UWA Albany is keen to support UWA students and research work in the region.
It is able to offer
Master of Science in Natural Resource Management
Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Natural Resource Management Policy
Graduate Diploma in Integrated Human Studies
Master of Integrated Human Studies
Examining an ecological gradient using stable isotopes: insights into the foraging activities of an invasive species.
Honours and 4th year projects in 2010 - see prospective projects on the Centre of Excellence for Natural Resource Management (CENRM) site.
Stable isotopes can be used to trace the flow of energy in an ecosystem (Tieszen et al. 1983) and provide a valuable insight into the foraging of free-living animals (Podlesak et al. 2005). This can be done by looking at the ratio of key biological elements (e.g. C, H, O, N and S) and their less common isotopes, using mass spectrometry of animal tissue. These elements and their isotopes are incorporated into body tissues in different amounts and in different ways. Hence, analysis of the isotope ratio (e.g. 13C:12C) can be a useful tracing tool to describe food webs and habitat characteristics.
Over the past two years, European starlings from control operations have been collected for this and other projects. The geographic extent of the samples is from near Port Lincoln in South Australia to Munglinup in Western Australia. Feather and muscle tissue from existing samples will be used to examine the isotope ratio of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N).
In this project, the student will become an ecological detective. By examining isotope ratios of C and N they will gain an insight into the contribution of plants (through Del-C) and insects (through Del-N) to the diet of the European starling. This will provide valuable insight into any spatial differences in the diet of this invasive species across the ecological gradient of the Nullarbor Plain. This project will also provide significant input into our ecological understanding of starlings, by providing the answers to simple questions such as are they eating insects or are they eating fruits? It may also provide important insights into what biological conditions may be needed for a successful invasion of starlings across the natural barrier of the Nullarbor Plain.
This project is funded by South Coast Natural Resource Management and the Department of Agriculture. It will also have linkages with other starling research projects being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and its many collaborators. The project will be supervised by Professor Peter Davies from the Centre of Natural Resource Management and Dr Andrew Woolnough from the Vertebrate Pest Research Section of the Department of Agriculture.
Call Peter Davies (CENRM) on 9842 0836 or (0418) 913 584.
Podlesak, D.W., McWilliams, S.R. and Hatch, K.A. (2005). Stable isotopes in breath, blood, feces and feathers can indicate intra-individual changes in the diet of migratory songbirds. Oecologia 142: 501-510.
Tieszen, L.L., Boutton, T.W., Tesdahl, K.G. and Slade, N.A. (1983). Fractionation and turnover of stable carbon isotopes in animal tissue: implications for ?13C analysis of diet. Oecologia 57: 32-37.
McIlwee, A. P. and Johnson, C.N. (1998). The contribution of fungus to the diets of three mycophagous marsupials in Eucalyptus forests, revealed by stable isotope analysis. Functional Ecology 12: 223-231.
Unkovich, M.J., Gibbs, J., Pate, J.S. and McNeill A. (eds) (2001). Application of stable isotope techniques to study biological processes and functioning of ecosystems. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht.
Woolnough, A.P., Massam, M.C., Payne, R.L. and Pickles, G.S. (2005). Out on the border: Keeping starlings out of Western Australia. Pp 183-189 In: Proceedings of the 13th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference, Wellington, New Zealand. (http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/conferences/vertebratepest/VPC_FULLPROGRAMME2.pdf).