Environmental Research grants awarded and project summaries

Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Developing an evaluation protocol to assess, monitor and improve seed production areas to deliver climate-resilient restoration outcomes

Seed production areas can produce vast quantities of quality, genetically diverse seeds to support climate-resilient restoration if designed and managed correctly. Low-quality seed can have poor viability, high inbreeding, limited adaptability, and pose the risk of increasing loss of genetic diversity through swamping. Currently, there are no guidelines to monitor and evaluate the quality and representativeness of seed produced in seed production areas to meet ecological restoration targets.

Using new and available analytical methods, genomic data will be used to assess genetic health and representativeness of seed production areas of the Murray Local Land Services (MLLS) region. A network of 16 multi-species seed production areas provides a unique opportunity to develop, test and apply a new genomic evaluation protocol. Results from the multi-species genomic assessment will directly inform the management and use of the MLLS seed production areas and, more broadly, guide the development of protocols for improving the design and evaluation of seed production areas so that they produce high-quality genetically diverse seeds for native plant restoration.

Macquarie University

Living Boulders for reviving marine life on coastal defences

Sea level rise and the accompanying coastal flooding and erosion represent a growing issue for New South Wales. Coastal engineering structures, such as seawalls protect shorelines, but significant ecological impacts often accompany their use. We urgently need multifunctional, eco-friendly designs that provide coastal protection functions, whilst sustaining diverse and productive marine ecosystems.

This project will evaluate the first-ever in-water trials of Living Boulders – habitat modules that can be integrated into new or existing revetments and breakwaters to enhance their ecological value. The modules reimagine revetments and breakwaters by including artificial rockpools – an important but otherwise missing habitat. In collaboration with local and state government, Aboriginal people, local eco-tourism operators and foreshore asset managers we will establish 3 demonstration sites, and acquire the scientific evidence base to support further implementation. The project will expand the portfolio of eco-friendly shoreline designs, for implementation in New South Wales, nationally, and globally.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Securing the threatened southern greater glider (Petauroides volans) in the wild using innovative drone technology

Populations of greater gliders (Petauroides volans) have declined following the large-scale fires of 2019–20, and they face increasing threats from fires, habitat loss, and climate change. To support the recovery and management of the species, survey methods need to estimate population size and track changes in species abundance more accurately and efficiently than they currently do. This project will use innovative drone technology with thermal imaging to enhance the capacity to survey gliders and their habitat. Using drones, we will develop explicit methods for quantifying the abundance of greater gliders to build an accurate picture of glider populations. We will calibrate new approaches with traditional methods to allow for alignment with current standards and historic survey efforts. We will test our methods in different habitats to ensure applicability across New South Wales. We will develop high-quality habitat models to further our understanding of species needs, leading to better managing existing and future glider populations and habitat for arboreal species.

Australian National University

Illuminating the pollination biology of the cryptic underground orchids of New South Wales: New tools for monitoring and ensuring successful future translocation

The conservation of the mysterious underground orchids of New South Wales, Rhizanthella slateri and R. speciosa, is extremely challenging since even the flowers remain hidden in the leaf litter. Research has shown that the pollination of these orchids depends on a specialised interaction with undescribed species of scuttle flies in the phorid genus. Phorids are highly diverse yet poorly understood, and DNA barcoding is essential to map pollinator diversity, distribution and abundance. This project will:

1. Conduct a multidisciplinary analysis to reveal pollinator behaviour, number of pollinator species, plant volatile chemistry and pollination mechanism.
2. Develop reliable protocols combining passive trapping and DNA barcoding to monitor pollinators. Assess the feasibility of trapping as a novel survey method and identify potential translocation sites where pollinators are present.
3. Design and test pollinator baiting assays with synthetic blends of floral volatiles and assess the feasibility of training detection dogs to detect underground orchids more reliably.

University of Wollongong

Determining the resilience of Australia's natural alpine dams (peatlands) to climate change: sustaining water security and carbon sequestration

Determining the resilience of Australia's natural alpine dams (peatlands) to climate change: sustaining water security and carbon sequestration. Peatlands supply critical ecosystem services, including sequestering carbon and supplying runoff, and this project seeks to understand how the peatlands of the Snowy Mountains will respond to climate change. Peatlands represent a significant yet largely unquantified component of New South Wales's soil carbon store. They also contribute to its vitality and significant alpine water yield by acting as natural alpine dams, storing and releasing water, and buffering the effects of drought. Peatlands are known to be susceptible to climate change, which negatively affects their function in this context. This project will seek to quantify how the ecosystem services provided by peatlands will be affected by climate change. We will quantify their value as carbon stores and water sources and produce a framework to facilitate their management based on their ecosystem service value and the risk to this value from climate change. This project seeks to understand how the peatlands of the Snowy Mountains will respond to climate change.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales

Co-design with Aboriginal communities to reduce the impact of cats and dogs on threatened species

Predation by cats and dogs are key threatening processes for multiple species, including endangered koalas and kultarr. Pet ownership in western New South Wales is more common than in urban areas, and free-roaming owned dogs and cats directly predate threatened species in and around townships. They also contribute to feral populations through overbreeding and abandonment. In addition, providing supplementary food to unowned or 'stray' cats in and around towns improves their reproductive success, resulting in high population densities and increased environmental pressure. This project aims to evaluate the impact of a co-designed companion animal management intervention in 2 local government areas on free-roaming cat, dog, and wildlife occupancy. The project will use a collaborative approach with local Aboriginal community organisations, local councils, and local veterinary practices. End users, including RSPCA NSW, the local Aboriginal communities, local veterinarians and council rangers, will lead the project and have been instrumental in its design.

Bundjalung Tribal Society

Integrating indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) into small-scale farming operations at Namabunda

Youngman Creek and its associated terrestrial riparian ecology is identified as regionally significant habitat, containing lowland subtropical rainforest that is listed as an endangered ecological community. Bundjalung Tribal Society will fully rehabilitate approximately 6 hectares area of waterway and riparian zones and reinstate it as a Big-Scrub waterway corridor to significantly add to the Alstonville Reserves of lowland subtropical rainforest. This project aims to extend the learnings from riparian rehabilitation work and integrate Bundjalung ecological knowledge and language (IEK) into the commercial diversified farming system which includes a range of native trees and bush foods. Integrated IEK will also inform interpretive design for didactic and wayfinding purposes featuring Bundjalung cultural expressions. Research is required to understand how rehabilitation of the riparian corridor can improve productivity and sustainability of the farming operations. The project uses the emerging theoretical framework of Ecological Restorative Justice to integrate Bundjalung IEK into the farming operation.

Department of Regional NSW

GPS-tracking the endangered Hastings River mouse to assess fine-scale habitat use

The Hastings River mouse is listed as endangered federally and in New South Wales. The recent black summer wildfires burnt a large portion of their range, reducing log shelters and likely increasing predation. Major concerns have been raised about their recovery. However, promoting recovery is hampered by limited knowledge of the species' habitat, given that monitoring and research on the species experiences low capture success. That makes identifying preferred habitat and responses to management actions such as ecological burns difficult to interpret. This project will use GPS collars for the first time to collect detailed data on habitat use in relation to the availability of habitat mosaics as well as fire and habitat augmentation via coarse woody debris.

Impacts of future climate on the threatened seagrass Posidonia australis

As the climate changes, there will be more frequent intense rainfall events on the east coast, resulting in repeated low salinity events and increased turbidity in estuaries. Seagrasses can tolerate short pulses of reduced salinity and light, but little is known about their ability to withstand repeated stressful events. In this project, laboratory experiments will be used to understand the combined impacts of low salinity and light on the threatened seagrass Posidonia australis and the species' ability to recover. Genetic studies will identify whether certain populations are naturally more tolerant of these stressful conditions, meaning they could be used as sources of Posidonia for restoration programs to help future-proof this threatened seagrass.

Macquarie University

Using mosquito DNA (iDNA) for detecting the occurrence of native mammals in semi-arid refuges

Fifty-nine per cent of New South Wales's terrestrial mammals are listed as threatened or endangered, and arid and semi-arid mammals are particularly vulnerable due to climate extremes. Reliable data is critical for understanding how distributions are influenced by key environmental attributes, such as water and habitat availability, to better inform conservation actions. Traditionally, information about mammal populations is obtained by expensive, labour intensive and often invasive measures such as traps and cameras. These methods frequently fail to detect the presence of very rare, small and elusive mammals. This project proposes a new way of gathering information using DNA traces in the environment (eDNA) from mosquitoes. DNA can be collected and analysed to determine the species preyed upon by mosquitoes through a process called iDNA (insect DNA). Samples will also be taken from the soil near where traditional traps are placed, where the presence of mammals will be determined by trace amounts of DNA from hair, skin or faecal material. Sampling for both approaches is time efficient, completely non-invasive for mammals, and can be performed in a range of environments.

In addition to providing important data on NSW's threatened and endangered mammals, this method has applications for determining the presence of invasive and feral species and determining the success of predator/grazing-free areas and reintroduction programs. This project will provide conservationists with the next generation of cost-effective, reliable ecological data that will assist in decision-making processes, and will ensure that New South Wales is a leader in the development of the most innovative approaches for monitoring.

University of Newcastle

BIOMON Stage 1: A pilot biosensor that uses machine learning to identify wildlife acoustically

Suitable management actions cannot be deployed without quality information about the distribution and abundance of wildlife. Machine learning systems offer revolutionary approaches to assist practitioners in meeting the urgent need to increase data gathered from monitoring. This project will build a network of biosensors that can capture different types of data (sounds, smoke, pollen), identify them using onboard machine learning and send them to a central repository for analysis and free access to the world. A prototype biosensor will be constructed to capture sound, and onboard machine-learning algorithms that identify wildlife vocalisations will be developed and piloted. This innovative approach will result in real-time biodiversity monitoring, while saving vast amounts of labour and time.

University of New South Wales

Continuous acoustic and habitat monitoring for the critically endangered plains-wanderer

This project will improve understanding of habitat requirements for the critically endangered plains-wanderer and the strategies required to manage their habitat across a large area of southern New South Wales. A network of acoustic recorders continuously monitor occupancy of sites by plains-wanderers, while simultaneously monitoring the structure (height, cover) and phenology (greenness, flowering, seeding) of their grassland habitat using high resolution time-lapse photography. By linking continuously recorded data on both occupancy of plains-wanderers and habitat condition, this project will provide information that managers need to understand the factors driving occupancy of grassland habitats by plains-wanderers. The data collected will also be used to compare, evaluate and calibrate the automated monitoring methods developed in this project with the methods (spotlighting counts of birds and quadrat-based habitat assessments) that have been used for last 20 years to monitor plains-wanderer populations in NSW. By directly comparing different approaches to monitoring plains-wanderers and their habitat, this project will provide managers with the information that they require to evaluate and refine monitoring programs for plains-wanderers.

University of Sydney

Manipulating plant odour to protect threatened plants from mammalian herbivores

Mammalian herbivore browsing threatens the capacity to protect and recover endangered plants, limiting the success of revegetation projects to address biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change. Wallabies, deer, and goats threaten over 80 threatened plant species in New South Wales alone. New solutions are needed as current techniques (fencing, lethal control) can be ineffective. Herbivores find food using smell and choose what to eat using volatile chemicals emitted by plants. Valuable plant species can be protected by changing the information herbivores receive from plant odours. This project will protect 3 endangered plant species by manipulating plant volatiles artificially, developing innovative techniques with global applications for plant conservation. The knowledge gap that this project will fill is whether odour misinformation will provide an effective means to reduce browsing to plants, converting the fundamental concepts and methods already in place into a novel method to protect threatened plant species from browsing herbivores to enhance their growth and survival.

Wildlife Assist – providing an evidence base for post-fire wildlife provisioning

The black summer bushfires motivated many communities to provide food, water, and shelter to improve animal welfare and safeguard populations. However, the scientific evidence-base to inform these actions is lacking, and the negative consequences of intervention may outweigh the benefits. This project will conduct controlled experiments at hazard reduction burn sites to examine the extent to which wildlife provisioning alters species diversity and abundance. Monitoring and comparing the behaviour of animals at provisioning and control sites will allow the project team to determine the extent to which target versus non-target (including invasive) species utilise resources, and whether the provision of resources changes species abundance and behaviour. These outcomes, together with non-invasive assessment of the parasite load and physiological stress levels, will allow us to evaluate the potential welfare outcomes for animals. The multidisciplinary research team includes experts in wildlife nutrition, wildlife ecology, veterinarians and animal welfare. Best practice guidelines for wildlife provisioning will be developed, along with a custom designed app (Wildlife Assist), that will enhance the capacity of volunteers to contribute to the research, and access information in the field.

University of Technology Sydney

Determining plant resilience to temperature stress in NSW alpine threatened ecological communities

Increased temperature extremes, early snowmelt and warmer summer nights pose a real threat to alpine vegetation communities, which are evolved for distinct environmental conditions. Australia's alpine region covers <0.02% of this continent yet contains many threatened ecological communities in New South Wales, 3 are critically endangered. Effective conservation of these fragile systems requires knowledge of how alpine plants cope with and recover from temperature stress. This project combines field experiments with genomic analyses to determine the extent of, and drivers for, adaptive capacity of ecologically important plant species in alpine threatened ecological communities and associated communities under increasing climatic extremes. Project outcomes will inform adaptive management approaches of these fragile communities, including identifying vulnerable species or populations for early warning monitoring, determining the presence of refugia of genetic diversity for seed-banking, and identifying potentially resilient variants of ecologically important species suitable for restoration of threatened alpine communities.

University of Wollongong

Sea-level rise and human interventions influence on NSW’s blue carbon future

Coastal wetlands accumulate atmospheric carbon dioxide within their biomass and substrates, and periodic tidal inundation slows organic matter decomposition, minimising the release of carbon dioxide and methane. Coastal wetlands are amongst the most efficient ecosystems globally at storing carbon, and their potential for mitigating climate change is being recognised in market-based solutions that support carbon offsetting. However, there are critical knowledge gaps in the behaviour of powerful greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide emissions under sea-level rise. This project aims to assess and quantify the risks and opportunities for blue carbon ecosystems and their greenhouse gas fluxes under sea-level rise. This project will:

1. measure wetland greenhouse gas fluxes (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) in a range of conditions
2. quantify changes in the quantity and type of greenhouse gas emissions from pristine and degraded wetlands under varying inundation scenarios via controlled experiments in laboratory settings
3. develop models of wetland distribution and greenhouse gas fluxes under future sea-level rise and adaptation scenarios.

The data and knowledge gained will improve understanding and valuation of the carbon sequestration services and natural capital values of the NSW coastal wetland estate and will provide the information base for developing new pathways and activities for carbon crediting initiatives.

Future proofing the critically endangered Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish

This project focuses on one of the most at-risk organisms in New South Wales – the Fitzroy Falls Spiny crayfish (Euastacus dharawalus). There is urgent need to develop solutions to the threats it is facing, as this species is considered the first member of this genus at risk of extinction. The project team will use an evidence-based approach and adopt innovative technologies to provide a rigorous assessment of risks to this species and best solutions. By working closely with collaborators and disseminating the findings to end users, new methods will be developed to protect this species and the surrounding ecosystem on which it relies from ongoing threats.

University of Technology Sydney

Post-bushfire ecological assessments of threatened flora in NSW

The 2019–20 bushfires burnt an area of 5.3 million hectares across New South Wales, including critical habitat of threatened flora. There is a pressing need for on-the-ground information about the post-fire distribution, abundance and ecological condition of NSW threatened plant species. This project will perform structured botanical surveys across the Central Tablelands and South Coast Botanical Subdivisions to survey 59 threatened plant species and comparatively assess the current status of these species to inform Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water recovery strategies and actions.

Wingecarribee Shire Council

Wingecarribee rare flora species surveys

This project will survey and develop a monitoring program for 10 priority plant species across multiple land tenures in burnt and unburnt landscapes within the Wingecarribee local government area. This survey effort will potentially create new or updated BioNet Atlas records, and herbarium collections and the establishment of baseline data will feed directly into new or existing biodiversity or Saving Our Species research projects. This work will benefit data deficient species and potentially fill this gap, leading to potential new threatened species listings under state or federal law.

Australian National University

Climate and dieback resilience of tableland and mountain eucalypt species of southeast Australia

Extractive land use and climate change are threatening the persistence of Australia's woodland and forest ecosystems. In the Monaro tablelands and mountains of south east NSW, several keystone eucalypt species are exhibiting severe dieback due to drought, climate change and pests. By applying cutting edge genomics, we will identify tableland eucalyptus species and genotypes that cope with increasingly extreme conditions. Outcomes of this research include scientific and practical solutions to restore dieback-affected landscapes in one of Australia's most biodiverse regions.

Environmental drivers, landscape determinants and control of snow gum dieback

Dieback of snow gum forests is diminishing the ecological, hydrological and cultural values of the Australian Alps. Using a multi-disciplinary approach including dendrochronology, remote sensing, soil science and entomology we will deliver sophisticated insights to the causes and patterns of snow gum dieback in the Australian Alps and address uncertainties surrounding its current extent and likely future spread. Knowledge gained through the project will offer pathways to plan for and respond to dieback by identifying opportunities to slow its spread, and assist efforts aimed at protecting and restoring affected stands to protect an irreplaceable part of Australia's natural heritage.

CSIRO Land and Water

Untangling the role of mycorrhizal mutualisms in eucalypt dieback to enhance revegetation outcomes

Mutualistic associations between plants and soil microbes, such as mycorrhizae, are vital to native forest ecosystem health. Degradation of mycorrhizal networks has been linked to forest dieback in several ecosystems worldwide but is poorly understood for eucalypt dieback in New South Wales. Our research will reveal if eucalypt dieback on the Monaro is associated with depletion of mutualistic mycorrhizal networks, using next-generation DNA sequencing from soil collected across a gradient of eucalypt decline. In partnership with restoration practitioners, we will develop inoculation methods to reconnect nursery-grown seedlings with 'missing' mycorrhizal mutualists to enhance their survival and growth when transplanted into dieback-affected landscapes.

Macquarie University

Characterising the (a)biotic soil factors associated with bell miner associated dieback in eastern NSW

The over-abundance of psyllids that causes bell miner associated dieback (BMAD) poses the most significant dieback threat to eucalypt forests along the eastern seaboard of New South Wales. Despite this, our understanding of the role (a)biotic soil factors play in this phenomenon remains rudimentary. This project will investigate the interaction between soil microbial community health and abiotic soil factors on eucalypt health and resilience to psyllid attack. The knowledge gained as part of this project will provide essential input into developing better management strategies to reduce the impacts of BMAD on NSW eucalypt forests.

University of New England

Causes projections and reversal of eucalypt decline and dieback on the New England Tablelands

New England dieback and recent extreme drought have resulted in the loss of millions of paddock trees across the pastoral landscapes of the New England Tablelands and, consequently, loss of amenity, ecosystem services and biodiversity. Remote sensing and spatial and multi-inference modelling will:

1. establish the proximate and ultimate causes of New England dieback
2. develop a risk index to predict the severity and extent of dieback under future climate and land use projections
3. confirm best-bet solutions to reverse dieback, increase the resilience and connectivity of endangered communities and threatened species, safeguard ecosystem services and sustain pastoral productivity.

Western Sydney University

Determining the physiological underpinnings of eucalypt dieback in New South Wales

Eucalypt dieback is a major environmental issue facing New South Wales. Although multiple causal factors are associated with dieback, drought stress affects the largest area and has the potential to kill millions of trees over short time scales. Extreme drought events are also projected to become more frequent in future. We will determine critical physiological thresholds for dieback associated with water stress and heat stress through a combination of laboratory experiments, ground-based observations, and remote sensing. Knowledge of physiological thresholds will allow us to better quantify future risks faced by eucalypt forests and woodlands, providing objective, data-driven land management and policy decisions.

Australian National University

Measuring connectivity and ecohydrology across the Darling River system – $150,000

The Darling River system is under pressure from extractions and climate change. Management interventions such as environmental flow releases require a strong understanding of the connectivity and ecohydrology of floodplains and wetlands. This project will analyse several decades of spatially detailed (<25m) satellite and airborne observations to develop locally-relevant and highly detailed insight into wetland connectivity, water requirements, return flows and water use. This will achieve environmental benefits by better anticipating imminent and long-term threats to ecosystem condition, help decide on management activities and assess the likelihood of water license breaches with lesser uncertainty, and improve the representation of floodplain ecohydrology in the river models that underpin water sharing.

Big Scrub Landcare

Improving genetic diversity to secure rainforest restoration outcomes – $200,000

Big Scrub Landcare, the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Firewheel Nursery and community partners are applying science to save critically endangered lowland subtropical rainforest by developing genetically diverse seed plantations: essentially living seed banks that produce seed with optimal genetic diversity for use in the restoration of critically endangered lowland subtropical rainforest. The project applies the latest DNA sequencing and genome science to identify locations and individuals of key structural tree species that have the optimal genetic diversity to facilitate ecological community adaptation to climate change, and resist shifts in levels of insect predation and plant diseases. Cuttings from individuals in specific locations will provide the planting stock for a plantation that will produce seed for commercial and community nurseries that produce the planting stock for large-scale rainforest restoration in the Big Scrub region and elsewhere.

Charles Sturt University

Society and science: a new approach to wildlife disease surveillance – $200,000

Wildlife diseases are of significance to conservation, agriculture and human health. Effective surveillance for wildlife disease is recognised as instrumental to its management and mitigation. Australia's wildlife health system underpins our biosecurity and trade but is resource-intensive, has considerable gaps in taxonomic and spatiotemporal coverage, and is of limited utility to many stakeholders including conservation entities and the public. We are undertaking a completely novel approach to developing a model wildlife health surveillance system in the Riverina, NSW. We will initially create knowledge about the perceptions and values of wildlife health biosecurity, the needs and potential uses of wildlife health surveillance, and the capacity to contribute to wildlife health surveillance in an unprecedented diversity of stakeholders (including community groups). This knowledge will be used to design, build and test an innovative new wildlife health surveillance system.

Macquarie University

Predicting the impacts of groundwater abstraction on groundwater ecosystems – $198,162

The lowering of groundwater tables due to overuse of groundwater and aquifer interference from extractive industries is widespread in NSW, yet the effects of groundwater extraction on the ecosystems that exist within aquifers are poorly known. This project will build and test a new, predictive model of how lowering water tables affects the microbes, invertebrates (stygofauna) and ecological processes in groundwater ecosystems, and demonstrate the consequences of losing microbes and stygofauna to the delivery of clean, usable groundwater. This project aims to provide an evidence-based, globally adaptable tool that quantifies the risks associated with lowering of water tables, which will provide quantitative evidence of environmental water requirements, reduce impacts of water-intensive industries and lead to long-term sustainable management of groundwaters in New South Wales.

Mothers Ancestral Guardians Indigenous Corporation

Cultural burning and new soil health knowledge for improved fire management – $149,875

Cultural burning has contributed immensely to sustaining the Australian environment over millennia, yet we have stopped applying these practices in NSW. Little data exists on the use of cultural fire for bushfire management and our objective is to fill that knowledge gap. Addressing bushfire management benefits starts with creating opportunities to help people reconnect with better environmental practices. This project looks at generating new information about the benefits of applying cool burns for soil health and how to integrate cultural and scientific knowledge for sustainable fire management in the Willandra region. It will do this by measuring changes in soil health properties under different cultural burning regimes. The new knowledge will be shared with all partners to use.

University of New South Wales

Optimising biodiversity sampling by citizen scientists – $166,996

Citizen science – and the associated 'big data' – is shaping the future of conservation. Inevitably, natural resource and landscape management will rely, in part, on citizen science data to make informed, adaptive, on-ground management decisions. But professional scientists are still uneasy about using citizen science data as a primary research tool, highlighting the necessity for research which quantifies the legitimacy of citizen science. This reluctance from scientists is due to several biases – spatial and temporal – which exist within the data. We propose a framework in which citizen scientists can increase the value of their citizen science contributions. This project will:

1. quantify the interest-level and extent to which citizen scientists are willing to sample more meaningfully in time and space
2. implement algorithms which assign relative value to citizen science contributions in real time with the goal of optimising citizen scientists' sampling.

Deakin University

Advancing fauna conservation in post-fire environments – $148,900

Ground-dwelling fauna are experiencing a contemporary extinction crisis in Australia. Key threats include bushfires and predation by introduced foxes and cats. Further, there is emerging evidence that these 2 threats interact, with vulnerable fauna experiencing increased predator impacts in recently burnt areas. Predator control is difficult and outcomes are unreliable; new methods are needed to protect native fauna from predators in fire-prone landscapes. This project will experimentally test how ground-dwelling mammals respond behaviourally and numerically to both natural and artificial refuges in post-fire environments.

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Estimating population size and density with a sensor network: koala case study – $52,577

It is notoriously difficult to estimate animal density, yet it is fundamental for understanding their ecology and improving management. This is particularly so for cryptic or threatened species that may occur in low numbers or are difficult to detect. Recent advances in technology, especially acoustic sensors, make the detection of animal populations cost-effective when coupled with software that can recognise species-specific calls. We propose to extend use of acoustic sensors using arrays to estimate koala density in different landscapes, given the expense and imprecision of traditional surveys. Our project will not only be a proof of concept for the method, but will also provide valuable estimates of koala densities in very different regions of New South Wales. If successful, such methodology increases the feasibility of using new technology to undertake frequent and detailed monitoring of species in different landscapes.

La Trobe University

Does mammal reintroduction reconstruct arid zone food webs? – $149,951

Millions of dollars are spent annually building predator-proof reserves and conducting reintroductions for Australia's threatened mammals. However, we have little understanding of the impact of these reintroductions on ecosystems, particularly for the 'other 99%' of species (invertebrates and fungi). Understanding how species interact in food webs is critical for managing reintroduction. New reintroductions in New South Wales offer an opportunity to test how food webs change. Advances in genetic techniques allow the comprehensive investigation of trophic relationships, which will help us to better understand carrying capacities for reintroduced mammals, and the immense changes in Australian ecosystems following the demise of native mammals.

Macquarie University

Building with nature: using potato waste to restore NSW oyster reefs – $148,542

Oysters once formed extensive reefs across coastal New South Wales but less than 10% remain. Restoration projects aimed at increasing substrate for reef growth typically deploy oyster shell in plastic mesh bags. We will test the applicability of 3D mesh constructed from potato waste for rehabilitating lost NSW oyster reefs, and their important ecosystem services, across a range of seascape settings. The mesh biodegrades slowly so has the potential to leave behind oyster reefs with no remnant debris. If successful, the technology will not only boost oysters and their associated ecosystem services but also mitigate considerable amounts of plastic waste entering the environment.

Macquarie University

Evaluating and reducing the risk of floodplain wetland disconnection – $133,706

River channel over-enlargement due to erosion threatens to disconnect floodplain wetlands from vital overbank flows. Wetland disconnection diminishes the efficacy of environmental water entitlements and management actions aimed at supporting aquatic ecosystem functions and values. This project uses a novel geomorphological approach to channel analysis and stream-power modelling to determine channel-to-wetland connectivity, hotspots of erosion, and the trajectory of channel change affecting flow and inundation in the Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir Wetlands. Our validated, end-user focused assessment protocol aims to evaluate and reduce the risk of channel erosion and wetland disconnection as part of water and conservation decision-making across New South Wales.

Macquarie University

Evaluating resilience of swamp communities to environmental change in the Sydney Basin – $149,993

Impacts on swamps can disrupt vital ecosystem services, including nutrient and hydrological cycles. However, there is a paucity of fundamental information on how these systems respond to anthropogenic disturbance. We use a genetic and ecological approach with a geomorphic template across Sydney Basin swamps to assess:

1. macroinvertebrate biodiversity and its relevance for ecosystem functioning
2. the adaptive capacity of functionally dominant species
3. community sensitivity to species loss.

This will provide end-users with a range of tools that quantify the health of swamp ecosystems and their sensitivities to a range of environmental stressors across multiple spatial scales.

Office of Environment and Heritage

Ecological and conservation significance of Warrumbungle springs – $149,594

Warrumbungle Mountain Range and surrounding areas contain springs that are suspected to play an integral role in supporting local and regional biodiversity, particularly during periods of drought. There is a lack of information on the location of these waterbodies and their biodiversity and conservation significance. The value of these sites is likely to become increasingly important in the future amid Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts. This project will map and assess the biodiversity and conservation value of these waterbodies via a combination of survey techniques targeting a range of aquatic and terrestrial fauna, while providing standardised monitoring and training to landholders.

University of Newcastle

The opportunistic physiology of harmful algal blooms in Port Stephens – $149,980

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a constant threat to freshwater. Over the last couple of decades, we have come to understand how cyanobacteria produce deadly toxins However, we are still no closer to understanding why these microbial populations proliferate in our wetland ecosystems. This project will apply modern 'omic' technologies to determine the interplay of all microbial populations present in cyanobacterial blooms to better understand the flux of nutrients and genetic information during these transient but destructive events. Community interactions of microalgae form the basis for their proliferation and will provide a means for their control.

University of New England

Managing environmental flows for biodiversity at landscape scales – $120,267

A central goal of environmental flows is to protect or enhance aquatic biodiversity across multiple spatial scales. Currently, we have a poor understanding of how environmental flows influence spatial variation in biodiversity (beta diversity). Fish are valuable indicators of biodiversity responses to flow regime change, yet assessments of environmental flow outcomes currently focus on species-specific population responses (for example, recruitment). We will use 3 datasets to test how flow regimes influence fish beta diversity in New South Wales. These answers will contribute to increasing adoption of broad-scale ecological processes in the planning and evaluation of environmental flows to enhance landscape-scale biodiversity.

University of Technology Sydney

Boosting NSW's peri-urban biodiversity credit supply to offset losses from urban development – $148,615

In Western Sydney, current landholder interest in investing in biodiversity credit supply appears to be low. Low uptake of conservation programs is often linked to a lack of consideration of landholders' characteristics. Our project aims at understanding landholders' barriers, constraints and opportunities in the face of urban development. Using Office of Environment and Heritage's existing landholder typologies, the project will study landholders' values, attitudes, knowledge, social capital, and property characteristics. Findings from ethnographic fieldwork will be evaluated using institutional analysis, informing multi-pronged approaches for increasing landholder interest in investing in credits. Research outputs will equip our 3 end-users with a set of actionable end-user recommendations.

CSIRO Land and Water Flagship

Compostable plastics in green wastes: the lowdown on their breakdown – $150,000

Production of compost from green, or food and garden organic (FGO), waste collection is increasing in New South Wales. This FGO waste contains compostable plastics that are manufactured with a range of chemicals to achieve their desired characteristics, which is ultimately transferred to a final compost product.

This project aims to characterise compostable plastics being used in New South Wales and their contribution of chemicals to final compost products under a range of scenarios.

The research outcomes will be critical in ensuring the ongoing quality of compost produced in New South Wales for compliance with regulatory composting orders and minimisation of hazards to the terrestrial environment.

CSIRO Land and Water Flagship

Ecotoxicology of per-/poly-fluorinated alkyl substances in sediments – $150,000

Per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs, including PFOS/PFOA) are highly persistent, bio-accumulative and potentially toxic to a wide range of aquatic organisms. Widespread usage has caused major contamination problems globally and in New South Wales (for example, Williamtown). PFASs accumulate in sediments but minimal information exists on their risk to benthic organisms.

This project aims to provide chronic toxicity effects thresholds for PFASs in a range of coastal marine sediments. The water-sediment partitioning of PFAS will be characterised to enable prediction of exposure routes and toxicity. The project outcomes will allow risk assessment for sediment biota in PFAS-contaminated sediments for the first time.

Macquarie University

Darug Caring-as-Country – Creating Local Environmental Stewards – $141,024

Yellomundee reserve in western Sydney is being ‘loved to death’ – heavily recreated, overrun by weeds and pollutants. Yellomundee, however, is of great significance to Darug people.

Building on the momentum of a range of current initiatives at the site, this project’s Indigenous-led whole-of-community approach aims to enhance, document and model greater environmental stewardship to facilitate important connections between Darug custodians and youth, environmental experts, management authorities and users, by:

• working with environmental experts to enhance, implement and document Caring-as-Country mechanisms
• inspiring local users to Care-as-Country through building awareness of the area’s cultural, environmental and historical significance
• developing an adaptive model of cross-cultural environmental stewardship for use by National Parks and Wildlife Service, community groups and Aboriginal custodians of other sites in New South Wales.

Macquarie University

Scaling up green seawall designs – $149,152

This project will evaluate a new approach for transforming entire seawalls into eco-friendly structures, which can be applied both in New South Wales and globally. Seawalls are the dominant feature of many urbanised NSW coasts and typically support lower biodiversity relative to the natural habitats they replace.

The biodiversity of existing seawalls may be enhanced using ecologically friendly designs, but such approaches have only been trialled at small scale (10s of centimetres). We will test the effectiveness of a new technology for enhancing native biodiversity at the scale of whole seawalls (10s of metres).

University of New England

Soil biodiversity benefits from environmental plantings – $149,956

Soil is a fundamental component of functioning ecosystems. However, work investigating environmental benefits derived from native tree/shrub plantings in Australian landscapes has largely focused on above-ground features:

• habitat provision
• biodiversity
• biomass-carbon.

It is often speculated that below-ground (soil) biodiversity will also improve following native tree/shrub establishment but this hypothesis has never been fully tested.

Using a series of cutting-edge techniques, we will measure the trajectory and magnitude of change in soil properties, micro- to macro-biota under a unique network/chronosequence of environmental plantings and paired reference sites (agriculture, native vegetation) across New South Wales to determine optimum soil biodiversity outcomes of environmental plantings.

University of Queensland

Promoting stewardship: identifying pathways to greater participation – $145,868

Environmental stewardship is an essential component of solutions to loss of biodiversity. Despite calls for an increase in the proportion of Australians participating in conservation stewardship, there is uncertainty about which stewardship behaviours to prioritise, and effective strategies to maximise participation. Our project addresses the following questions:

• Which stewardship behaviours have the greatest impact on biodiversity?
• Which behaviours are people most likely to adopt?
• What strategies motivate people to adopt stewardship behaviours?
• How does volunteering influence uptake of additional stewardship behaviours?

This project will provide critical knowledge about the best strategies to promote more effective environmental stewardship.

University of Wollongong

Let them eat Carotenoids: boosting corroboree frog immunity – $98,379

The southern corroboree frog is one of Australia’s most critically endangered vertebrates, and the rapid spread of the amphibian chytrid fungus has been a prominent cause of the species’ decline. Our team recently discovered that providing captive corroboree frogs with a broad-spectrum dietary carotenoid supplement significantly enhanced cutaneous bacterial communities, which are thought to play a vital role in amphibian immune function and disease resistance.

This study will test the effect of specific dietary carotenoids on:

• the health of cutaneous bacterial communities of captive frogs
• the health of cutaneous bacterial communities of frogs in the field post-release
• the prevalence of chytrid infection and survival of frogs post-release.

University of Wollongong

Modelling fire risk to fauna – $149,607

High frequency fire is a major key threatening process, yet the existing tools can only approximate its influence indirectly. We will use a biophysical fire behaviour model to predict fire influence on species’ dynamics from mechanical and ecological principles, showing the way that fire behaviour determines the survival probability of wildlife due to both direct mortality, and subsequent loss of habitat quality.

Our model will provide a comprehensive approach to determination of risk, when used in conjunction with knowledge of species-level population dynamics. We will test this approach using diverse case studies, and integrate it into statewide management.

Western Sydney University

On-site analysis for intelligence gathering at pollution incidents – $132,442

Pollution incidents require fast, strategic investigations from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA)/ Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) to best protect the environment and human health. To achieve this, the EPA establishes an incident management team, aimed specifically at tackling emergency pollution incidents.

On-site analysis tools, capable of providing presumptive identification of pollutants, are critical to inform the incident management team on immediate site risk assessment and management. Such advanced tools are currently not employed by the EPA/OEH.

The project addresses this by evaluating person-portable equipment that can rapidly identify pollutants on-site, providing the incident management team with critical intelligence to ensure a targeted and efficient investigation. 

Australian National University

Adaptive evolution of eucalyptus trees under future climates – $120,408

Over 800 species of eucalyptus trees in Australia that occupy varying climates. Knowledge regarding potential adaptation of eucalyptus trees to future climates is essential to aid in restoration efforts within NSW. This project seeks to understand whether E. camaldulensis (river red gum) genotypes from different climates of origin have evolved different solutions to maximize photosynthetic biochemistry of carbon dioxide fixation during heatwaves and drought. We will determine the thermal limitations of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation and its influence over tree growth, so that we can provide land managers with crucial information on matching genotypes with climate to maximise success in restoration projects.

Australian National University

Knowledge to Action: co-design of climate adaptation strategies – $149,888

Human-induced climate change is already affecting NSW climate averages and extremes. More change is likely, impacting on the NSW environment including systems such as agriculture. Adapting to these changes will be increasingly important. However, current approaches to climate adaptation do not seem to be working well because of issues including relevance, complexity and timescales. We will co-develop with the Holbrook Landcare Network rules-of-thumb for adaptation decision-making to re-frame climate adaptation to address now not the far future, demonstrating the benefits of a dynamic approach to climate risk management. We will test this approach with a broader range of NSW decision-makers.

CSIRO Land and Water

Biohydrometallurgical metal recovery from e-waste – $150,000

The project aims to develop a biohydrometallurgical process for recovering metals from electronic waste (e-waste). The project includes:

• designing and constructing a laboratory-scale prototype of the biohydrometallurgical system
• determining achievable base metal leaching rates and yields using biogenic ferric iron oxidant and sulfuric acid
• determining achievable base metal recovery yields from bioleach liquors through selective step-wise metal sulphide precipitation using biologically generated hydrogen sulphide
• developing a process flow sheet and conducting a preliminary techno-economic evaluation of the process.

Experiments will be carried out with printed circuit boards, but the process could be extended to other e-wastes.

CSIRO Land and Water Flagship

Predicting leachability of perfluorinated chemicals from NSW soils – $145,406

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs or PFAS) such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)/perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are highly persistent, toxic and bio-accumulative. Their widespread usage has caused major contamination problems globally and in NSW (for example, Williamtown). Assessing the leachability and mobility of PFAS is critical to assessing risk and determining remediation options at contaminated sites. Due to their unique properties, conventional rules for predicting contaminant mobility do not work for PFAS. This project aims to identify key soil properties that determine the sorption, mobility and leachability and develop a locally based and cost-effective predictive model to rapidly assess the mobility of PFAS in NSW soils. Such predictive capability is essential for improved outcomes from site assessment and remediation projects.

Office of Environment and Heritage

Improving Aboriginal engagement through cultural science – $149,119

Aboriginal Culture may provide the missing element for long-term successful engagement in environmental issues. We will investigate how to integrate Aboriginal Culture into the social engagement process and document the changes that take place. A core group of Aboriginal Champions will closely collaborate with cultural scientists to co-develop a Cultural Process Model inspired by Aboriginal Lore and Kinship Systems. On-Country activities will be developed and monitored using the model. For the first time, Aboriginal Culture will also be integrated in a social Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) framework to assess the strength and sustainability of meaningful, cultural engagement in addressing long-term environmental issues.

Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Increasing the adaptive potential of restored plant assemblages – $148,312

The objective of ecological restoration is to produce self-sustainable, resilient plant assemblages that can adapt to changing environmental conditions. Seed collections form an invaluable role in obtaining material for restoration. However, little information on the evolutionary suitability (such as genetic diversity) of this material exists. This multi-species comparison will use genotypic data and glasshouse experimentation to answer two key questions. How representative is the genetic diversity within sampled seeds of the diversity found within the original source population? Are there associative patterns between climatic origins, germination success and genetic provenance? This crucial information will guide seed collecting for future restoration.

University of New South Wales

Dioxin biodegradation for harbour sediment remediation – $149,322

Industrial activity on the Rhodes Peninsula has resulted in long-term contamination of harbour sediments with dioxins. Dioxins are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic organochlorines that accumulate in biological tissues. Dioxin contamination is severe enough to justify a complete commercial fishing ban in Sydney Harbour, likely to be in place for decades. This project will develop and test bacterial cultures that can be deployed in harbour sediments to accelerate the natural biological degradation of dioxins. The ultimate goal is to reduce the period over which dioxin levels in Sydney Harbour are a legitimate environmental and human-health concern.

University of Newcastle

Developing a theoretical model for improving waste management – $146,292

The aim is to challenge existing waste management strategies in construction. The primary objective is to evaluate existing strategies and secondly develop a theoretical model to substantially reduce environmental impacts of unsorted waste materials leaving construction sites. Currently construction produces more than 19 million tons of waste, 45% of which is deposited in landfill. This results in increased energy consumption, contamination, landfill reliance and depletion of new finite resources. Alternative propositions include reconfiguring the value chain, potentially benchmarking processes from alternative sectors including baggage-handling technologies and ‘uber’ type logistic. The overall outcome will be a plan for change.

University of Sydney

Transgenerational plasticity and epigenetics – ocean change adaptation – $150,000

This project on transgenerational plasticity in the response of sea urchins and oysters to climate change will characterise the capacity that parental conditioning and transmission of environmentally induced DNA methylation from parent to offspring will facilitate climate adaptation in commercially and ecologically important species. Developmental acclimation and epigenetic change in DNA will be investigated in analysis of phenotypic performance and DNA methylation in offspring generated from parents conditioned in present and future warming and acidification environments. Understanding how transgenerational plasticity alters offspring phenotype is crucial to identify species with the capacity to adapt to climate change and to provide strategies to help climate proof associated industries.

Western Sydney University

A scientific basis for assisted gene migration under climate change – $149,500

Understanding the capacity of trees to respond to climate change is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, forest health and productivity. Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, which has resulted in tree death and negatively affected essential ecosystem services. Adaptive land management is urgently needed to mitigate the risk of large-scale drought mortality in a rapidly changing climate. Assessing genetic adaptation and physiological tolerance to drought across species distributions is critically important if we are to develop management tools, such as assisted gene migration, for sustainable and productive forests in a drying climate.

Australian National Botanic Gardens

Seed biology, cytology and production of threatened Pomaderris – $143,777

Eleven southeast NSW Pomaderris species are listed as threatened in Commonwealth and State legislation. Many are in a precarious position in terms of survival, and others in decline. This project aims to better understand their seed biology, cytology and optimise seed and non-seed production techniques to deliver a strategy for assuring long-term security of several endangered species. This project will guide species recovery through the scientifically informed use of seed banking, plant production and population enhancement. These activities will address actions identified in three National Recovery Plans and for several species in the NSW Saving our Species program.

CSIRO Land and Water Flagship

Estimating coastal values using multi-criteria and valuation methods – $150,000

Coastal areas have a range of uses and users, some of which are competing. Effective resource management requires balancing these to maximise socio-economic benefits. While some benefits of use can be easily quantified in monetary value, others have non-monetary values that are often overlooked. Placing appropriate values on these uses and assets is complex, which results in less effective management decisions. In this project, two approaches will be developed, one derived from multi-criteria decision analysis and the other from traditional economic valuation approaches. These will aim to quantify a range of social, economic and environmental values for NSW coastal assets.

Macquarie University

The ecological benefits of blackwater – $146,112

One of the most deleterious risks associated with environmental flows is the production of blackwater; carbon-rich and often oxygen-poor water returning to the river from flooded wetlands. However, blackwater may not be all bad all of the time: river ecosystems may depend on blackwater in small doses. This research will follow the fate of carbon in blackwater returning to the river stem in the lower Murrumbidgee river to see if blackwater carbon is incorporated into river food-chains. The research will increase the range of watering options available to water managers, by differentiating the preconditions of positive and negative outcomes.

Macquarie University

Developing a new cross-cultural environmental monitoring tool – $146,653

Indigenous natural and cultural resource management is the fastest growing conservation sector in Australia, offering significant environmental and socio-economic benefits. Enhanced monitoring, accountability and strategic planning is increasingly demanded by funding bodies however there are no culturally meaningful and user-friendly tools available to build local capacity in these areas. In collaboration with Indigenous Protected Areas and Rangers of northern NSW this project will develop, apply and refine new data collection and visualisation technologies to assess eco-cultural outcomes of their work. The culturally meaningful and user-friendly decision support tools produced will boost the monitoring and reporting capacity of Indigenous land managers and enhance transparency, accountability and adaptive management processes. Such advances will not only provide environmental and socio-economic benefits but also facilitate greater Indigenous engagement in mainstream environmental decision-making.

University of Canberra

Are populations of key threatened NSW fishes native or introduced? – $84,300

Many NSW freshwater fishes have experienced extreme declines, with around a quarter of the freshwater fishes threatened with extinction. Here we target 3 native fishes that were once widespread across NSW, but today are listed as either Endangered Species (Purple Spotted Gudgeon) or Endangered Populations (Olive Perchlet, Darling Hardyhead). Existing data have been unable to clarify whether some populations are natural or translocated, and thus recovery efforts are stalled until the native status of these populations are resolved. Our project will clarify their native status and provide key information on how to best manage genetic diversity.

University of Canberra

DNA-based identification for routine aquatic bio-assessment – $149,911

Current freshwater bio-assessment relies on coarse resolution invertebrate data as indicators of ecological condition, but costs of morphological identification are high and prone to errors. Using molecular techniques, we will compile an invertebrate barcode library, which is a prerequisite to accurate, high-throughput, low-cost molecular identification methods. We will test the method detection performance by extracting and amplifying invertebrate DNA from unsorted invertebrate samples and comparing them to results from samples of known species composition and the traditional style of analysis. DNA-based identification has great potential to improve existing bio-assessment practice for assessing risks to aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.

University of New South Wales

Delivering a beach erosion forecasting system – $141,486

Millions of people and billions of dollars of natural as well as built assets in NSW are presently at risk of damage caused by erosion from coastal storms. A lack of suitable numerical modelling prevents both researchers and coastal managers forecasting the impacts of impending coastal storms. This project will build and trial a beach forecasting system based on 40 years of beach profile data and wave data collected at Collaroy–Narrabeen Beach. The resulting beach forecasting system will be able to provide a probability distribution of the extent expected for predicted storms. Ultimately this will increase the capacity of researchers and coastal managers to prepare for and respond to coastal erosion events.

University of New South Wales

Predicting swamp community persistence after underground mining – $149,133

Upland Swamps are groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Component species have evolved to reproduce with sustained and predictable water resources. Their likelihood of persistence may decline in response to disruption of surface flows and groundwater following underground mining. The project will establish rigorous long-term hydrological data under natural and undermined conditions. It will investigate whether altered hydrological regimes affect persistent soil seed banks and vegetative reproduction. It will also investigate the effect of natural and undermined hydrology on germination success of indicator species of swamp communities. The project will produce baseline data to predict the likelihood of alternative stable states under different hydrological regimes.

University of Sydney

Increasing landholder collaboration for landscape scale conservation – $149,435

This two-year project will develop models for incentivising on-ground collaboration on cross-property conservation and production activities. The focus of this pilot study is the NSW Central West due to the existing relationships between the project team and landholders. The funding will be used for:

• social analysis to identify types of activities and organisational structures that foster collaboration
• landscape spatial analysis to determine how these activities could be linked strategically to deliver landscape-scale impacts outcomes
• the development of an online GIS-based tool for use by landholders and other stakeholders in identifying opportunities for collaboration.

University of Technology Sydney

Cleaning contaminated environments using effective social engagement – $148,559

NSW has an estimated 30,000 contaminated sites; at least 1,600 of which may be significantly contaminated. NSW Government has identified an urgent need for decision-support tools for effective and efficient risk communication and engagement strategies with affected communities about site clean-up. In collaboration with NSW EPA and local councils, this project combines data on residents’ perceptions and experiences of contamination with policy analysis in order to develop a tool to engage communities about their attitudes and behaviour towards risks, and engage them in decisions to enhance human health, land-use processes, flora and fauna, and soil and water quality. This decision-support tool will be of use to remediation practitioners and others involved in the process as it will help stakeholders to understand and incorporate community perceptions of risk in the remediation-planning process.

University of Western Sydney

Rapid on-site identification of hazardous organics at fire scenes – $149,745

Factory and similar fires are an ongoing issue for the protection of water-dependent ecosystems and human health. It is critical that highly discriminating and rapid on-site monitoring tools are available for the detection and identification of toxics at low levels, to allow NSW OEH, NSW EPA and FRNSW to provide quick, reliable advice to stakeholders, and to ensure fire scenes are assessed and managed appropriately. Such tools are not currently available to these agencies. The project addresses this by evaluating an advanced person-portable analytical method that can identify low-level toxic compounds in water and air samples in minutes.

Australian Museum

Arresting declines of woodland birds through noisy miner control – $149,499

Aggressive exclusion of birds from woodland and forest habitat by abundant noisy miners is a key threatening process. It has severe impacts on an extensive range of threatened woodland bird species, with flow-on effects for threatened eucalypt-dominated grassy-woodland communities. Noisy miners prefer edge-dominated habitat patches, including much of the state’s remnant woodland as well as habitat-reconstruction projects targeted at woodland bird conservation. This project will quantify the efficacy, determine the cost-effectiveness, and establish benchmarks of success in removing noisy miners from selected woodland patches to promote persistence of threatened woodland birds.

Australian Museum

Koalas: Applying conservation genomics to manage an iconic species – $149,572

This project will use data gained from the recently established Koala Genome Consortium to develop a genetic assay for wild and captive koala populations and assess their genetic diversity for direct application to conservation decisions and captive breeding programs. The project also includes a genetic assessment of both koala retrovirus infection and chlamydial infection status in tested koalas. Finally, we will create a genetic tissue bank of all koalas sampled as part of this project (representing NSW koalas) which will be extended where possible to form the first Australia-wide genetic repository of koala material.

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research

Atmospheric particles in Sydney: model-observation verification – $150,000

Airborne particle pollution is of concern to NSW communities and is a recognised as a significant health risk. Air quality modelling is an important tool for understanding particle pollution, but is limited by uncertainties. This project will develop quantification and understanding of uncertainties in atmospheric organic particles in the NSW Greater Metropolitan Region (GMR). This will improve the advice available to regulators and policy makers to develop policies for cleaner air in the GMR, provide a better knowledge base for the community to understand these issues and identify key areas for investment in future monitoring and modelling activities to assist with further improvements.

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research

Regional 21st century sea level projections for the NSW coast – $150,000

Sea levels have been rising globally, in Australia and along the NSW coast during the 20th century. Globally, the rate of rise was about 1.7 millimetres per year, which is an order of magnitude larger than the average rate over previous millennia. Sea levels are projected to continue to rise during the 21st century and beyond. However, the regional distribution from ocean dynamical changes during the 21st century is poorly understood. The available projections from coarse resolution models indicate a higher rise off the southern NSW coast than off northern NSW. This project is specifically designed to assess if these larger offshore rates of sea level rise apply and examine underlying processes for any regional sea-level projection differences along the NSW coast.

Charles Sturt University

Using agronomic principles for understorey restoration – $150,000

This project will develop low-risk, low-cost options for establishing understorey in revegetation initiatives that allow the creation of less weedy and more complex communities and habitats. It will evaluate agronomic principles of plant population, spacing, density, competition, seed treatment and seedbed requirements to develop establishment and management guidelines and information packages. The principles and on-site/off-site benefits of more complex understories (weed reduction, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), shelterbelts, connectivity) will be demonstrated through collaboration with agencies and landholder groups undertaking revegetation initiatives. The project will work across Southern and Central NSW with a key focus being the wheat belt where greater landscape complexity is critical.

Macquarie University

Ecological impact of myrtle rust on native vegetation – $146,962

Myrtle rust is an exotic pathogen that is now established along the east coast of Australia. It affects plants in the abundant and structurally important Myrtaceae family, and hence has the potential to significantly impact a wide range of plant communities, including endangered communities and species. This project will investigate the impact of myrtle rust on plant communities of eastern NSW and on key host and threatened species. Glasshouse and field experiments will test the impact of myrtle rust on seedling recruitment and re-sprouting after fire. Guidelines for management strategies of native vegetation and threatened species will be developed.

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Does thinning regrowth restore habitat for biodiversity? – $145,340

Restoration of degraded habitats can take many forms, but there have been growing calls to thin dense regrowth to restore habitat values. This is especially the case for cypress forests in western NSW, because it often regenerates as dense ‘wheatfields’, but then locks up in a state that does not change for decades. Currently, the science is lacking to identify the benefits of thinning for biodiversity and this hinders providing guidance to managers. Our research will provide key ecological data to assess biodiversity impacts/benefits of thinning cypress and it will guide how thinning could be used for restoration. This will be achieved by sampling biodiversity at sites previously thinned and by establishing an experiment to provide a base-line for measuring future changes. Radio-tracking a sensitive, threatened species will help identify retention levels of un-thinned stands.

Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Predicting representative habitat for provenance sourcing – $88,754

This project will identify representative habitat to guide provenance-informed and climate-ready ecological restoration processes. Environmental Niche Models (ENMs) will be developed for more than 200 species commonly used in restoration across NSW. For each species, modelling will predict extant habitat, how it shifts, and how species are likely to respond to change based on their life histories and land use. Findings will also define sampling strategies needed for defining the evolutionary potential and provenance boundaries of each species (as targeted in a broader project: Restore & Renew NSW). Modelling interactions between multiple species will help better predict potential changes in community composition.

Southern Cross University

Maximising environmental outcomes of coastal infrastructure upgrades – $99,869

To protect valuable assets from coastal inundation the NSW Government will need to upgrade frontline coastal protection infrastructure (for example, break walls, training walls and groynes). If done well, these upgrades can enhance marine biodiversity, provide additional habitat for vulnerable species and improve aesthetic values, recreational amenity and tourism opportunities. This project will use the current and proposed upgrades of Coffs Harbour break walls to determine materials and structures that maximise the environmental benefits of coastal protection upgrades. The outcomes of this project will greatly benefit future work on public marine infrastructure throughout regional NSW.

Southern Cross University

Reef restoration: conservation solutions for critical habitats – $97,950

NSW has extensive subtropical coral reefs, which are unique due to their high-latitude location. These reefs provide critical habitat structure but environmental perturbations can threaten biodiversity. Reef restoration can re-establish damaged areas, but has traditionally relied on using coral fragments, which is costly, restricted to small areas and limited to branching species. This project will use innovative surface micro-topographies to optimise the recruitment of coral larvae as a source for reef reseeding, providing a more viable alternative. The development of these techniques will ensure that NSW environmental agencies are equipped to adaptively manage threats to reef biodiversity, including commercially important taxa.

University of New South Wales

Forecasting air pollution impacts from hazard reduction burns – $149,900

Air pollution events associated with bushfires have been associated with extreme health impacts, including increased hospital admissions and death. Hazard reduction burns are vital to reduce the severity of bushfires. However, if undertaken during unfavourable meteorological conditions, they too have the capacity to trigger extreme air pollution events. This research will produce a tool for forecasting air pollution impacts caused by hazard reduction burns over the Greater Sydney region. The tool will improve planning of burn times to reduce extreme pollution risk to the community, while still allowing NSW land managers and fire agencies to carry out this vital work. 

Fenner School of Environment and Society (ANU)

Quantifying effectiveness of on-farm environmental management – $150,000

This project will significantly expand current knowledge on the most effective ways to design and manage plantings, native vegetation and biodiversity on farms. It will leverage past investments in NSW temperate woodlands research to undertake strategic new research that makes breakthrough discoveries about the size, shape and location of plantings and maximizing management effectiveness of remnant woodland. We will analyse existing and new datasets to answer questions about plantings and native vegetation for enhanced habitat quality, connectivity, and ecosystem services. We will communicate discoveries as practical information that ensures land managers can proficiently design, implement and manage significantly better plantings.

Macquarie University

Rapid detection of pathogens in recreational environmental waters – $149,193

Our goal is to establish a rapid assay technique and develop portable instrumentation to enable pathogen detection and quantification in environmental waters for in-field monitoring, without the need for lab testing and microbial culture. This novel capability will be applied to specific monitoring of faecal contamination (by Enterococcus) in environmental waters, and it could be further adapted to other environments and pathogen species. Current Enterococcus detection methods are based on culture growth which requires more than 24 hours to be completed. Our new methodology of nanoparticle-based biosensors will reduce the detection and quantification times to single hours. It will also enable ‘on the spot’ detection, helping to identify and trace sources of contamination and to protect public health in NSW.

Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet

NSW beach-dune erosion and inundation under severe coastal storms – $150,000

NSW dune-beach erosion and inundation currently threaten coastal communities and degrade ecosystems. The severe storm in June 2007 on the coast between Newcastle and Wollongong caused catastrophic coastal inundation and erosion resulting in total damages of $1.35 billion. With changing storm-wave climate and rising sea level, NSW coastal erosion/inundation is likely to accelerate in the future. To minimise future losses on the coast, this project aims to develop an advanced tool to predict coastal erosion/inundation under a wide range of coastal storms on the NSW coast. The project outcome will be used to better inform NSW coastal planners, policy-decision makers, relevant government agencies and local councils about impacts of coastal hazards to enable them to quickly respond to hazard-related risks and minimise their impacts on the NSW coast.

University of New England

Cost-effective environmental water for NSW wetlands and rivers – $149,848

Important but costly efforts are underway to recover and deliver environmental water to protect threatened ecosystems around NSW wetlands and rivers. It is vital then that conservation goals be pursued at least cost. Past cost-effectiveness studies in this area overlooked cost impacts from path dependencies (where decisions constrain subsequent adaptability), so are unreliable guides for future policy. The project involves case studies of three environmental water programs administered by the NSW Government. It represents the first application of a comprehensive framework and procedure developed by the applicant to increase the cost-effectiveness of policy and governance choices in managing environmental systems. The knowledge gained will enable greater value for money to be achieved from NSW and national programs of environmental water recovery, allocation and delivery.

Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)

Towards restoration of missing underwater forests – $138,451

Habitat degradation has caused major losses of biodiversity and ecosystem function globally, resulting in a critical need for ecological restoration in environmental management. Programs aimed at restoring habitat-forming species mostly target terrestrial ecosystems, but loss of marine habitat-formers such as temperate seaweeds is now a global issue. Restoration efforts for seaweed habitats are in their infancy, and so understanding the ecological processes that allow for their successful reestablishment and that of associated biodiversity is crucial for management. We will determine the critical processes necessary for the successful reestablishment of the habitat forming seaweed Phyllospora comosa (crayweed), currently missing from Sydney, resulting in an enhancement of biodiversity and tools to scale-up restoration for the conservation of NSW coastal resources.

University of Wollongong

Maximising return from environmental plantings in flammable systems – $148,212

Significant investment is being made in environmental revegetation for the purpose of conservation and carbon sequestration. The impacts of fire on revegetation success are often overlooked when planning revegetation activities. However, the landscapes in which revegetation occurs are fire prone and fire will be paramount in determining planting success. Furthermore, revegetation may alter fire regimes via changes to fuel loads and connectivity. Understanding the effect fire has on revegetation and vice versa will be critical if revegetation is to achieve its stated goals. Our project examines:

• how environmental values, fuel loads and regeneration capacity changes as plantings age
• how revegetation will alter potential fire behaviour
• whether plantings can be designed and managed to minimise losses from fire and maximise the environmental return on investment. 
   

In the 2012 round the Environmental Trust approved 12 grants, totalling $1,030,888:

• 5 seeding grants, totalling $92,750
• 8 major grants, totalling $938,138.

Seeding grants

Major grants

Australian Museum

Invasive and non-invasive lineages in the mussel Xenostrobus securis – $19,700

The small black mussel Xenostrobus securis is invading the upper reaches of estuaries around the world. Genetic lineages known to invade overseas environments have been found in Port Jackson and the Georges River, but most NSW populations consist solely of lineages not found elsewhere. This project will define research priorities for X. securis by investigating:

• the range of the invasive lineages
• the species status of invasive and non-invasive lineages
• the effect of invasive lineages on estuarine biodiversity
• whether invasive or non-invasive lineages act as reservoirs of infection for important protistan parasites of mussels and oysters.

Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet

Testing methods for estimating carbon sequestration in wetlands – $20,000

The project aims to assess the carbon sequestration potential of a large floodplain wetland receiving environmental water. We will measure plant biomass production and carbon burial in the soil across an inundation gradient in the Macquarie Marshes, during and following an environmental watering event. These measures will be taken in the core reed beds of the northern nature reserve. The measures will be used to help calibrate remotely sensed estimates of biomass production, and also estimate the quantity of carbon sequestered in the soil of the wetland following an environmental flow.

University of New South Wales

Using stable isotopes to understand weed invasion processes – $13,650

Why is Pittosporum undulatum taking over in Sydney’s urban bushland? Bush-regeneration manuals recommend removing the native shrub Pittosporum undulatum because it creates shady conditions that suppress regeneration of other native plants. However, we have found this species dominating in bushland with relatively high soil nutrients. We propose using stable isotope analysis to compare the water use efficiency and nutrient cycling processes of Pittosporum with other plant species to determine why it has a competitive edge in urban bushland.

University of Sydney

Metabolic profiling as an indicator of ecosystem function and health – $19,400

Metabolic profiling of ecosystems shows great promise as a non-destructive means of assessing ecosystem function. Ecosystem metabolism is possibly one of the best predictors of ecosystem health because metabolism (of an ecosystem or its constituent species) is affected well before species have been gained or lost. Recent advances in technology mean that it is now theoretically feasible to obtain metabolic profiles of key ecosystem components such as soil. This project will develop methods for metabolic profiling and investigate feasibility of using ecosystem metabolism as an indicator of ecosystem function and health. To test the effectiveness of metabolic profiling for indicating ecosystem health we will contrast areas with different land uses.

University of Technology Sydney

Hybrid solar air-conditioning systems: modelling and control – $20,000

Buildings are responsible for about half of the total energy consumption of our modern society. Summer air-conditioning represents a growing market world-wide for both commercial and residential buildings. New installations with small capacity, although economically attractive, do not usually achieve the expected energy savings due to unreliable controls. This project aims to identify operational characteristics of a direct expansion hybrid solar air conditioning system that has been recently developed at the University of Technology Sydney, to model its components and optimally control its performance. The research outcomes will be a thorough proof-of-concept to minimise the energy cost and to maximise the greenhouse gas emission savings for air-conditioning residential buildings using green automation technologies. 

Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research

Polyploidy and the adaption of native plants to climate change – $45,517

Around 50% of all flowering plants contain more than two sets of chromosomes, a condition known as polyploidy. Polyploidy increases stress resistance, and so under increasingly severe future climates the adaptive capacity of polyploid species and populations will be of immense importance to biodiversity across Australia. This project will combine a review of polyploid advantage with a world-first experimental comparison of the adaptability of model diploid and polyploid plant populations in a new CSIRO climate facility to better understand whether knowledge of ploidy level can improve conservation and restoration of Australian vegetation under future climate regimes.

CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship

Green infrastructure for climate adaptation in Western Sydney – $199,915

The ‘Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036’; aims to locate 70% of new homes within existing urban areas, mostly in western Sydney. In the context of climate change, the risk is that more people will be exposed to extreme heat, and without the cool sea breezes experienced by those on the coast, will be heavily reliant on the quality of future urban development for protection. This project will quantify the role of ‘green infrastructure’ for climate adaptation to extreme heat, identifying the influence of urban form and testing scenarios of future urban planning and design.

CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship

Vegetation dynamics and changing fire regimes in South East NSW – $95,784

Extensive vegetation survey data collected throughout NSW over many years for vegetation mapping has assumed that vegetation composition is static, despite increasingly compelling evidence from national and international research that fire regimes strongly influence both structure and composition, and even type in some cases. This study will combine existing vegetation datasets with a comprehensive fire history database available for National Parks in NSW to investigate the role that components of fire regimes play in vegetation dynamics. Projected changes in climate and fire regimes mean this understanding will be of critical importance to fire and land-managers in coming decades.

Environment Protection Authority

Grassland islands as a key to survival for Bristlebirds in North East NSW – $99,227

Embedded in the rainforests of northern NSW and south-eastern Queensland are naturally occurring islands of grassy woodlands, key habitat for the highly endangered northern eastern bristlebird (NEBB) and a range of other species. These islands appear to be declining in both condition and extent through insufficient fire, further endangering their dependant biota. This project will synthesise evidence of the distribution and attributes of grassy islands, apply targeted fire regimes and monitor the response in vegetation, NEBB and their key food resources. The project will lead to improved fire management of these unique communities and contribute to recovery of the NEBB.

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Potential use of animal waste for biofuel production – $99,200

Most of the three million dry tonnes of livestock manure produced annually in Australia, is either stockpiled, composted or applied to soils. However, nutrient and microbial contamination of water and soil, generation of odours and greenhouse gases (GHG) diminish its benefits and appeal. Manure contains up to 50% cellulose, making it an ideal feedstock for second generation biofuel production. This scenario presents the livestock industry with an innovative pathway towards a waste-to-energy solution and a means of mitigating GHG emissions. The proposed project investigates the utility of livestock manure for biofuel production within a biorefinery framework.

Office of Environment and Heritage

Do the Pilliga Forests contain functioning refuges of koala? – $99,028

The iconic Pilliga forests of north-western NSW were hailed in the 1990s as carrying the biggest population of koalas in NSW. Now, koalas are anecdotally thought by independent sources to have drastically declined to rarity, seemingly from the recent drought and the fire of 2006. This matter will gain an even higher profile as coal-seam gas extraction expands in these forests. This project will draw on past surveys to locate any refuge koala populations, refuges will be described, and we shall survey surroundings lands. We shall conclude with actions for managing refuge koala populations and publicise the results.

University of Sydney

Physiological effects of climate change stress on adults and offspring – $199,955

Climate-driven ocean acidification and warming will impact vital marine resources of NSW. Preparation for these impacts relies on understanding temperature and acidification thresholds that have irreversible effects on ecologically and commercially important species. Understanding current conditions biota experience in coastal habitats is crucial to application of climate change scenarios. This project addresses this knowledge gap through field monitoring of temperature and pH/pCO₂. Sub-lethal effects of ocean change stressors on health of adults and their progeny will be determined by use of biomarkers. Impacts of parental acclimation in climate change conditions on progeny performance will reveal if acclimation conveys cross-generational resilience.

University of Wollongong

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for frog conservation – $99,512

Environmental change is causing unprecedented rates of species extinction, presenting a major threat to global biodiversity. Although high extinction rates have been reported for all vertebrate classes, amphibians have been the most severely affected. Of Australia’s endangered and critically endangered frog species, over 45% (15 out of 33) are from NSW. Captive-breeding programs have played a key role in maintaining populations of several endangered species, but in most cases reproductive rates are too low to support long-term re-introduction programmes. To address this problem, this study will develop sophisticated Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) to enhance the propagation and genetic management of endangered NSW frog species. ART is a powerful new approach to ex situ conservation that will ensure the preservation of NSW unique amphibian biodiversity.