Climate change and adaptation

Climate change and adaptation

The climate change and adaptation research focuses on managing the risks of climate change through evidence-based policy development. It covers adaptation strategies, risk assessment, and sustainable management practices to support resilience in ecosystems, communities, and industries.

About

Reconstruction of historical patterns of species movement, colonisation, extinction and speciation and understanding the genomic basis of climate adaptation may help understand future dynamics and the potential of evolutionary processes to intensify or moderate the effects of global change.

Protecting landscapes that act as refugia from climate change, and protecting and rehabilitating habitat corridors to allow species to reach these areas will enable species to respond to rapid climate change.

For information on Australia's biodiversity policies see the Department of the Environment and Energy​:

See also:

Projects

The Ignition Grant Round 2 aims to explore how climate change affects ecosystems. A series of workshops will develop testable propositions linking climatic regimes to ecosystem changes. The research will enhance understanding of ecosystem dynamics, aiding biodiversity conservation and regional livelihoods.

The pilot project aims to use genetic approaches to study the Mountain Ash forest's response to disturbances. By analysing genetic relatedness and potential adaptive responses, researchers will develop methods for large-scale genomic analyses to predict ecosystem changes due to contemporary logging and climate challenges.

Eucalypts, particularly Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora), are crucial to Australian ecosystems but have declined significantly due to land clearing. A project is genotyping Yellow box to improve seed sourcing for restoring Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands, aiming to enhance resilience to future environmental changes.

The project, involving CSIRO and ANU, aims to explore the diversity of frog skin microbiomes across Australia. It will use high-throughput DNA sequencing to investigate genetic, morphological, and evolutionary influences on microbiomes, assess chytridiomycosis impacts, and identify potential disease-resistant microbial elements in Uperoleia frogs.

The Ignition Grant Round 7 aims to study Coolibah trees in the Lake Eyre Basin, focusing on their genetic variability and hydrological influences. Collaborating with ANU and CSIRO, the project will use genomic analysis to understand genetic patterns and environmental adaptations, enhancing conservation efforts.

The Ignition Grant Round 5 aims to develop a genomic data resource linking Australia's biodiversity data to the Atlas of Living Australia. This initiative will enhance access, visualisation, and analysis of genetic, spatial, and environmental data, supporting research and conservation efforts across Australia's biota.

News

A major objective of the CBA is to exchange knowledge, perspectives and challenges amongst scientists and policy makers, and find ways to effectively engage, now and into the future.

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The draft of the Australia’s strategy for nature 2018-2030 is now open for public consultation and they'd like to hear from you. Please complete the survey or make a submission.

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We've mapped the hotspots of eucalypt diversity and our study shows that by 2085 the hotspots will be in different places. We need to plan now to conserve those future hotspots.

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Bill adaptation in parrots: finding the genes involved in surface area increases over time

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The Australian landscape presents many areas of extreme conditions for plant survival, such as drought, heat, or salt-affected soils. Are some lineages better able to adapt and diversify in these harsh conditions?

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Collecting seed, growing and re-planting is fundamental to restoration projects. However, little is known of the levels of genetic adaptability present in any key species, such as Yellow box, that frequently used for broad-scale restoration.

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