Overview
Topic status: In progress
Overview
The spread and subsequent dominance of invasive plant species threatens native biodiversity and essential ecosystem functions such as primary production, hydrology and nutrient cycling (Glowka et al. 1994, Vitousek et al. 1996, Williamson 1999, Mack et al. 2000, Sala et al. 2000, Millenium EcosystemAssessment 2005). To better understand the invasion process and to improve the efficacy of control efforts, recent ecological studies have focused on identifying the causal mechanisms behind invasion (Levine et al. 2003). Disturbance and competitive superiority are commonly found to facilitate invasion with most studies aiming to find the critical mechanism to help better inform control efforts (Seabloom et al. 2003, Didham et al. 2005, MacDougall and Turkington 2005). In this project, the invasion of Eragrostis curvula (African lovegrass) into Australian pastoral ecosystems will be used as a model scenario to investigate the mechanistic role nutrients and rainfall variability play in facilitating invasion. The invasion of African lovegrass is the ideal scenario for these questions because there is conflicting evidence concerning the role disturbance and competition play in facilitating its establishment and persistence. This summer is the fourth year of a factorial field trial where nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium have been added to a lovegrass dominated native pasture in all factorial combinations. Over the course of this time, rainfall levels have ranged from drought to saturated conditions. In this project, a student will assist in the fourth year data collection and then compile and analyse the four years of data to examine how nutrient and rainfall fluctuations over time alter invasive-native species dynamics.Research activities
The research activities include:
- three days of field work which will include cover estimates and biomass sampling
- drying, weighing and sorting biomass samples in the laboratory at QUT
- data analysis over the full course of the project.
Expected outcomes
This project will likely lead to a publication in a scientific journal, and will provide key information for the design of future project on this highly invasive grass species, African lovegrass. A highly talented second year student has already been identified for this project Charlotte Hodgson. Charlotte has expressed great interest and enthusiasm for this project.Duration of project
The project will run for 6 weeks at 4 days a week.
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scholarship
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Keywords
- plants, environment, biogeoscience, rainfall, nutrients
- Contact
- Please contact the supervisor for enquiries.
Dr Jennifer Firn
