely future climate change on the range area and movement of plants.
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Water Research Group – Catchments, Lakes, Estuaries & Rivers
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Assoc Prof Justin Brookes
[email protected]
CO-SUPERVISORS
Dr Kane Aldridge , Dr Todd Wallace, Dr Anna Rigosi, Dr Deb Furst,
Dr Paul van Ruth, Dr Leon Linden
Change to land-use and modified hydrology has changed nutrient loading and biodiversity in aquatic
ecosystems, including estuaries, lakes, rivers and wetlands. The focus of our group is to study how
plant and animal physiology, populations and community assemblages respond to changes in flow
and biogeochemistry. We are particularly interested in productivity and the transfer of material from
one trophic level to another.
We have projects in the Coorong, the Southeast, the Murray River, creeks and rivers of the Mt Lofty
Ranges, and lakes around the globe. Our approach is experimental and relies upon field
observations that can be tested either in the laboratory or by manipulation in the field. We often
model our results to test scenarios of how systems will respond to climate warming, nutrient loading
or modified biogeochemistry.
Our research has strong ties with SA Water, The Murray Darling Basin Authority, Department of
Environment,Water and Natural Resources, SARDI Aquatic Science, The Goyder Institute, Water
Research Australia and The Global Lake Ecosystem Observatory Network.
The group also has a strong interest in providing solutions to the water industry and environmental
managers. This includes reservoir management, using sophisticated sensors for detecting hazards
and treatment solutions for chemical and biological contaminants.
Potential projects are not limited to those listed below and we welcome discussion on other ideas
and projects.
Do mangroves provide carbon to food webs or are they only structural habitat?
This project will explore marine food webs associated with mangrove habitats. The association of
fauna will be determined with surveys and a subsample collected for stable isotope analysis to
determine the structure of the food web. The possible sources of carbon fuelling these food webs
are pelagic phytoplankton, epiphytic algae, seagrasses and mangroves. The carbon stable isotopes
will be used to assess how much mangrove derive carbon is entering the foodweb.
Phytoplankton productivity and foodwebs in the Great Australian Bight
This is a collaborative project with Paul van Ruth at SARDI Aquatic Sciences and will involve
examinations of primary productivity of phytoplankton in the Great Australian Bight and its
contribution to fisheries. Primary productivity will be measured via the uptake of radioactive
carbonate (14C) and fluorometry, assessments of size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass. Food
web studies based on the relative enrichment of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in organisms
in lower trophic levels (microbes: zoo/ichthyoplankton) in comparison to their food sources will be
used to construct food webs and build knowledge on how nutrient rich upwelling current can fuel a
boom in primary and secondary productivity.
Nutrient increase in the clear lakes - Ewens Ponds and Piccaninnie Ponds
Ewens Ponds and Piccaninnie Ponds are beautiful clear lakes south of Mt Gambier. However, the
lakes are showing signs of impact by surrounding landuse and nutrient inputs. This project will look
at the light requirements of macrophytes in the lake and determine how nutrient inputs increase
phytoplankton growth and so decrease light availability. The lakes will be instrumented with oxygen
sensors to measure lake metabolism and determine how this is impacted by nutrient input and
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temperature. The practical outcome of this work will be a nutrient threshold for maintaining lake
water quality.
Algal blooms and climate change.
Cyanobacterial blooms are expected to increase with climate change. This project will use a range
of data from lakes from all over the world to determine if there has been an increase in algal blooms
and how this is affected by different nutrient and hydrodynamics. This project will contribute to an
international collaboration on this theme.
Sediments and nutrient dynamics
Lake sediments can contribute a significant nutrient load to lakes during anoxic conditions. In
addition, finer sediment, are likely to be exposed to wave action and suspended into the water
column, thus enhancing nutrient release into the water column. The aim of this project is to examine
the extent to which these two mechanisms are likely to influence nutrient levels in lakes and assess
the increased potential of the occurrence cyanobacterial blooms. This project will involve a
combination of field and laboratory work.
Food webs and energy flow in Aquatic systems
Food webs map the flow of energy through ecosystems. In aquatic systems phytoplankton primary
productivity and terrestrial inputs are incorporated into zooplankton and then fish and birds. We have
several food web studies using isotopes and predator-prey associations to determine how food
webs respond to drought and flooding. Sites of interest include the Coorong, The River Murray
(particularly around Chowilla) and the streams of Kangaroo Island.
The influence of reduced river inputs on nutrient balances of freshwater systems
Reduced input of water from rivers into lakes is a common occurrence around the world, which
reduces the amount and form of nutrients entering river and lake systems from the terrestrial
landscape. These reduced inputs also increase water residence time in lakes, thus increasing
deposition of inorganic and organic material. This results in release of nutrients from the sediment,
essentially switching the primary source of nutrients from external inputs to internal inputs
(sediments). This is likely to alter the form of nutrients within the water column, which will have major
implications for the biota of the system through altered ecological stoichiometry. The aim of this
study is to compare the relative abundances of various forms of nutrients entering lakes from
external and internal inputs.
Development of an index for aquatic plant condition
Biofilms are a layer of microorganisms that adhere to surfaces including rocks, gravel, sediment,
wood and aquatic macrophytes. Biofilms are highly responsive to changes in the flow regime over
short-temporal cycles. Stabilisation of water levels has had a major impact on biofilms in the lower
River Murray. This is due to (i) a reduction in the frequency and duration of periods of exposure
(drying) and deep inundation (reduced light availability), and (iii) the velocity of flows within weir
pools is typically much lower than would have been occurred for the same discharge. The project
will investigate the potential for weir pool manipulations and short periods of elevated discharge to
improve the nutritional quality of biofilms which are grazed by shrimps and other invertebrates.
Functional and structural algal and biofilm community responses to disturbance
Algal and biofilm communities are highly dynamic and able to respond quickly to disturbance. Unlike
less dynamic communities (macrophytes) their community composition is likely to change in
response to disturbance with little apparent change in the functioning of the community. This makes
it extremely difficult to assess the condition of algal communities without carrying out timeconsuming identification and counts. The aim of this project is to compare the functional and
structural responses of algal communities to perturbations in order to determine appropriate
measurements for assessing the condition of ecosystems.
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Marine Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Prof. Sean D. Connell
[email protected]
Giant Australian Cuttlefish, squid and octopus
Cephalopods continue to capture the imagination of scientists and public alike, demonstrating
staggering levels of intelligence and adaptability. They are also becoming an ever-more important
component of global fisheries. This project will work with the behaviour and performance of
cephalopods in their natural environment and in aquaria. It will work out the best conditions for their
growth and future sustainability
Habitat restoration for conservation and economy
How can we restore habitats that not only improve biodiversity and water quality, but also increase
protein production and regional economies? This project opens up a new way of thinking for
science and policy.
Ocean-acidification and ocean-warming
What will marine life in our oceans look like in 150 years time? We will create future oceans and
test its affects on marine life and their interactions with each other. Students working in this area
have produced world-class results that has received global attention.
Developing a new theory about stability of nature
This project will assess unstudied mechanisms (i.e. compensatory processes) that underpin
biological and ecological stability. Most organisations are concerned about stability and resistance
to change, yet ecologists tend to study change and resilience to change. This project requires an
open mind to create a new way to consider nature and how to assist her persist future shocks.
Future shock and ecosystem collapse.
One of the greatest challenges in ecology is to understand the relationship between local patterns
and the hierarchy of processes that interact to sustain or drive collapse of complex assemblages.
The project will investigate the processes anticipated to be of most importance and span the spatial
scales of greatest relevance to many species. The work may focus on seagrass beds, kelp forests
or intertidal areas and involve fieldwork or laboratory work or any combination of these.
Putting it together: genes, species, communities, ecosystems.
Despite more than 100 years of modern ecology, there are few if any cross-scale and disciplinary
models spanning molecular biology, species taxonomy, population dynamics, functional group
hypotheses, and ecosystem processes to account for biological diversity. This project aims to use
disparate approaches, as integrated by biogeography, oceanography and climate, both past and
future.
SCUBA Diving to discover new species and insights into nature.
This project requires SCUBA diving and use of boats. You will need to have 15 hours of SCUBA
experience and a boat licence. The diving will be on kelp forests or/and seagrass forests. You will
be looking for new species and gather new data to fill gaps in knowledge about patterns of diversity
of fish, invertebrates and plants. Some projects may involve doing underwater experiments to test
hypotheses about habitat restoration.
Blending field, aquarium and laboratory work.
This project involves work in the field and laboratory to assess locations in which biodiversity is
vulnerable and locations in which lost biodiversity may be restored. Some of it will require wading
around the intertidal zone, using microscopes, controlled temperature rooms and aquariums. Some
aspects of this work may be funded by both state and federal agencies and involve meetings with
their scientists and managers.
Collaborative projects
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To enrich your research experience, I often co-supervise with experts from within the university (Ivan
Nagelkerken, Bronwyn Gillanders, Pablo Mungiua, Zoe Doubleday) and government scientists and
policy makers (Department of Environment & Natural Resources, SA Water, EPA, Marine Parks).
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Marine & Freshwater Ecology; Fish/Cephalopod Biology & Ecology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR:
Prof. Bronwyn Gillanders
[email protected]
Our research group focuses on marine and freshwater ecology, with a strong emphasis on fish and
fisheries ecology. A key gap in knowledge concerns identifying origins (e.g. nursery habitats) and
potential movements of organisms and determining past environmental histories. We are particularly
interested in the use of chemical signatures (e.g. trace elements and isotopes) in calcified structures
(e.g. ear bones, vertebrae and shells) to track movements. This interest is also being used to solve
issues of sustainability of the giant Australian cuttlefish and freshwater fishes of the Murray River.
Calcified structures as indicators of climate change and past environmental histories
Calcified structures found in aquatic species are being used more and more to identify environments
that aquatic species have experienced via analysis of elemental composition. Although many field
studies are analysing elements within calcified structures, their ability to interpret such analyses is
limited without a thorough understanding of the factors that affect their chemistry. There are a range
of possible projects that involve raising fish or invertebrates under different experimental conditions
and determining effects on trace elements and stable isotopes within the relevant calcified structure.
In addition, there are other field-based projects that could, for example, investigate movement or
environmental histories of fish using differences in trace elements. Potential species for such work
include estuarine/marine (e.g. mulloway, bridled goby) and freshwater (e.g. golden perch, Murray
cod) fish, as well as sharks, cephalopods (e.g. squid), bivalves and gastropods.
Fish in estuarine and reef habitats
Many fish utilise a variety of habitats (e.g. seagrass, mangroves, saltmarsh) during the juvenile
stages of their life cycle and then move to habitats that are some distance away. We currently have
little information on which species use which habitats and how this may change with distance from
different habitats. There is scope for many projects in this area depending on the interest of the
student. We also lack information on fish assemblages on rocky reefs and how this may change with
habitat or protection. There is scope for projects to use baited remote underwater videos to survey
fish assemblages.
Cephalopod (squid, octopus and cuttlefish) biology and ecology
Cephalopods are well known for their rapid growth, short life spans and strong life-history plasticity.
They are also an important fisheries species and our recent work demonstrates a global proliferation
of cephalopods, although the reasons for this increase are unclear. In addition little is known about
the potential impacts of a changing climate on the early life history stages of cephalopods. There is
scope to conduct a laboratory-based project which investigates the effects of elevated temperature
and CO2 on embryo development and/or hatchling behaviour in cephalopods. A range of projects
investigating drivers for changes in abundance, and how life history traits affect abundance are also
possible.
Development of biochronologies in the calcified structures of aquatic species
Many hard calcified structures found in aquatic organisms form growth rings with a precise
periodicity (e.g. ear bones, shells and teeth). Ecologists are increasingly using these growth rings to
look at long-term decadal-scale changes in the growth rates of aquatic taxa in relation to various
environmental indices, such as freshwater flows and water temperature. There are a number of
possible projects that would involve developing growth chronologies (ie measuring ring widths) and
linking the chronologies to various environmental datasets. Species may include marine and
freshwater fish, bivalves and gastropods.
Historical ecology of Murray cod
Stocking of Murray cod in South Australia has recently begun, however we lack historical
information on this species. A range of projects are available that bring together historical
information to gain a better understanding of this iconic species.
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Sharks teeth as environmental indicators
Sharks are important predators in the oceans. They exist in both modern and historic collections.
Several projects are available in this area – one would focus on palaeo collections of sharks teeth
and what species existed in the past and another would focus on modern day collections and
investigate the usefulness of sharks teeth to trace changes in environmental conditions.
Several of the above projects will also involve co-supervisors from the University, SARDI Aquatic
Sciences or PIRSA fisheries.
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Fish ecology, Climate Change, Estuaries & Coasts
CONTACT SUPERVISOR Assoc. Prof. Ivan Nagelkerken
[email protected]
My research is centred on two main themes: (1) the effects of climate change on marine species
and ecosystems, (2) nursery function of mangroves/seagrass bed for coastal fish species. Together
these themes focus on the effects of global change and anthropogenic impacts on the biology of
ecologically or economically important aquatic species. The studies are highly relevant for
management purposes and to understand how climate change will affect productivity and resilience
of coastal ecosystems and their associated animal populations.
Projects are sometimes in collaboration with experts from other Australian universities or staff from
the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (e.g. Sean Connell, Bronwyn Gillanders, Pablo
Munguia). Below, three ongoing themes with multiple projects are listed, but many other options are
available (e.g. coral reefs, marine reserves, etc.).
Climate Change
Multiple projects are available to study climate change effects (e.g. ocean warming, ocean
acidification, extreme weather events) on marine animals and ecosystems. While the focus is largely
on fishes, research includes the ecological interactions with other vertebrate and invertebrate
species as well as interactions with their aquatic habitats. Advanced field as well as lab experiments
are done on a variety of ecologically or economically important species (e.g. barramundi, snapper,
mulloway, Port Jackson sharks). Projects focus on the physiology (e.g. growth, metabolism),
behaviour (e.g. predator-prey interactions, feeding behaviour) and the ecology (e.g. habitat use,
competition, invasive species, trophic cascades) of marine organisms. Complex experiments on
community structuring and ecosystem functioning are done in our state-of-the-art mesocosm facility
at SARDI West Beach. The overall focus of my research is to understand and better predict the
long-term impacts of global change on marine species and functioning of coastal ecosystems. This
research theme has received much international and local media attention, has a multi-disciplinary
approach, and includes field-work components.
Sensory ecology and fish behaviour
The majority of marine species have a two-phase life cycle, one of which is an oceanic larval phase.
Larvae possess excellent navigational capabilities and can have a large influence on where they
end up after settlement. Several projects are available that investigate the attraction of larval fish
species towards olfactory and sound cues from coastal habitats (e.g. rocky reefs, mangroves,
seagrass beds, kelp). Projects also focus on how human deterioration of coastal habitats may affect
settlement behaviour of marine larvae, including the effect of anthropogenic sound on hearing and
the effect of coastal water quality on olfaction by fish and invertebrate larvae.
Nursery function of coastal ecosystems
Mangrove and seagrass ecosystems have long been recognized for their nursery role for a variety of
coastal fish and crustacean species. Many of these species are of commercial importance or
perform important ecological roles. Projects are available to study the underlying mechanisms of
nursery habitat use (i.e. based on experiments), or understand how coastal ecosystems and
estuaries locally enhance juvenile abundances/diversity of fisheries species (i.e. based on patterns
revealed from field work) and how this depends on different levels of protection (e.g. sanctuary type)
systems.
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Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
Dr Pablo Munguia
[email protected]
My long-term research goals involve addressing how and why rare species persist in communities.
In any given local habitat, only a few species are abundant, while the rest are less common or rare.
This uneven distribution of abundances is noted over a wide range of taxa and habitats. Therefore,
research involving rare species is fundamental for understanding diversity patterns and evolutionary
trajectories of individual species. These research interests encompass two different avenues. The
first involves studying whole communities in order to understand the relative importance of
mechanisms that affect and maintain diversity. The second approach focuses on individual species
in order to understand the constraints imposed by their natural history (such as growth, and
reproductive behaviour), dispersal ability, and interactions with other species. While my research
goals are founded on basic ecological theory, these studies have potential applications in fields such
as conservation biology, fisheries biology and the ecology of invasive species. I collaborate with
several members of the School of Biological Sciences.
Aquaculture and fisheries biology of blue crabs and other commercially important
invertebrates
Taking advantage of ecosystem services with sustainable strategies requires a good understanding
of species-specific processes at subcellular, organismic, and ecosystem-level scales. This research
line takes advantage of the Coobowie field station and collaborations with stockholders and other
scientists. Honours projects currently revolve around blue crab field ecology or laboratory
experiments concerning development of protocols for larval and juvenile rearing. Studies on other
commercially important species can be discussed on a case-by-case basis
Ecology of shallow water benthic communities
Current ecological theory suggests that habitat heterogeneity and dispersal limitation (or habitat
isolation) can affect the maintenance of local populations from outside sources. This project would
consist of experimental work in relatively shallow benthic communities to test the effect of these
mechanisms on the abundance and distribution of species.
Hermoregulation of intertidal snails and crabs
Intertidal organisms experience large variation in daily and seasonal temperatures, yet the majority
are ectotherms. This project would consist of lab and field work conducted in habitats near Adelaide.
See the BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14631028
Parasite ecology
Crustacean parasites that occur on fish have very complex life cycles shaped by the co-evolutionary
history of the host. This project would benefit from the South Australia Museum collections and
would consist mostly of laboratory work. See the piece by National Geographic on my MSc student’s
research: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/28/tongue-eating-fish-parasites-nevercease-to-amaze/
Population structure, harem formation and orientation behaviour in native and invasive
isopods
Proximate mechanisms of dispersal can provide information as to how animals move and help
understand the evolutionary consequences. Isopods are a fantastic experimental tool to understand
many of the processes associated with dispersing and aggregation, including group living behaviour.
This work would be field and laboratory based.
Population structure and levels of selection in marine crustaceans
Current genomic methods provide a new set of tools to understand genetic diversity and levels of
selection in non-model species (e.g., a model species would be Drosophila). However, a current
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challenge is to understand the large amount of information obtained from next generation
sequencing. This project would involve molecular biology research.
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Spatial Information, Environmental Remote Sensing and GIS
CONTACT SUPERVISORS –Prof. Megan Lewis
[email protected]
A/Prof Bertram Ostendorf [email protected]
CO-SUPERVISORS
A/Prof Lian Pin Koh, Dr David Taggart, Dr Ken Clarke,
Dr Ramesh Raja Segaran, Dr Dorothy Turner
Honours projects that use spatial information tools and data (remote sensing, geographic
information systems, spatial analysis and modelling) are available for students in science,
natural resource management, environmental science, geography, geoscience and agriculture. They
cover a wide range of applications and settings, including terrestrial and marine ecology, land
assessment and management and earth science. Students should have completed level 3 courses
in GIS and/or Remote Sensing, but specific projects can be defined to suit different interests and
skill levels. These projects provide opportunities for students to use and intensify their skills in
natural resources management and to network with potential employers.
Several of the projects listed below are conducted in collaboration with government agencies and
outside partners such as the Department of Environment & Natural Resources and regional Natural
Resource Management groups. In addition, there is scope for projects that involve supervisors from
other research areas.
Software and equipment available for use in projects include:
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ERDAS Imagine, ENVI, IDL, ArcGIS and other image analysis software
ASD FieldSpec Pro Visible-shortwave infrared spectroradiometer.
Differential GPS
Unmanned aerial vehicles and a range of sensors: visible, infra-red and thermal cameras and
video
 GIS & image data: SA Soils, digital elevation, land use, fauna abundance, extensive archived
Landsat,
 Access to national and international archives of many forms of satellite and airborne imagery &
spatial data from broad to ultra-fine scales.
Precision Wildlife Management.
With an increasing number of humans with increasing demands on natural resources, the need for
wildlife management is more urgent than ever. Conflict between land use and land conservation and
the need to manage abundant as well as rare native fauna and flora is of increasing complexity. This
new area of research allows scope to develop projects around theoretical and applied aspects of
remote sensing for precision management of wildlife and improve biodiversity. We will ask the
question: How can we use remote sensing imagery at different spatial and temporal scales from
geostationary satellites to ultra-high resolution drones for cost-efficient management of biodiversity?
Wombats from space.
There is a strong conflict between farmers and environmental protection of Southern Hairy-nosed
Wombats. This project aims to answer the question of where and how many wombats exist.
Population estimates are needed for decisions by governments and policy development. The
objective of this project is to develop relationships between warren number/size/location and
wombat population using remotely sensed information as wombat warrens can be readily identified
on satellite imagery but detailed information may require ultra-high resolution imagery from drones.
Species distribution modelling using our wombats as a model species.
Statistical modelling of native fauna belongs to the most important tools for wildlife managers. But
models rely on animal observations and accurate presence and absence information and this
information is very difficult to obtain. The only exception of the Southern Hairy-nosed wombat with
diggings visible from space. We are currently assembling millions of accurate presence and
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absence locations, allowing us to produce the first truly spatially representative dataset at
continental extent of any mammal species world-wide. This cutting-edge modelling project is for
students with a mathematical inclination who love animals.
Reintroduction as a conservation tool
Reintroduction of rare animals into the wild is an important tool for conservation ecologists. But
pressure from introduced predators threatens success. Off-shore islands come to the rescue as they
can provide safe havens for rare animals. Islands have been successfully used for the conservation
of rare mammals because predators can be much easier removed or controlled than on the
mainland. We are looking for creative students who would like to assess the potential of Australia's
off-shore islands for biodiversity conservation, look at past attempts to reintroduce rare animals on
islands, find the best islands for endangered species using GIS and remote sensing, or to apply
concepts of Precision Biodiversity Management to study one of Australia's biggest success stories:
Wedge Island, which is only 100km away from Adelaide.
Monitoring spring flows and wetlands in the Great Artesian Basin
Mound springs fed by groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin are of great ecological,
evolutionary and biogeographical significance. However, these groundwater-dependent ecosystems
are under threat as water is withdrawn from the GAB aquifer and the wetlands are affected by
grazing and invasive species. Remote sensing is an effective way to monitor changes in these
remote ecosystems.
Projects include:
 monitoring long term trends and changes in spring flow with time series of satellite imagery and
relating these to on-ground flow measurements
 assessing spring response after capping of a nearby free-flowing artesian bore
 combining time series of vegetation and surface water to understand seasonal and longer-term
variations in spring-fed wetland at Dalhousie Springs Complex
Inundation monitoring with satellite remote sensing
Released in late 2014, Geoscience Australia’s “Water Observations from Space” (WOfS) is the
world's first continent-scale product of the presence of surface water derived from Landsat satellite
imagery. WOfS covers the entire Australian continent at 25 metre spatial resolution from 1987 to the
present, providing information through time-series analysis on where water is usually seen, such as
in lakes and rivers, and where it is unusual, such as during flooding events. Several projects are
available using WOfS data to provide new information about the extent, timing and variability of
inundation in selected regions and environments of interest. Results will include time series of area
and frequency of inundation, interpretation in relation to rainfall, flooding and other environmental
factors, with potential to relate to ecological data.
Projects include:
 documenting duration of surface inundation across inland arid Australia during the 2016 extreme
‘wet’ and how this influenced mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in South Australia
 developing a risk atlas for areas where outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases are likely to occur
Monitoring management impacts at Arid Recovery
Arid Recovery is a long term fenced reserve from which feral cats, rabbits and foxes have been
eradicated and four species of locally extinct mammals have been reintroduced. This project
compares long term vegetation cover change inside and outside the reserve, looking at initial
increase in cover with removal of herbivores and then a gradual reduction due to overpopulation.
Satellite remote sensing time series will provide evidence of vegetation change inside and outside
the reserve, which can be compared with on-ground vegetation data and bettong abundance over
time. The project will be conducted in collaboration with external researchers and managers
associated with Arid Recovery.
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Rapid drone-based remote sensing for mosquito/arbovirus surveillance and control
In Australia mosquito-borne diseases cause significant loss of productive time and reduction in
quality of life for thousands of Australian citizens. Mosquito control is therefore an area of increasing
national and global importance. During disease outbreaks, rapid identification of mosquito larval
breeding sites is essential for prompt control and minimisation of the extent of the outbreak.
However, these sites are often in marshland inaccessible by vehicle, and very slow to survey on
foot. We are conducting trials to develop a rapid drone-based remote sensing for mosquito/arbovirus
surveillance and control. This project provides an opportunity to work with our research team to
evaluate cameras mounted on drones for detecting the shallow water, vegetated habitats in which
mosquitoes breed. Trials will include various imaging sensors, types of drones and also methods of
automated analysis of the images that are captured.
Vegetation structure and habitat mapping
Several projects are available using data from a LIDAR (laser scanning) instrument to provide
information about vertical structure in vegetation stands, combined with data from advanced
hyperspectral remote sensing about species composition and health. The LIDAR provides highresolution terrain data, including vegetation height and density profiles, while optical remote sensing
provides information about vegetation type, cover and condition. We are interested in combining the
two technologies for habitat assessment in several regions: Monarto native vegetation and
revegetation stands, mound springs in northern arid South Australia, bushfire affected areas near
Mt. Bold, and the River Murray floodplain. Projects involve advanced image analysis combined with
field work and the application of drones to validate the data.
Koonamore vegetation analysis with GIS
We have created an ultra-high resolution photo-mosaic of the Koonamore reserve. The image at
5cm resolution allows identification of dead branches, canopy structure and colour. There is
sufficient stereo-overlap to interpret the 3D structure of the vegetation. We have a detailed 3D
elevation model that allow us to identify confluence and divergence areas of water and seeds. This
spatial information, combined with the 100 year time series of vegetation pattern at the Koonamore
makes this a worldwide unique dataset that needs creative, spatially literate minds to answer
question why and how spatial vegetation pattern evolve in arid systems.
Understanding spatial rainfall pattern using Rainfall Radar.
Rainfall is possibly the most critical environmental variable for most environmental research ranging
from biodiversity and rare species habitat to the economic viability of agricultural regions. But the
traditional rainfall gauge network is too sparse to identify the detail in spatial rainfall pattern that is
necessary for many environmental and agricultural studies. Spatial radar rainfall data (a map every
10 minutes!) may help. This challenging project will be conducted in close collaboration with the
Bureau of Meteorology and will make you one of the few people who know how to use this data.
Fire in Desert Australia.
These projects aim at analysing the fire regime of desert Australia. How to manage fire to maintain
desert biodiversity is under strong debate. Projects include:
 Examining the relationships of plant growth, climate and soil conditions prior to large fires in arid
Australia, using satellite images and weather records in order to get a clear idea of the causes of
such fires.
 Examining the patchiness of such large fires, using satellite imagery to assess the proportion of
burned areas within the region of these large fires. The idea is that an understanding of the
patchiness may lead to important management decisions because the patchiness of fire has
strong implications for fauna survival and biodiversity conservation.
 Comparing and evaluating new satellite image products to document the fire regime in selected
habitats in the arid regions of SA.
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Land-coast interactions.
The following projects aim at understanding the linkages between land processes and marine
biodiversity. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are under increasing pressure from many users. Little
attention has been paid to agriculture as a potential threat. There is the need to understand the link
between the quality of marine biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystem processes. Potential projects
can use remote sensing and/or GIS to assess land-based nutrient inputs into coastal waters and
then study how these may impact benthic communities as visible on underwater videography.
Precision agriculture and satellite imagery.
Precision agriculture is a rapidly expanding technology. Very detailed yield data have been collected
for a wide range of crops. Yield varies substantially across paddocks will allow us to lessen
environmental impact if fertiliser and pesticide applications can be reduced. This project will help
farmers and catchment groups to manage environmental and economic sustainability, and
biodiversity in agricultural systems.
What are environmental and economic benefits of planting trees?
Planting trees in the cropping zone is seen as a possible solution to mitigate increasing atmospheric
CO2 levels. In addition to income from carbon credits, a mixed land use provides a range of
environmental benefits (salinity, biodiversity). But how much carbon is taken up given biophysical
constraints (climate, soils) and how do the credits (carbon, environmental) compare with the farmers
loss of cropping or grazing? This project is geared towards students with an interest in regional
management and addresses the question under which conditions trees may be a viable alternative
option for farmers and rural communities. The project will be in collaboration with the Department of
Environment, Water and Natural Resources.
Drones for Grapevines.
This is a collaborative project with Agriculture. Viruses in vineyards produce in excess of 12 million
dollar loss per year in Australia. The objective is to develop a methodology for early detection of
viruses in grapevines by combining plant physiology and spatial sciences. The project uses
hyperspectral imaging techniques to identify virus infected grapevines. Mapping is done with
autonomous airborne vehicles (drones) that collect ultra-high spatial resolution hyperspectral
imagery.
Providing data layers for land use planning in developing countries.
Land evaluation and land use planning is an important issue in many developing countries. Yet very
often critical data for regional management is missing. Detailed soil maps often exist only for limited
areas but expansion of urban and agricultural land is occurring at a fast rate. This project in
collaboration with the Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, will develop means to improve
existing soil maps by studying the relationships between topographic variables (using the US Space
Shuttle Radar Mission data) and soil properties in order to improve soil mapping in tropical Vietnam.
Land evaluation in Burkina Faso
Mining companies spend millions of dollars collecting data during mining explorations. In
collaboration with Gryphon mining and the ‘For a better future foundation’ we are trying to find ways
to use this information (airphotos, satellite imagery, topography, soil and geology maps etc.) to
increase food production and income of poor rural communities. The study area is in proximity of a
new gold mine in subtropical Africa.
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Landscape Systems
CONTACT SUPERVISOR
CO-SUPERVISORS
Prof. Wayne Meyer
[email protected]
Dr Georgia Koerber, Dr Elena Kondrlova
Characterising the carbon exchange of the Calperum mallee ecosystem
Managing carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere will become much more urgent in the near future.
Sequestering carbon by endemic vegetation in semi-arid woodlands could be important, but we
need to know when and how much can be accumulated. As part of the national Terrestrial
Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) an intensive monitoring site has been set up on Calperum
Station north of Renmark adjacent to the Murray River. The mallee vegetation of the area is being
monitored for the exchange of carbon dioxide, water and energy in the ecosystem. With nearly 6
years of data available covering different seasons, rainfall patterns and the effects of a large
bushfire there is an opportunity to help characterise the additions and losses of carbon in this
uniquely Australian ecosystem. There will be opportunity to learn about field measurement of energy
and gas exchange as well as soil and plant measures using state of the art instrumentation.
Characterising the water exchange of the Calperum mallee ecosystem
As climate changes in southern Australia, it is expected that increased temperatures will be
accompanied by changes in the seasonality of rainfall and very likely decreased total amounts of
rainfall. Endemic vegetation in the semi-arid mallee woodlands of southern Australia is very well
adapted to limited and variable rainfall. However it is not clear how these ecosystems will change as
climate changes. Since water is such a limiting resource in these ecosystems it is important that a
full understanding of water exchange be obtained so that more reliable projections of future change
can be made. Data from nearly 6 years of measurement at Calperum Station, north of Renmark is
available that can show water coming in and water being evaporated from the ecosystem. To
develop predictive capability a generic plant growth, water use and yield model will be tested. There
will be opportunity to learn about field measurement of water exchange as well as learn about the
developing science and application of simulation modelling.
Applying Landscape Futures Analysis to assess regional adaptation to climate change
A process called Landscape Futures Analysis (LFA) has been developed as a Web based GIS
system that enables regional planners to explore management options and their consequences in
possible future climate and economic scenarios. Thus far, the system has been applied to two NRM
regions. The analysis can now be applied to other regions of interest where the questions of likely
successful adaptation to climate, market and social changes may be different to those already
identified. This project provides the opportunity to glimpse and experiment with the complexity of the
bio-physical and socio-economic changes that will be necessary for successful adaptation to climate
change and resource availability.
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Centre for Applied Conservation Science; and Unmanned Research
Aircraft Facility
CONTACT SUPERVISOR: Assoc. Prof. Lian Pin Koh [email protected]
Research within my group addresses urgent challenges in biological conservation facing Australia
and other nations. We are interested in problems at scales ranging from species to landscapes. We
focus on research that could have real impacts on the ground. We emphasise innovative, out-of-thebox approaches to wicked problems with the overarching goal of producing useful new knowledge
and technology that inform land-use decisions and policymaking.
I am the Director of UoA’s Centre for Applied Conservation Science (in partnership with
Conservation International), and Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility. These research units present
a wide range of exciting research possibilities, often involving overseas experiences.
I work with highly independent, self-motivated and slightly overambitious Honours students to
develop ideas and projects that they are passionate about.
Feel free to contact me for an informal chat. The following are a few examples of potential research
topics.
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Monitoring malleefowl mounds on the Eyre Peninsula
Returning burrowing bettongs to Bon Bon – survival outside fenced sanctuaries
How many beans in the jar? Developing a robust and efficient platform for the automatic and
accurate detection of animals (principally birds) in aerial imagery
 See the Light? An investigation into the remote detection of birds in different spectrums (e.g.
visible, thermal) relevant to varying environmental conditions
 Leave me alone! An investigation into bird response to experimenter disturbance by
measuring variation in corticosterone levels
For further information about our group, please visit:

http://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/lianpin.koh
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