About the Project
The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) is offering a research scholarship to highly motivated PhD candidates to investigate plant responses to climate change, and the adaptive and physiological mechanisms that might enhance the climate resilience of ecological restoration plantings. This project is co-funded by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure; and Western Sydney University.
Despite large forthcoming investments in nature repair, significant knowledge gaps remain about how to maximise climate resilience in ecological restoration. Increasing chronic and acute stresses associated with climate change are pushing plants beyond their physiological thresholds, with implications for the success of large-scale restoration happening now. Understanding the adaptive capacity of key plant species provides an opportunity to enhance the climate resilience of restoration plantings.
This PhD project will investigate whether seed sourced from future climate analogue sites can perform better than local seed under current and future climate conditions (warming and decreased rainfall). The project aims to examine the establishment, performance, and function of a diverse array of ground cover species directly seeded into restoration plots in threatened grassy woodlands. The research findings will inform strategic restoration approaches to improve long-term biodiversity outcomes.
The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) is a research institute within Western Sydney University. HIE has rapidly become a research leader in environmental and ecological research, with a strong reputation for delivering research outcomes of the highest quality. The project will be based at HIE with the opportunity to work with supervisors and collaborators based in government and industry.