Large-scale ecosystem regeneration at Fowlers Gap

Synopsis

After more than 120 years as a sheep station in arid western NSW, Fowlers Gap is set to become a conservation property, with the removal of large domestic herbivores (sheep and goats) in 2021.  This will be a large-scale regeneration project, and it is rare for researchers to have access to such a project throughout its development, implementation and subsequent lifespan.  Initially, research will focus on establishing a baseline of data for the station. Over subsequent years, research will look at the restoration of the station and the responses of trophic communities to a restored habitat.

Aims

This project aims to:

• Investigate natural regeneration in populations of flora and fauna over time.
  
• Investigate changes in trophic levels.
• Investigate changes in soil chemistry and microbiological communities.
• Examine the resilience of an arid zone to climate change.
• Establish monitoring and research sites.

Student benefits

During this project, you’ll have the chance to:

• Assist in a major large scale ecosystem regeneration project, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
  
• Study a rapidly changing and evolving ecosystem.
• Do fieldwork in the arid zone that has widespread applications; no project is too large or too small.
• Learn practical skills that will be transferable to other research projects, and that have “real world” applications.

Supervisors (list of potential supervisors): Dr Keith Leggett, Prof. Mike Letnic, A/Prof. Lisa Schwanz, Prof. Angela Moles, A/Prof. Will Cornwell, Dr Adrian Fisher, A/Prof. Daniel Falster