Environment Institute
The Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity
Putting Research into Practice
Introduction
The Centre focuses on 4 major themes: >> Biodiversity discovery and phylogenetics: Discovering
and identifying the vast wealth of biodiversity on our planet and establishing their evolutionary relationships. As the large-scale analysis of DNA gets cheaper and easier, we are witnessing a revolution in our understanding of the way living systems work and how to manage biodiversity. The Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity (ACEBB) at the University of Adelaide is at the cutting edge of this revolution. With over 174 publications in the peer-reviewed literature in 2012 alone, ACEBB is an internationally recognised Centre of Excellence in evolutionary biology and biodiversity science and management.
>> Evolutionary and landscape adaptation: Understanding
how species have evolved their adaptive capacity in the past and how these characteristics equip them to cope with contemporary pressures like climate change, habitat fragmentation and invasive species. >> Biodiversity monitoring and modelling: Measuring and
predicting the response of biodiversity and ecosystems to current environmental pressures. >> Biodiversity management and conservation decision
making: Deriving evidence-based management and conservation recommendations.
Controlling Invasive Species
Adaptation to Change
“By knowing where an invasive species comes from you can prevent further spread and look for potential biological control agents for that species.”
“The world is changing. We need to know what effect these changes will have on the environment we rely on.”
ACEBB staff have extensive experience in identifying where invasive species come from and analysing the transportation routes representing the greatest risk as routes for invasion. They also have extensive experience in assessing what impacts invasive species are having on local biodiversity and predictive modelling of the likely effects they will have in the future. ACEBB staff are also highly skilled at using DNA techniques to detect new weeds or invasive pest species and pinpoint the country or region of their origin. Knowing where an invasive species comes from means you can track the invasion back and identify how the pest spread or identify the route of invasion. The accumulation of genetic diversity over time is also a strong indicator of whether a species will become a problem weed. We can monitor changes in population dynamics and genetic diversity over time in candidate species and advise on appropriate management options. This information can be used to prevent the further spread of the pest, as well as preventing additional invasions of similar species. Knowing where an invasive species comes from is also very useful when looking for potential biological control agents to keep the pest species in check in its exotic range. Case studies on how we have helped organisations deal with invasive species can be found at www.adelaide.edu.au/ environment/acebb/
In just over two hundred years humans have re-shaped the world. But have these changes always been for the better? What are the costs and consequences of progress? How do we tell what effect human activity is having on the environment and on the ecosystems we rely on? And what can we do to minimise damaging environmental impacts? The research groups within ACEBB are constantly developing new methods to assess the health of ecosystems by measuring and monitoring the biodiversity it contains. Using these methods you can determine what impact a changing climate and human modification of natural habitats will have on an ecosystem. With such knowledge you can identify and implement sensible and sensitive management options and evidence-based environmental policies. Managing change appropriately gives you
options. Managing change appropriately also minimises risk. Biodiversity and ecosystems have a range of natural resilience mechanisms that once understood, can be harnessed to more effectively manage impacting processes and degraded systems. We can advise on how to monitor, manage and preserve the health and biodiversity of an ecosystem or resource. This can include advice on environmental policy, reserve delineation, habitat protection and restoration programs and climate change adaptation strategies at the landscape and ecosystem scale. We have worked with government and industry, including the mining sector, to identify and solve practical problems of biodiversity management while maximising species conservation and minimising environmental impacts. By working with ACEBB, we can help you be a change for the better. Case studies on how we have helped organisations deal with change can be found at www.adelaide.edu.au/ environment/acebb/
Through this expertise ACEBB is able to provide a range of applied services, including topics such as: >> Biodiversity Discovery: To rapidly identify and
characterise the biodiversity at a site or compare the biodiversity at multiple sites. >> Adaptation to Change: To understand and manage
how species survive and adapt to human impacts. >> Controlling Invasive Species: To identify where
pest species have come from and identify potential biological control agents. >> Stopping Illegal Trade - Timber Tracking: To track
and identify the species and source of origin of precious biodiversity products.
Biodiversity Discovery “If you don’t know what’s there, how do you know what biological riches you have and how to protect them?” There is an old saying: “You don’t realise what you’ve got until it’s gone”. While this may be true, there is something worse: Losing something precious you never knew was there. Identifying the biodiversity in an ecosystem or at a particular site has traditionally been a time consuming and expensive process, often reliant on identifying small and subtle differences in physical and morphological characteristics. Identifying these differences requires considerable skill and expertise and is often fraught with logistic and technical difficulties. As a result, our knowledge of biodiversity and our ability to spot when something had changed within an ecosystem has been poor. So poor in fact, we are losing species faster than we can identify them. Genomic technologies are changing that. DNA barcoding is a new method for rapidly and unequivocally identifying species from a DNA sequence. There are a wide variety of applications for this technology. Using DNA barcoding you can identify a microorganism, seed, plant or insect at any life stage, stages that may be difficult to distinguish from physical characteristics or by other means. Using DNA barcoding, it is also possible to survey the biodiversity of an entire ecosystem quickly and accurately, in a fraction of the time and at a lower cost than traditional techniques. With the increasing legal requirements for major projects to undertake environmental impact assessments and monitor their environmental impacts, the methods developed by ACEBB to identify and monitor biodiversity make this job quicker and cheaper. It also means the results
In addition to its considerable in-house expertise, ACEBB also has strong links with the South Australian Museum and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). Advances in molecular biology continue to open new and exciting commercial opportunities. By working with the global leaders in the Centre you can explore and exploit these opportunities. There are many ways you can work with ACEBB. These include: >> Licensing techniques and technologies developed by ACEBB staff. >> Research collaborations and joint ventures. >> Practical solutions through contract research and consultancy.
ACEBB staff have considerable experience in developing customised approaches and practical real-world solutions to biodiversity problems. Some examples are highlighted in this brochure. Let us work with you to create your own success story.
are significantly more reliable than standard approaches to morphology-based species identification. By knowing the baseline situation of which species occur where, we are better able to tell if something changes. You can track whether the species balance changes or when a new and potentially invasive species moves in. And the sooner you know, the sooner you can act to put corrective measures or appropriate management strategies in place. Forewarned is forearmed. Case studies on how we have helped organisations deal with biodiversity discovery can be found at www.adelaide.edu.au/ environment/acebb/
Stopping Illegal Trade – Timber tracking “We can now track samples from woodchips, timber, decking and furniture right back to the forest they came from.” Widespread genetic mapping of the world’s trees and plantations means it is now possible to analyse DNA from timber products such as wood chips, lumber, timber decking or furniture and identify precisely the source of that product, even right back to the forest where they came from. DNA technology is the latest weapon in the fight against illegal trade in biodiversity products and offers significant improvements over existing methods. Timber importers in Australia and globally want to know the source of the timber they handle. Being able to accurately and quickly track the source of timber used in a product provides peace of mind for regulators, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers and their customers. Researchers from the Centre are working with the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute in Germany and the Singapore-based company, Double
Helix Tracking Technologies, to develop ways to assess whether wood products come from a sustainable plantation or were sourced illegally from a protected area. Routine DNA analysis of timber products has come of age. It is an internationally recognised and accepted technology, with the backing of a number of environmental groups, including Greenpeace and WWF. Large-scale screening of wood DNA can now be done cheaply, quickly and reliably, with a statistical certainty acceptable in a court of law. Australian companies were the first in the world to purchase timber products tested using DNA fingerprinting. European and American importers are following and legislative requirements for establishing chain of custody of timber products are being enacted throughout the world. As the commercial and legislative push to ensure the legal trade in biodiversity products gains momentum, so the incentive to continue illegal trade is significantly reduced. ACEBB is looking for commercial partners and customers to improve chain of custody of the trade supply industry. The source tracking methods developed for timber have also been applied to a range of other biodiversity products by ACEBB researchers, including fish, mammals and insects. These methods allow consumers to check which species they are buying and whether they come from a legal source or not. Similar techniques can also be applied to identify the source of origin of invasive species so that biocontrol agents that keep the species in check in their native range can be identified. Case studies on how we have helped organisations stop illegal trade can be found at www.adelaide.edu.au/ environment/acebb/
For further enquiries Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity School of Earth & Environmental Sciences The University of Adelaide SA 5005 Australia Telephone: +61 8 8303 3999 Facsimile: +61 8 8303 6222 Email: acebb@adelaide.edu.au Website: www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/acebb/
www.adelaide.edu.au facebook.com/uniofadelaide twitter.com/uniofadelaide youtube.com/universityofadelaide
Disclaimer: The information in this publication is current as at the date of printing and is subject to change. You can find updated information on our website at www.adelaide.edu.au With the aim of continual improvement the University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the degrees, diplomas, certificates and courses on offer. As a result the specific programs and courses available will change from time to time. Please refer to www.adelaide.edu.au for the most up to date information or contact us on 1800 061 459. The University of Adelaide assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information provided by third parties. CRICOS 00123M Š The University of Adelaide Printed May 2013 1403/2