Climate change

Understanding how plants and animals are impacted by climate change in Australia and Antarctica in order to plan for adaptation. Our focus is on increasing temperatures and the frequency and intensity of heat waves, ozone depletion and increased UV-B radiation.

Work in this research area is currently underway in the laboratories of CSES Members Sharon Robinson, Kris French, Andy Davis, David Ayre, Todd Minchinton, Marian Wong, Tony Auld, Ben Gooden, Michael Ashcroft, Zbynek Malenovsky, Chris Friesen, Emily Howells and Ana Dalziell.

Current projects

• Cool Plants
• The Conversation: The ozone hole leaves a lasting impression on southern climate

Student projects / thesis title

• Sensitivity of subantarctic marine invertebrates to metals under a changing climate - Jessica Holan
• Cut adrift: the distribution and abundance of algal wrack and associated fauna. Modelling the impact of decline in a future ocean - Lauren Cole
• Low-impact monitoring of dynamic vegetation communities in East Antarctica - Diana King
• Sophistication in simplicity: chemical signatures in Antarctic moss cells reveal post water environments [PDF]

Papers

• Climatic, vegetation and edaphic influences on the probability of fire across Mediterranean woodlands of south-eastern Australia Gibson, R.K., Bradstock, R.A., Penman, T., Keith, D.A., Driscoll, D.A. 2015 Journal of Biogeography , 42 ( 9 ) pp. 1750 - 1760 .