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Where are Queensland’s and Australia’s
research strengths? Is Queensland aware of its strength in applied
ecology and conservation? (adapted from a Decision
Point editorial) by Hugh Possingham
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It’s
often said that Australia hits above its weight in science,
producing almost 3% of the world’s research publications
but being a significantly smaller part of the world’s
population (<0.4%). And it is true we’ve pioneered
some pretty important fields like X-ray diffraction and immunology
(which in the process has generated Nobel Laureates). Many of
these successes reflect the work of one or two individuals in
the past. However, there’s one area of scientific endeavour
where Australia can claim to currently be punching well above
its weight through many individuals. If we look at the 3677
recent (2003-2007) publications in the world’s top applied
ecology and conservation journals: Ecological Applications (USA),
Journal of Applied Ecology (UK), Conservation Biology (USA)
and Biological Conservation, some remarkable facts emerge.
Read more...
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Professor
Hugh Possingham |
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UQ
Open Day
| Blue
skies and warm weather did not stop hundreds of people from
participating in the activities and information seminars organised
by SIB for the St Lucia, UQ Open Day held on Sunday 3 August.
Open Day is designed to give prospective students the chance
to experience first hand the range of unique educational opportunities
available at UQ. The fun and informative hands on activities
held by SIB reflected the diverse biological subjects available
within the school. Activities ranged from opportunities to
examine the biting behaviour of mosquitoes, propagate clonal
plants, measure the heart rates of yabbies, play with innovative
weed control models, view first hand rarely seen microscopic
life forms and get up close and personal with native and exotic
geckoes. The many informative displays were also popular with
visitors including: live Australian insects, dugongs in Moreton
Bay, the evolution of prehistoric animals, common plant diseases,
and the genetics of life and death. The slightly more adventurous
(or maybe better described as extremely hungry participants)
could snack on chocolate covered beetles. Thank you to the
many academics, staff members, and postgraduate students who
organised and participated in this highly successful event.
Jennifer Firn
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What does an iROO do?
During
the semester break, a group of eight Environmental Science students
lead by Assoc Professor Gimme Walter visited Idalia National
Park in Central Western QLD. The students belong to the Environmental
Science student initiative known as ‘iROOS’ –
Idalia Recovery Organisation of Students, a society established
two years ago and which has now seen three successful trips
to Idalia. The iROOs organize fundraising events through semester
to help fund week-long excursions to the National Park, where
students volunteer with the park ranger in a range of activities
from restoration projects to ecological monitoring. The focus
of the most recent trip was to prepare and deploy over 100 traps
to be used in a mark-recapture population study of the endangered
Bridled Nail-tailed Wallaby, an animal so rare it was once considered
to be extinct.
I think all involved in the trip would agree that it was a fantastic
experience, particularly regarding the opportunity to develop
an understanding of the nail-tail study and the incredibly rewarding
role of being the sole ranger of a National Park in a remote
location. Our daily efforts were rewarded with spot-lighting
tours, walks to beautiful lookouts and waterholes and nightly
BBQs around a campfire under a star-spangled night sky. Our
next trip is planned for the September holidays, in which we
will resume our earlier monitoring (traplines and study sites
laid out in September 2007) and possibly investigate erosion
control methods for the park. Sarah
Robbins for the iROOS |
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8th
August
Christine Beveridge
School of Integrative Biology,
The University of Queensland
Strigolactones, a new class of plant hormone
15th August
Paul Sunnucks
Monash University
Population biology masala: empirical studies towards integrating
space, time, function and environment
22nd August
Rod Fensham
Queensland Herbarium
The science and politics of tree growth and death
27th August
Special seminar with SMMS
Howard Ochman
Univeristy of Arizona
Bacterial genomics and the tree of life
29th August
Nancy Moran
University of Arizona
Genomics and Evolution of Bacterial Symbionts in Insects
Talks
are held from 1- 2pm in Room 139, Goddard
Building (8)
Coordinator: Dr Cynthia
Riginos
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Welcome to New Staff
Kerrie Wilson
has recently joined the School of Integrative Biology as a Senior
Research Fellow (ARC). Kerrie has a background in Environmental Science
(BSc, UQ), conservation ecology (PhD, University of Melbourne and
the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 2001-2003), and conservation
prioritisation (Post-doc, UQ, 2004-2007). Kerrie joined The Nature
Conservancy as the Director of Conservation for the Australia program
in July 2007 where she led the planning process for Central Australia
and developed an Ecological Science Program focusing on addressing
priority applied conservation research gaps. During this time she
remained an adjunct lecturer at The University of Queensland and co-supervised
several students with Prof Hugh Possingham. In late 2008 Kerrie was
awarded an ARC APD and in 2009 accepted a senior lectureship in the
school. Kerrie is author of approximately 30 original publications
on the topics of spatial conservation prioritisation, conservation
economics, threat and uncertainty analysis and is currently co-editing
a book for Oxford University Press. She has developed innovative frameworks
for the allocation of conservation resources and her work has been
published in journals such as Nature, PLoS Biology, and PNAS. Kerrie
enjoys bushwalking, motorcycling, and gardening and welcomes people
to drop by her office (Room 351, Goddard Building) for a cuppa and
a chat.
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Mini SIB-lings
Congratulations to Christine Kara (formerly
Ballantyne) and Geoff Pittman
on the birth of their twins. A daughter, Alela Robyn 2.3kg and a
son Patu Tioriori 2.8kg born
on Friday 25 July at 11.30am.
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Get
motivated in winter: SIB/UQ Sport Initiative
Just
a reminder that the School will contribute 50% towards the cost
of any UQSport fitness initiative. We would like to encourage
our staff to be fit and healthy and stay energised through the
colder months. This offer is available to all full-time general
and academic staff members. Please contact Jenny
if you require more information.
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UQ
Staff Development Program
The University runs a number of staff development training programs
in a range of areas.
Monthly
Bulletin...
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Student
Graduations
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded their degrees
in the July graduation ceremony:
Doctor
of Philosophy
Diane
Allen
Maria Beger
Peter Cook
Elizabeth Dun
Arief Indrasumunar
Conor Jones |
Karno
Timothy Lucas
Amanda Niehaus
Geoffrey Pittman
Ravindra-Sampath Walgama
Chih Ching Wong
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Master
of Philosophy
Hao Long
Ngoc Quang Dao |
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Thinking Pink on Graduation Week
| This
semester’s graduation ceremony was special for all SIB
students, but in particular for PhD student Amanda
Niehaus who has worn many hats in her time: partner,
mother and breast cancer patient.
Ms Niehaus's
graduation coincided with The Kim Walters Choices Program's
Think Pink Week, which aims to raise breast and ovarian cancer
awareness and offer support, counselling and treatment to
patients and their families.
Amanda,
Robbie and Nelle would like to say a big thank you to everyone
at SIB for the flowers, amazing food drops, practical help
and all the positive energy. Now half way through her chemo,
Amanda is very much looking forward to her next beer on the
roof!
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Amanda,
Robbie and daughter Nelle
Photo:
Jeremy Patten, UQ |
More
information about The Kim Walters
Choices Program.
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Spotlight on our Postgraduates – David Aguirre
I am fascinated by the natural world and curious about why things
are the way they are. Why a PhD? Good question, sucker for punishment
maybe. I enjoy research- the questions, the ideas, even the analysis
(I may regret saying that) and a PhD gives me the opportunity to
pursue a career in research where I have the flexibility to adapt
to new ideas and investigate current issues in my field.
Read more...
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BACS
PhD Conference Travel Awards
In 2008 the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences will provide
partial support for a number of PhD students to attend international
conferences. It is proposed that approximately 10 awards per year
(maximum $3000) will be provided with additional awards of up to
$500 to attend international conferences held within Australia
Applications close 29 August.
More information is available on the BACS
website.
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The
Monash Awards
The Monash Awards are regarded as one of Australia’s
most highly sought after scholarships, and are named in honour of
Australian icon Sir John Monash.
The Awards offer up to $150,000 over three years for postgraduate
studies at any of the world’s best universities overseas. Only
eight Awards are made each year to Australian citizens judged to have
outstanding academic achievement, community consciousness and service
and leadership potential of their field and the community. The Foundation
expects Award Winners to make a significant contribution to the future
development of Australia.
Applications close 31 August.
More information |
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ARC Linkage Grants
Congratulations
to SIB members who were successful in securing ARC Linkage grants.
Bernie
Degnan
$230,000 over 5 years
An investigation of the underlying mechanisms that control gender
and fertility in the Moreton Bay Bug, Thenus orientalis.
Hugh Possingham and Kerrie
Wilson
$431,967 over 5 years
Spatial prioritisation in the context of climate change and unforeseen
opportunities; maximising conservation outcomes in Gondwana link.
Hugh Possingham with CSIRO
$480,000 over 4 years
Resilience of Moreton Bay to climate change: links between nutrient
inputs and plankton dynamics.
Peer Schenk with IMB
$674,344 over 4 years
Second generation biofuels; developing environmentally friendly
high-efficiency microalgae for biofuel production.
Paul
Scott and Peter Gresshoff
$370,000 over 6 years
Genetic transformation of the biodiesel producing tree legume Pongamia
pinnata. |
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Australian
Academy of Science Awards
Nominations
are being called from senior and junior researchers for awards for
outstanding research in the natural sciences.
The Academy recognises distinguished research performance by scientists.
Nominations close 30 August.
Information
about the awards is available at the Australian
Academy of Science website.
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Biology
beyond the black stump: teaching “outback ecology” at
Idalia National Park. By John Hall
Like
so many places in Australia, Idalia National Park (west of Blackall
in Central Queensland), seems like a long way from anywhere. Curiously
though, this remote spot has a unique link with the University of
Queensland, since the School of Integrative Biology (in it's various
incarnations) has been teaching a field course here, "arid zone
ecology", since the earliest days of the parks inception in 1990.
SIB academics and teaching staff past and present, such as Gordon
Grigg, Anne Goldizen, David Yates and
Selena Hobbs have a long history of teaching "out west",
and this year the fine traditions of Biol3016
continued under the stewardship of Gimme Walter,
the course co-ordinator, and Selena Hobbs,
our indispensable head of logistics.
Read more...
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Teaching Innovation - New First Year Courses a Success
By Louise Kuchel
Last semester saw the roll-out of the new
first year science courses at UQ in response to a recent review
of UQ’s BSc program. Our school was the primary contributor
to two of these courses BIOL1020 - genes, cells and evolution (coordinated
by Beth McGraw), and BIOL1030 –
biodiversity and our environment (coordinated by Robbie
Wilson). With enrolments of around 900 and 600 students respectively,
large teams of teaching staff (technicians, tutors and academic
staff) contributed to make these courses a success.
Read more...
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SIB
staff and students would like to welcome the following visitor to
the School.
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A/Professor
Bruce Kendall
Addressing research areas regarding the design of Marine Protected
Areas; his background is in population ecology with research
interests that include demographic modelling, population viability
analysis, and spatial fisheries models
Working with Hugh Possingham
Home institution - University of California, Santa Barbara
Here until 30 June 2009
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Study on Glow Worms
Radio ABC 936 Hobart; ABC 936 Hobart
A new study has found Tas’n Cave Glow Worms can tell the time
independent of the movements of the sun. Researcher David
Merritt of the UQ comments. Duration: 0:58
Tasmanian
devils take to breeding younger to combat deadly disease
The Age - Page 3
A deadly cancer plague has turned one of Australia’s best
known animals into precocious little devils. In response to the
facial tumour disease that has devastated Tasmanian devil numbers,
the marsupials have started breeding at a younger age. UQ’s
PhD researcher Shelly Lachish comments.
New Tourist Park in the NT
ABC Radio Gold & Tweed Coasts
Interview
with Gordon Grigg, Zoology Professor,
UQ, to discuss a new tourist park which takes people swimming with
crocodiles as its main attraction. Grigg says that the attraction
won’t be dangerous because of the safety precautions, he says
that with the commercialisation of crocodiles through tourism and
crocodile farms people have a high regard for crocodiles in the
Northern Territories. Grigg mentions the similarity with people
swimming with sharks at Sea World. Duration: 8:12
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