Tropical Environmental Science and Geography
GIS and Remote Sensing Projects
Geomorphic indicators of channel form and stability in Cape York Peninsula: a remote sensing and GIS approach.
Riparian habitat quality in the Wet Tropics WHA: evidence from high-resolution remote sensing.
Landscape evolution and geological controls over the Chillagoe and Mitchell-Palmer karsts, North Queensland.
Use of high resolution imagery for carbon accounting in farm forestry plantations
Bioclimatic profiling of Agarwood (
Aquilaria crassna,
Thymelaeaceae) for farm forestry in northern Australia.
Agarwood or just Agar (from the Malay
gaharu) is the resinous
heartwood from
Aquila
ria
trees, large evergreen hardwoods native to southeast Asia. Agarwood is now found very occasionally in the wilds of Bhutan, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia. Plantations have been established in Bhutan and Papua New Guinea. The trees occasionally become infected with a parasite mould and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the fungus grows, the tree produces a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood. The resin is very highly valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and is used for incense and for perfumes. The project will involve profiling the climatic and environmental variables of the species in southeast Asia and then carrying out a growth suitability modelling exercise to see where it might grow in northern Australia. Included in this would be an assessment of its likely growth and spread under greenhouse-enhanced carbon dioxide conditions. There is support for the project through ACIAR, who are looking at establishing some growth trials over the next few years and would like to have some information on the most likely potential growing areas in Australia.
Carbon Accounting Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
Australia is working towards a national carbon emissions trading system, with farm forestry plantations and revegetation seen as important carbon sinks. A reporting method is required to efficiently assess the extent to which the objectives of carbon sink projects are being achieved. The carbon economy will involve legally binding contracts, so a high level of accuracy that accommodates variation in site productivity and tree species characteristics is needed. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology that may assist in achieving these objectives. These small radio controlled planes, equipped with an autopilot, GPS and digital camera, are able to capture low level, georeferenced aerial photographs. Image resolution is 3cm at an altitude of 125m. The photographs can be flown as stereoscopic pairs, so forestry mensuration estimates can be made. This project will apply this technology to small farm forestry plots on the Atherton Tableland, to produce reliable estimates of tree biomass and carbon sequestration. The project will be supported by SkyView Solutions P/L and Degree Celsius P/L, local companies active in UAV applications and carbon accounting. The project will give a better understanding of the operation and limitations of UAVs for broader natural resource management monitoring, such as in weed mapping, pasture condition and mine site rehabilitation.
For further information please contact david.gillieson@jcu.edu.au
Satellite monitoring of lakes water quality
This project is supported by the Corangamite Catchement Management Authority and the Australian Research Council. It will focus on assessing land use change and climate variability impacts on water resources in the Corangamite region of South-West Victoria. The PhD will have the opportunity to gain more experience on remote sensing and GIS techniques in the context of water resources management. The aims will be to develop a time-series of lakes parameters using satellite data. Change detection analysis will also performed to document land use change across the region. These new data will be incorporated with the water resources database to assess lakes/groundwater interaction under climate and land use change conditions. The results of this work will have significant implications for assessing the impact of land use change on the water quality of the numerous lakes in the region.
Supervisor/s: Dr Sarah Tweed and Dr Marc Leblanc, SEES, Cairns
Nutrient cycling and management in tropical perennial crops
Analysis of nutritional constraints to cocoa production in Papua New Guinea (ACIAR-funded)
Overcoming cation deficiencies in oil palm crops of PNG (ACIAR-funded)
Potassium availability in alluvial soils of Papua New Guinea (John Allwright Fellowship)
Cation retention and supply by Sumatran soils under oil palm (Lonsum-funded)
Improving the cation retention capacity of cane-growing soils using high activity clays (SRDC-funded)
Site specific fertiliser recommendations to increase income of smallholder oil palm producers in West New Britain Province (AusAID-funded)
For further information, please contact Dr Paul Nelson
Water and carbon cycling in tropical rainforest
Climate change: scaling from trees to ecosystems (MTSRF-funded). Contact Dr Paul Nelson
Origin and fate of dissolved organic matter in forested catchments (DEST-funded) Contact Dr Paul Nelson
Nutrient, sediment and salt movement through tropical catchments
Tracing nitrogen through wet tropical aquifers (ARC Linkage).
Does nitrate reaching groundwater channel directly into streams of the wet tropics? (ARC-funded)
Denitrification in low-lying areas of the wet tropics (ARC. NRW-funded)
Fingerprinting sources of sediments in the Tully River (Tully WQIP-funded)
Locating groundwater dykes in Cattle Creek catchment (MRWMG-funded)
Pathways of agricultural contaminants in the Saltwater Creek catchment, Far North Queensland’
For further information, please contact Dr Paul Nelson
Community-based Management
Characteristics of effective community based monitoring
helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au, mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au
Improving the breadth of stakeholders' involvement in community participation.
Contact: Peter.Valentine@jcu.edu.au
The social resilience of Indigenous communities to changes prompted by biodiversity policy.
Contact: Helene.Marsh@jcu.edu.au, Peter.Valentine@jcu.edu.au
Conservation of Marine Wildlife
Raising compliance with boat speed restrictions - understanding boater motivations and attitudes
Contact: ivan.lawler@jcu.edu.au, Emma.Gyuris@jcu.edu.au
Aquatic wildlife
Mapping and modeling distribution and habitat requirements of freshwater turtles of the genus Elseya
Population ecology of freshwater turtles of the genus Elseya with emphasis on egg and hatchling survival and recruitment
Comparative dietary ecology of sympatric freshwater turtle species
Comparative reproductive ecology of sympatric freshwater turtle species
Other projects as identified as complementary to, or derived from, the above
Contact: ivan.lawler@jcu.edu.au, Mark.Hamann@jcu.edu.au, Emma.Gyuris@jcu.edu.au
Spatial and temporal trends in the predation of sea turtle nests in northern Australia (collaborative with Queensland Government)
mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au, ivan.lawler@jcu.edu.au
The economics of dugong and turtle hunting by remote communities in northern Australia
Contact:natalie.stoekel@jcu.edu.au, helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au, mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au
The spatial ecology of green turtles and dugongs in Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area
mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au, helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au,
Fisheries Science and Management
Fish biology for fisheries management.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or David.Welch@jcu.edu.au
Biology, life history and ecology of sharks and rays.
Conservation biology of elasmobranch fishes (sharks and rays)
Contact: Colin.Simpfendorfer@jcu.edu.au
Management strategy evaluation of Queensland fisheries.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or Barry.Goldman@jcu.edu.au
Assessing Marine Protected Areas. Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or
Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au.
Ecological, social, and economic assessment of Marine Protected Areas. Contact: Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au
Social aspects of recreational, commercial, and Indigenous fisheries.
Contact: Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au
Assessing Indigenous subsistence fishing in multi-sectorial fisheries.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au
Wet Tropics
Recreating the rainforest: motivations for and effectiveness of tree planting schemes in the Wet Tropics, 1970-2005.
Contact: peter.griggs@jcu.edu.au
Mitigation of impacts of roads and powerlines in rainforest and adjoining Wet Tropics habitats
Contact: Miriam.Goosem1@jcu.edu.au
Habitat connectivity and faunal movements through riparian vegetation Contact: Miriam.Goosem1@jcu.edu.au or David.Gillieson@jcu.edu.au
Impacts of roads and powerlines in rainforests and adjoining Wet Tropics habitats.
Contact: steve.turton@jcu.edu.au or Miriam.Goosem1@jcu.edu.au
Disaster Studies
Natural hazards, disasters and communities
Contact: david.king@jcu.edu.au
Tourism and hazard management.
Contact: david.king@jcu.edu.au
Sustainable Tourism
Is there a wildlife attractiveness distance decay model?
Protected Areas
National Parks and Tourism - intangible tensions and tangible incomes.
Contact: peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
Management of protected areas in northern Queensland
Contact: peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
World Heritage and local government.
Contact: peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
Community support for conservation programs
Contact: peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
Reef, Coastal and Catchment Geomorpholgy
The structure, growth, and preservation of inshore reefs on the central Great Barrier Reef.
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
The structure, growth, and preservation of inshore reefs on the central GBR.
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
The age, formation and significance of shore platforms along the Queensland coast
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
The role of reef morphology and sediment composition on the morphodynamics of carbonate beaches on the GBR.
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
Late Quaternary sediment dynamics of the Upper Burdekin River reconstructed from cores from the valley of lagoons.
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
Late Quaternary climatic, environmental, and flow regime reconstructions from stream terraces in the Upper Burdekin Catchment.
Contact: scott.smithers@jcu.edu.au
Beach/reef flat interactions on North Queensland fringing reefs.
Contact: kevin.parnell@jcu.edu.au
Vessel wake impacts on shorelines in confined coastal waters.
Contact: kevin.parnell@jcu.edu.au
Modelling shoreline change processes on coral cays.
Contact: kevin.parnell@jcu.edu.au
Fisheries Science and Management
Fish biology for fisheries management.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or David.Welch@jcu.edu.au
Management strategy evaluation of Queensland fisheries.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or Barry.Goldman@jcu.edu.au
Assessing Marine Protected Areas. Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au or
Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au.
Ecological, social, and economic assessment of Marine Protected Areas. Contact: Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au
Social aspects of recreational, commercial, and Indigenous fisheries.
Contact: Stephen.Sutton@jcu.edu.au
Assessing Indigenous subsistence fishing in multi-sectorial fisheries.
Contact: Ashley.Williams@jcu.edu.au
Biogeography: time and place.
Taking the pulse of evolution in arid Australia - developing a molecular for the waddy tree (Acacia peuce).
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au">jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
An experimental test of anthropogenic aridification of northern Australia during the late Quaternary.
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Can grass trees be used to unravel bushfire histories in coastal north Queensland?
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Tracking the Niugini influence on north Queensland - a case study using the Lockerbie Satinash (Syzygium branderhorstii).
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Is there a role for telomeres in determining the age of Australian bats from soft tissue samples?
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Predicting the movement of flying foxes by satellite imaging of the flowering pulse of food trees.
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Understanding the role of reduced CO2 on last glacial maximum deforestation of Australia.
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Ecology, demography and long term prospects of the waddy tree (Acaciapeuce) in arid western Queensland.
Contact: jonathan.luly@jcu.edu.au
Sustainable use, planning and management of tropical rainforest landscapes:
Indigenous landscapes of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area: use, planning and management.
Contact: steve.turton@jcu.edu.au
Impacts of urbanisation on north Queensland environments: management and remediation.
Contact: steve.turton@jcu.edu.au
Natural Hazards and Community Resilience
Community perceptions of bushfire risk Port Stephens NSW and or Healesville region Victoria.
Contact: Alison.Cottrell@jcu.edu.au
Recovery and Resilience after cyclone Larry.
Contact: Alison.Cottrell@jcu.edu.au
Capacity building for understanding weather reports in Indigenous communities.
Contact: Alison.Cottrell@jcu.edu.au
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
Contact:
Daniel.Walker@csiro.au
Chris.Margules@csiro.au
Andrew.Ash@csiro.au
Water Scarcity in Tropical Australia: Investigating trade-offs between Market and Non-market uses of water resources
Contact: natalie.stoekl@jcu.edu.au,peter.roebeling@csiro.au
Socio-economic drivers relating to pest fish and their role in the management of pest fish issues
Contact: damien.burrows@jcu.edu.au,peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
frederieke.kroon@csiro.au
Understanding the social, economic and cultural influences on cattle stocking practices in two tropical savanna catchments on Queensland
Contact: iain.gordon@csiro.au,Nadine.marshall@csiro.au, alison.cottrell@jcu.edu.au
The socio-economics and ecological effects of dingo management in tropical savannas
Contact: christopher.johnson@jcu.edu.au,iain.gordon@csiro.au,peter.roebeling@csiro.au
Adoption pathways for sustainable management of tropical production systems
Contact: jan.elder@jcu.edu.au,emma.jakku@csiro.au, peter.thorburn@csiro.au
