Recently completed research & consulting projects

"Vegetative indicators of condition, integrity, and sustainability of

Great Lakes coastal wetlands" +more

"Climate Change and Prairie Wetlands" +more

"GIS Applications for Environmentally Sustainable Biofuels Production"+more

Alternative stable states - a potential paradigm for managing salinised ecosystems

Funded by: Land and Water Australia 2001-2004

Chief Investigators J.A. Davis, S. Halse, R.H. Froend, D.P.Hamilton, P. Horwitz, and A.J. McComb.

Secondary salinisation of rivers, streams and wetlands is a major environmental issue in many regions of Australia. Preliminary information from southwestern Australia suggests that such systems may have reached new and potentially ‘stable’ ecological states. This project will investigate whether the state and transition models of landscape and vegetation ecology, and the alternative stable states model for shallow lakes, provide a suitable conceptual framework for the development of restoration strategies for salinised ecosystems. Re-examination of pre-existing datasets will help us to define new or alternative states, and evaluate their condition. Ecological modelling will be used to identify the transition thresholds between these states. Strategic fieldwork will be undertaken to supplement the information provided in pre-existing datasets and for model calibration and validation. Restoration goals will be suggested that may involve recognising or promoting alternative states rather than restoring the ecology of these systems to an ‘original’ or historical condition.

For further information please see the student projects.