Ecosystem Dynamics Lab
Understanding ecosystem change in a rapidly changing world
We aim to understand how ecosystems respond to disturbance events across space and time under climate change.
Our projects focus on the impact of extreme rainfall (droughts and floods), wildfires and invasive species on fauna or flora populations, communities or ecosystems to prevent extinctions or ecosystem collapse.
Climate change is the greatest global issue facing our civilization and the environment on which we depend. Our research aims to address the broad question of how the non-linear responses of species to climate and biotic interactions can be better understood and incorporated into improved analyses of ecosystem dynamics and function. Within this theme we also tackle the question of how altered fire regimes impact on biodiversity, a key challenge facing Australia and now also being recognised globally.
Interactions among species are crucial for ecosystem functioning and for maintaining biological diversity. Our research theme aims to uncover the direct and indirect roles of competitive and predatory interactions between species. We are particularly interested in understanding how these interactions are modified by climate over space and time.
Advances in technology, such as drones, remote camera traps, acoustic recorders and more recently open-source hardware and software have revolutionised data collection for cryptic species and surveys in remote locations. We investigate how scientists can use new hardware and AI software within their research programs for biodiversity monitoring. This theme uses the latest innovations in technology from data science, engineering and electronics to build custom devices with a reproducible workflow.
To aid post-fire recovery of native species, we must understand the complexity of the interactions among threats from increased fire frequency, severity and introduced predators and how these interactions affect function. This project aims to investigate how the fire severity and frequency affect the trajectory of change in species composition from the 2019/20 mega-fires in the greater Blue Mountains and thus provide new insights into how communities may respond under changing wildfire regimes.
This project aims to address the significant knowledge gap of how species composition may change due to extreme drought, and in-turn, quantify the loss of ecosystem function resulting from species turnover. Further, this project will identify species that contribute the most to function. This project is part of the global DroughtNet experiment.
With the Desert Ecology Research Group
This project aims to quantify inter-relationships between the frequency and intensity of increased climate extremes, wildfire and introduced species and their effects on species dynamics in the arid zone.
With NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water
This project will develop a greater understanding of the value of ‘greenspots’ (sites of persistently high localised productivity) in arid New South Wales for biodiversity and how they may support species during periods of low rainfall. The project will identify how resource availability differs between ‘greenspots’ and areas of lower productivity. It will then look at how differences in resources affects patterns of species diversity and how this varies seasonally.
The Ecosystem Dynamics Lab is led by Dr Aaron Greenville. For more information and opportunities, please get in contact via aaron.greenville@sydney.edu.au.
