society and environment - federation university australia · this case study focusses on the ......

Society and Environment Contents School of Health and Life Sciences

2

3

Population dynamics of pelicans in the Gippsland Lakes Assessment of 20 year old rehabilitated ex coconut degraded land in order to develop evidence based best rehabilitation practice in South East Asia Herpetofauna as indicators of climate change in Nepal 4 Identification of browsing preferences of invasive deer species in Victorian ecosystems 5

6

7 8

Unconventional organic waste to overcome subsoil constraints Measurement of the Health and Determination of Optimal Flow Regimes for the Rivers of the Victorian Central Highlands The movement and stress response of koalas translocated from forestry plantations Growing Gippsland: Gippsland Farmers’ responses to a changing climate 9 Effects of bioaccumulated pharmaceuticals and personal care products on Australian Flora

10 11 12

Ecology and conservation status of sun moths in south eastern Australia Genetic investigation into the greater glider using non-invasive sampling Living Bung Yarnda: multiple ways of knowing place 13

School of Science, Engineering and Information Technology

Application of Geogrids to Enhance Waste Dump Stability 14 Novel Encapsulated Phase Change Thermal Storage technology for Residential and Cold-storage Sectors 15

16 17

Fracture mechanism of steel fibre reinforced shotcrete applied on rock surface in multiple stages Design of high-performance concrete members with high strength steel rebars Modelling of vibrations during rock blasting in a mine 18 Bushfire Retardation by Artificial Suppression of Pyro-cumulonimbus (pyroCb) Lightning 19

20 21 22 23 24

Power System Dynamic Signature for Frequency Stability Studies Structural and functional comparison of coal- and soil-derived humic acids Numerical Modelling of Internal Soil Erosion with Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Intelligent prediction of desiccation cracks in clay Assessing tropical cyclone characteristics in the current-generation CMIP6 models Characterisation of grassland communities via remote detection with aerial imaging Fungi and Fire: How forest recover after catastrophic events

25

CRICOS Provider No. 00103D RTO Code 4909

26


School of Health and Life Sciences

Project 1 - PhD, Program Code SU0

Population dynamics of pelicans in the Gippsland Lakes

Outline

Although they appear abundant, Australian Pelican numbers have declined across the nation. The breeding colony in the Gippsland Lakes is one of two remaining (out of ten historical) pelican colonies in the State of Victoria and is thus, an important target for conservation as well as holding local social and indigenous cultural significance.

Since 2017 pelican numbers, breeding success and movements in the Gippsland Lakes have been monitored to better understand the importance of this area to their conservation status as well as gain a better understanding of their ecology. This has included profiling of individual birds as well as capture-based biometric measurement and tagging, e.g. fitting birds with field-readable colour leg bands, blood sampled for Complete Avian Blood Count (biochemistry and haematology), and morphometrics.

This research project will build on data already collected to quantify ecological and behavioural patterns that underpin population structure and breeding success. Capture-based work including tagging will be used to investigate local and landscape-scale movements of juvenile and adult birds. As social structure will strongly influence breeding distribution and success, the role of distinctive morphometric features (i.e. the gular pouch markings) in pelican mate choice and communication will also be investigated. The project will also use information on population fluctuations, collected as part of ongoing monitoring, to explore patterns with climatic data, such as local rainfall and its effects on nesting success.

This project strongly engages with the local community to increase public awareness of pelicans and the environment through a variety of activities such as the ‘Gippsland Lakes Great Pelican Count’.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Jess Reeves

Co-supervisors:

Dr Birgita Hansen, Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation

Prof Peter Gell, Federation University



Assessment of 20 year old rehabilitated ex coconut degraded land in order to develop evidence based best rehabilitation practice in South East Asia

Outline

The complex and protean nature of restoration ecology offers numerous opportunities for investigative research and program evaluation. In this regard, the critical revisiting of earlier restoration attempts is fundamental to the systematic development of evidence‐based prescriptions for future land? restoration work. As a consequence, several respected authors have called for meaningful science‐based ecological audits that will enable the exploitation of evidence arising from existing restoration efforts for future restoration attempts. This case study focusses on the restoration of land in Sri Lanka which was previously used for coconut production. Coconut is a common perennial plantation crop in tropical countries, and aspects of its economic production and the distinctive requirements of coconut tree growth, has led to significant degradation of ex‐cropping land. Trees have been planted with a low density per unit area which has meant that large areas for production were involved. In addition, the shallow, adventitious root system, which only occupies approximately 2m radius around the root bole, has promoted heavy soil erosion. In Sri Lanka, coconut is a rainfed crop, but due to its high water requirement, it is limited to the Wet and Intermediate zones which receive high intensive rainfalls in two monsoon seasons per year. Due to inappropriate land management techniques which also have facilitated soil erosion, land degradation has become a great concern in monocropping coconut lands and has led to little or no productivity. To overcome these soil degradation issues, it is planned to revert the ex coconut production degraded lands into forest vegetation systems. To this end, several restoration techniques have been applied over the past decade. However, at this time, little useful evidence is available to assess the degree of success of these landscape‐level restoration practices which have been undertaken across in Sri Lanka. To address this critical knowledge gap, the aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of previous restoration efforts. Using the outcomes of this project, restoration guidelines will be developed to enhance the effectiveness of landscape level restoration, with the objective of optimizing the ecological benefits from future financial and human investment in restoration programs.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Prof Singarayer Florentine

Co-supervisors:

Dr Kithsiri Dassanayake, University of Melbourne

Dr Kushan Tennakoon, Federation University

Dr. Weragoda, Forest Department , Sri Lanka



Herpetofauna as indicators of climate change in Nepal

Outline

Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) are underrepresented in biodiversity studies within Nepal. Nepal’s Himalayan region is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot facing multiple threats including anthropogenic climate change. Being physiologically constrained by temperature and humidity, amphibians and reptiles are candidate organisms for forecasting climate change scenarios. However, very little is known about amphibians and reptiles from the Nepal Himalaya. Documenting the patterns in species richness and identifying drivers of these patterns among taxonomic groups will provide essential baseline information for herpetofauna in Nepal’s mountain ecosystems, underpinning future studies relating to forecasting climate change scenarios for this important global location.

The proposed project will use an integrative approach to provide information on species richness, distribution and taxonomic identification with the following project objectives:

1. Describe herpetofaunal species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient inthe Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape

i. Use field techniques to examine patterns of species richness and diversityii. Use molecular techniques in combination with field studies and ecological

techniques to investigate genetic diversity among herpetofauna2. Identify factors that govern herpetofaunal species richness and diversity along the same

altitudinal gradienti. Compare community structure and composition.ii. Explain abiotic factors that affect species richness and diversityiii. Examine evolutionary factors that might account for species endemism and

species richness in Nepal’s Himalayan region.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Wendy Wright

Co-supervisor:

Dr Fiona Hogan, Federation University



Identification of browsing preferences of invasive deer species in Victorian ecosystems

Outline

Unmanaged deer populations can change forest ecosystems, and deer can be particularly damaging in ecosystems that evolved without large ungulate herbivores, such as in Australia. Sambar deer populations in the Lake Tyers area are causing damage via browsing, antler rubbing, trampling and wallowing. The region contains a diverse mix of Ecological Vegetation Classes, including the critically endangered Littoral Rainforest.

We propose the use of macroscopic and microhistological diet analyses to identify preferred browse of sambar deer in Lake Tyers State Park and the surrounding native vegetation, to gain insight into the grazing preferences and grazing behaviour of deer. Samples will be obtained through rumen contents (via deer control programs) and from scats. Deer exclusion methods are currently being trialled at the landscape scale (50,000 Ha) in the Lake Tyers region, and this project will also make use of (1) baseline vegetation surveys conducted prior to deer exclusion, and (2) data from 80 camera traps setup to look at current deer behaviour and habitat types.

Through multiple lines of evidence, this project will offer practical insight into the impact of deer at different population densities, and will provide data essential to developing effective deer management strategies in south eastern Australia.

Supervisory team

Principal supervisor: Dr Nick Schultz

Co-supervisors:

Assoc. Prof. Wendy Wright, Federation University

Prof David Cheal, Federation University

Partners: East Gippsland Rainforest and Gippsland Plains Conservation Management Networks, DELWP, Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation



Unconventional organic waste to overcome subsoil constraints

Outline

The Australian land surface is predominantly characterised by the presence of texture-contrast duplex soils, with clay subsoil lying directly beneath. As a result, a significant proportion (~80%) of Australian arable land has subsoil constraints such as compaction, high sodicity, alkalinity or acidity (Dalal et al. 2002), all of which significantly reduce the plant root access to soil moisture and nutrients hence lower the crop productivity and profitability. Moreover, predicted prolonged drought conditions and changes of the rainfall pattern may also increase the rain limited yield gap. Given the significant scale and economic impacts of this issue, researchers and soil health experts have tried various techniques to overcome this debilitating soil health issue, including subsoil amelioration, as a strategy to increase crop yield (Gill et al. 2009). This project will focus on the nature of the amelioration of subsoil compaction, and the neutralising of high sodicity levels in currently under-performing cropping areas in high rainfall zones with black cracking clay soil (black Chromosols). Human biosolids and gypsum will be used as soil meliorates and test for optimum rates, optimum soil depth of application to overcome sub soil constraints hence increase the potential crop yield and profitability. An advantage for this project is that it will be able to access principles and lessons already learnt from the established, current biosolid field trials.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr. Nimesha Jayaweera Fernando

Co-supervisors:

Prof. Singarayer Florentine, Federation University

Dr. Renick Peries, Agriculture Victoria

Dr. Shu Kee Lam, University of Melbourne



Measurement of the Health and Determination of Optimal Flow Regimes for the Rivers of the Victorian Central Highlands

Outline

The water quality of the rivers draining the central highlands of Victoria are impacted by a range of historic and modern urban and rural land uses and through changes in flow. These impacts are likely to increase under increasing populations and a drying climate. Additionally, they are likely impacted by a suite of emerging threats about which little is known.

This project will utilise water quality and biomonitoring approaches to assess the current condition of the Woady Yalloak, Leigh and Moorabool River systems, to identify the levels and sources of pollutants and to assess the environmental flow needs to restore the ecological function of the waterways. The project will use the high level facilities available in environmental chemistry at the Mt Helen campus to assess the legacy of past mining, of surface and groundwater regulation and abstraction, and releases from water treatment and mining operations. The outcomes of the project will inform the catchment management initiatives of the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, the deliberations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the broader Barwon catchment, stream management initiatives of Central Highlands Water and river corridor restoration initiatives of the City of Ballarat.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Prof Peter Gell

Co-supervisors:

Dr Benjamin Long, Federation University

Associate Prof Andrew Barton, Federation University



The movement and stress response of koalas translocated from forestry plantations

Outline

This project will be undertaken in collaboration with HVP Plantations Pty Ltd and will address concerns about koala welfare during harvesting operations in plantation forests. Specifically, the project will investigate koala stress responses due to existing management actions including translocation of individual koalas away from plantation areas during harvesting operations.

In South Gippsland, plantation managers routinely translocate koalas (under DELWP permit) from plantations that are being harvested. These koalas are released into native vegetation within approximately 5km of their capture site. To date, there have been no studies of the effectiveness of this management approach (do koalas return to the plantation?), nor the impact of translocation on koalas (short-term survival, movements and stress). Extensive Bluegum plantations in Western Victoria are also maturing and ready for harvest. Koala populations in these plantations will also require management. Government and plantation managers need to know whether translocation is a viable practise.

The specific aims of this project are:

(1) To determine the movement response of male and female koalas translocated fromplantations prior to or during harvesting operations;

(2) To determine the stress and disease response of male and female koalas translocated fromplantations prior to or during harvesting operations.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Fiona Hogan

Co-supervisor:

Associate Professor Wendy Wright, Federation University



Growing Gippsland: Gippsland Farmers’ responses to a changing climate

Outline

The climate has changed. In Gippsland, weather patterns have shifted significantly to see the Autumn break coming much later. More intense rainfall in southern Gippsland and persistent drought, and now extensive fires in the east accompany this. Farmers are at the forefront of both witnessing and addressing these changes. The Gippsland region is one of the premier food producing areas in Australia, particularly for dairy, beef and horticulture, with agriculture contributing around $2billion annually to the regional economy.

Building on the Growing Southern Gippsland (https://www.growingsoutherngippsland.org.au), this project will extend the focus to lay the foundation for comparing east and southern Gippsland. It will develop a focused project focused on selected farming households who are exemplars of change in East Gippsland and interrogate both the changes they have witnessed and the shifts in farming methodologies they have employed. It will look at both the farming household and the community, the motivations and incentives to change and identify some of the blockages - both on farm and through value chains. It will benefit farmers in east Gippsland who will be rebuilding from recent drought and fire events as well as contributing to our understandings of addressing the climate crisis. The project will also lay the foundation to compare the experiences of southern and east Gippsland.

Supervisory team


Co-supervisors:

Prof Peter Fairbrother, Adjunct Professor Federation University

Nick Dudley, Agriculture Victoria

Partners: Agriculture Victoria, DELWP, Bass Coast Landcare Network



Effects of bioaccumulated pharmaceuticals and personal care products on Australian Flora

Outline

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care products (PPCPs) are classed as emerging environmental contaminants. PPCPs can enter the environment through treated waste water discharge. In the last decade, there has been increased interest in characterising the PPCPs that are released through environmental discharges. However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the effects that PPCPs have on the Australian environment. Our preliminary studies have shown that some aquatic plants in the Yarrowee/Barwon river system bioaccumulate pharmaceuticals.

This project will investigate the bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and effect of PPCPs on flora health (e.g. native Australian plants, crops). The use of microcosm experiments and High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (HPLC-MS/MS) will determine the level of bioaccumulation. In addition to bioaccumulation, measures of plant stress (e.g. photosynthesis yield, antioxidant levels) and growth will be used to assess flora health.

This interdisciplinary project will include skillsets from Environmental Chemistry, Botany, Ecology and Water Engineering and will help quantify the magnitude of the PPCPs problem, and provide insight needed to manage the issue. The outcomes will have implications on bioremediation strategies, environmental release policy and reclaimed water reuse guidelines for industry.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Benjamin Long

Co-supervisors:

Dr Nicholas Schultz, Federation University

A/Prof Andrew Barton, Federation University



Ecology and conservation status of sun moths in south eastern Australia

Outline

The sun moths (genus Synemon) are an important component of the invertebrate community in many grassy ecosystems in south east Australia. The golden sun moth is listed as critically endangered under the EPBC Act, and hence there is particular interest in its ecology, both from a conservation perspective and due to its impact on proposed development activities, and many questions about its basic ecology remain. There is also a paucity of knowledge on other taxa in the genus. The proposed PhD project will explore the life history and basic ecology of sun-moths with a view to understanding their habitat fidelity, conservation status and threats.

The project will visit extant occurrences of these species to determine and document species biology, and will use modern survey techniques to survey for their presence at sites where they have not been recorded in recent decades. The project will address specific questions about the occurrence of parthenogenesis in sun moths, and the interactions between the moths and infectious bacteria. The project will provide important data for conservation planning, clarification of conservation status on the species within this genus, predictions on the future distribution and threats to these species under future climate scenarios, and theoretical advances on the ecology and evolutionary biology of sun moths.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Professor Peter Gell

Co-supervisors:

Dr Nick Schultz, Federation University

Dr Penny Greenslade, Federation University



Genetic investigation into the greater glider using non-invasive sampling

Outline

The Greater Glider (Petauroides volans) is a small gliding marsupial listed as vulnerable internationally, nationally, and in Queensland and Victoria (Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 2016). The species is at risk because of loss and fragmentation of appropriate habitat due to a combination of residential and commercial development, timber harvesting of native forests and loss of forests to fire. Along with Koalas, Greater Gliders are key species of concern for forest managers in South Eastern Australia. This project will be a partnership with Greening Australia to generate knowledge to underpin management of this and other key forest species.

We propose a genetic study of Greater Glider populations across their range, with a focus on local populations in South Gippsland to better understand the effects of fragmentation and the possibility of reconnecting isolated populations.

There is clear scope for this study to provide baseline information about genetic connectedness of greater glider populations and to demonstrate whether investments in habitat connectivity for greater gliders have a real impact on the genetic diversity of the Gippsland populations.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Wendy Wright

Co-supervisor:

Dr Fiona Hogan, Federation University



Living Bung Yarnda: multiple ways of knowing place

Outline

Citizen science has gained in popularity in the 21st century, particularly through environmental and biodiversity monitoring programs such as Landcare, Birdlife Australia Atlas of Australian Birds scheme, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch. Programs such as these both increase the amount of data collected as well as provide a mechanism for community engagement with local environments. However, there can be disconnect between the community knowledge, data collected and management practices.

This project will develop a multi-proxy monitoring program for Bung Yarnda (Lake Tyers) and its catchment to systematically record the observations that people are passionate about: a citizen science program, utilising local community expertise and Indigenous knowledge, underpinned by science and co-developed with key community groups. This will include regular monitoring of birds, fish, water quality, vegetation and aquatic invertebrate communities. It will also capture people’s lived experience of place – what they see, changes they have witnessed, and their concerns. This project will:

• Cross reference scientific data collection with observation and lived experience of thelake

• Find synergies in environmental values and ecological knowledges around thecommunities of Lake Tyers

• Develop a database of information that can track variability, change and evaluation ofthreats and management actions to the lake through time

• Integrate a range of ecological, environmental and climate data to determine impact andresponse

• Engage key community groups in co-design of data collection activities and projectoutcomes

Supervisory team


Co-supervisors:

Dr Dan Tout, School of Arts Federation University

Dr Birgita Hansen, Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation

Partners: Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Lake Tyers Coast Action, Lakes Entrance Landcare, Lake Tyers Beach Angling Club, FLOAT artists collective, Parks Victoria


School of Science, Engineering and Information Technology

Project 13 - Masters by research, Program Code EI9

Application of Geogrids to Enhance Waste Dump Stability

Outline

The stability of a waste dump is a very important aspect in large surface mines. The overburden has to be removed and dumped in an effective manner for the sustainable development. The failure of dump could hamper the production and productivity of a mine and result in loss of man, material, machinery, etc. Of course, flat or gentle slope dump with less height is ideal for the stability point of view. However, it would not only occupy lot of ground space but also prove to be very expensive. Hence, it is necessary to design the optimum dump height and slope angle of the overburden dump. Nowadays, Geogrids has been widely used to reinforce the weak rock mass, mine waste dump, soil slopes road cut slopes, etc. Geogrids are formed by a regular network of tensile elements with apertures of sufficient size to interlock with surrounding fill material and are highly resistant to biological and chemical degradation. So, in the proposed study, various combinations of Geogrid-reinforced dump slope be studied to make steeper dump without compromising the factor of safety using combination of mathematical and numerical models.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr. Manoj Khandelwal

Co-supervisor: Ms. Larissa Koroznikova


Project 14 - PhD, Program Code GU0

Novel Encapsulated Phase Change Thermal Storage technology for Residential and Cold-storage Sectors

Outline

Australia’s demand for energy has increased over the last ten years. Transport and electricity supply are responsible for over 50% of energy consumption. Meanwhile, residential building accounts for 52% of energy consumption caused mainly by the heating and cooling loads, costing millions in electricity bill payments. Besides, the cold storage of food in the warehouse and during transport over large distances are major consumers of energy. The present project proposes to utilize phase change thermal storage technology to aid the energy demands of the food cold-storage and household energy sectors by storing thermal energy during off-peak times. The stored energy can be released when demands and electricity costs are high. Similarly, the technology can be used to aid cold-storage transport by storing energy during regenerative braking and utilizing the stored energy during peak energy demand in a storage trailer. The project will also intend to develop a low cost and effective energy management system to reduce overall energy consumption. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Australian National University and our industry partner, Maxitrans. 

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Ibrahim Sultan

Co Supervisors: Dr. Apurv Kumar and Dr. Rakibuzzaman Shah



Fracture mechanism of steel fibre reinforced shotcrete applied on rock surface in multiple stages

Outline

Shotcrete is commonly used to protect rock surfaces of underground structures (tunnels) and slopes in civil and mining engineering. Shotcrete is usually applied in multiple stages in engineering practice and steel fibres are used to increase its tensile/shear strength. The shotcrete layer seals the exposed broken rock and prevents the rock surface mass from unravelling. Shotcrete provides additional resistance to in-situ stress that may cause the rock structure to fail. The effect of steel fibre on the strength of shotcrete (compressive, shear and tensile) is still an open question. This research will make inroads towards improving the fundamental understanding of the role of steel fibre reinforced shotcrete in rock support or ground control. The project will involve: (1) the application of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors embedded in shotcrete to monitor strain development within the shotcrete in a laboratory setting, and (2) numerically simulate crack initiation and propagation e.g. fracture mechanism of steel fibred reinforced shotcrete.

Supervision team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Greg You

Co-supervisors:

Dr Ean Tat Ooi

Dr Gayan Kahandawa Appuhamillage



Design of high-performance concrete members with high strength steel rebars

Outline

The application of high strength steel in concrete structures is becoming more popular due to the recent developments in steel manufacturing. The new generation of advanced high strength steel material exhibit strength up to four times more than those of conventional steel reinforcement. Current Australian standards for design of reinforced concrete structures (such as AS3600) provide guidelines which are limited to conventional steel material (yield strength up to 500 MPa). To enable the application of high strength steel in structural design, updated deemed-to-satisfy provisions in accordance with the latest production properties are essential. This project aims to develop guidelines for the design of high-performance concrete components.

The first step of the project is to optimise, model and design prototype test setups for the experimental phase. Finite Element modelling (using ABAQUS software) will be used for the pre-test analyses. In the experimental phase, large-scale structural components such as beams, columns and wall panels are constructed and tested under static loading cases. Using the post-test simulations, comparisons will be made against the current design guidelines of AS3600.

Further recommendations and design principle such as ductility limits and minimum reinforcement requirements will be outlined for various grades of high strength reinforcing rebars. The proposed high-performance structural system will result in the reduction of consumed material mass, less steel congestion and lower fabrication costs such as labour and transportation. This lightweight construction is sustainable with a lower carbon footprint.

Supervision team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Fatemeh Javidan, Federation University

Co-supervisors:

Dr Ooi Ean Tat, Federation University

Dr Amin Heidarpour, (Monash University)



Modelling of vibrations during rock blasting in a mine

Outline

Blast vibrations at a mine site and especially in a vicinity of dense population poses severe risks in damaging life and property. Forecasting the vibration intensity and reach near a blast site is therefore essential to safeguard against the blasts detrimental effects. Current forecasting techniques are based on empirical correlations which have a large scatter in parameters and are not able to predict the blast vibration in a proficient manner. It is well known fact that blast vibration is influenced by blast design, rock and explosive parameters. The present project proposed to numerically model the vibrations during a blast and estimate the intensity and effect of the vibrations in the vicinity of the site. A 3-dimensional dynamic vibration model will be developed to predict wave propagation in the ground and air. The scope of the project would include mechanistic modelling of the complex interactions of the topography of the blast site, rock material and blast intensity and its effect on the vibrations. Simple lab experiments will be carried out to validate the numerical model. The outcome of the project will be useful to minimise blast nuisances as well as enhancement of explosive energy utilisation.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Manoj Khandelwal

Co-supervisor: Dr Apurv Kumar



Bushfire Retardation by Artificial Suppression of Pyro-cumulonimbus (pyroCb) Lightning

Outline

Australian bushfires have caused unprecedented destruction of lives and properties. Recent bushfires burnt over 10 million acres of land and millions of animals (some rare and native species). Such recurrent bushfires are prognosticated to occur every summer due to climate change. One of the reasons for the uncontrolled nature of the recent bushfires has been the lightning caused by the biomass smoke, known as the pyro-cumulonimbus lightning (pyroCb). Such lightning events were also observed in the past bushfires (the Black Saturday fire in 2003) and are known to ignite multiple spot fires ahead of the initial fire front. PyroCb lightning is caused by the dipole charging of the colliding aerosol particles, which is further intensified by dry conditions during the fire. The present project will aim to develop artificial methods of suppression of the lightning. The scope of the project includes the development of the numerical model of the particle charging to simulate the pyroCb lightning and experimental investigations into possible novel suppression methods to mitigate charge development. The outcome of the project will propose a novel technique to suppress the creation of spot fires by the pyroCb lightning which would be useful to control the bushfires in Australia.

Supervisory team:

Principal Supervisor: Dr Apurv Kumar

Co-supervisors:

Dr Rakibuzzaman Shah

Prof Syed Islam



Power System Dynamic Signature for Frequency Stability Studies

Outline

Converter based generations can potentially affect the dynamic responses of the system differently than the synchronous generators. The blackout in South Australia is a textbook example of the impact of low inertia and change of system dynamics due to the high penetration of renewable-based generations. Generally, the inertia in the large interconnected system is regarded as a global parameter for frequency stability studies. Based on recent studies, it is evident that the inertia in the interconnected system with high penetration of converter based generations is heterogeneous. Therefore, the precise identification of the frequency dynamic signature in an interconnected power system is sought.

This project will address the followings:

1. The factors affecting the frequency dynamics of the system with high penetration ofconverter-based systems.

2. Identification of the system dynamic signature with inertia heterogeneity.3. Fast frequency controller for a low inertia power system by considering inertia

heterogeneity.

Available resources: State of the art power and energy system analytical software (i.e. ETAP, DIgSILENT).

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Prof Syed Islam

Co-supervisor: Dr Rakibuzzaman Shah



Structural and functional comparison of coal- and soil-derived humic acids

Outline

Humic compounds are marketed as biostimulants but, despite the large and valuable humic acid export industry, this is difficult to unequivocally demonstrate. Field and greenhouse trials are expensive and have provided a wealth of valuable information, but few definitive results. This project uses recent advances in analytical technology and metabolomics techniques to relate the chemical structures of natural and synthetic humic acids with agronomic records.

Sources of humic acids will include commercially available products, commercial potting mixes, broad-acre agriculture soils, market garden soils and national parks. Standard physico-chemical parameters will be combined with crop, grazing, fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide records. Analytical techniques will target molecular size distributions and functional group characterisation using existing facilities.

The large sample set, historical records and statistical tools will help overcome the inherent variability in humic acids and agricultural soils. Defining relationships between soil productivity and humic structure will guide future efforts to sequester carbon in soils. Comparing the properties of humic acids in highly productive soils with those of commercial products will assisting in designing more effective humic products. This project will contribute to improving the productivity of Australia’s agriculture and growing the existing humic acid industry in Victoria.

Vince would bring experience in PhD supervision and humic acid production. Alicia would bring experience with statistical tools. Both Vince and Alicia would contribute experience in characterisation or organic molecules including humic acids.

This project has been discussed informally with Dr. Jessica Reeves, who would bring valuable contacts as well as experience with soils and agriculture.

Supervisory Team

Principal Supervisor: A/Prof Vince Verheyen

Co-supervisors:

Dr. Alicia Reynolds

Dr Jessica Reeves



Numerical Modelling of Internal Soil Erosion with Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Outline

Internal soil erosion is often a major contributor in the failure of large geostructures such as dams, dikes and mine pit lakes. Internal soil erosion refers to the flow of granular soils through a porous media and can lead to a range of soil failure mechanisms including piping, soil contact erosion and suffusion.

Erosive soil behaviour is particularly important for the rehabilitation of the Latrobe Valley’s large open-pit brown coal mines as piping through silt bearing interseam layers may have catastrophic consequences for the creation of mine pit lakes. Concentrated surface water flows within tension cracks and jointed coal seams can initiate sub-surface soil erosion, leading to sink holes as well as slope failure. The phenomenon of internal soil erosion can also be extended to man-made structures, like tailings dams.

When considering numerical analysis of internal soil erosion, particle based models are often required to accurately represent the transport of fine soils through porous media. Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is advanced meshless Lagrangian method ideally suited to the simulation of large strain problems involving free surface flows and large displacements.

This project aims to investigate the properties of internal soil erosion within mine pit lakes using SPH to evaluate the risks and implications of partial or full pit lake scenarios.

Supervisory Team

Principal Supervisor: Professor Thomas Baumgartl

Co-supervisors:

Dr Javad Yaghoubi (Research Fellow)

Mr Ashley Dyson (Research Fellow)



Intelligent prediction of desiccation cracks in clay

Outline

A brief description of the project: Cracking in drying clay soil is a common phenomenon especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Proper understanding and reliable prediction of the extent and nature of cracks in clay is vital for the design and construction of geo-infrastructures. While many analytical and numerical models have been developed over the years to predict cracking, they are focused on a single crack rather than the whole network. The accurate and reliable prediction of crack patterns coupling hydro-mechanical processes during desiccation is still under developed. This project aims at using a novel intelligent approach based on artificial intelligence techniques to predict the crack patterns in soil for a given combination of soil properties and environmental conditions. The outcome of the project will prolong the life and reduce the maintenance cost of geo-infrastructures.

Supervision Team

Principal Supervisor: Dr Tanveer Choudhury

Co-supervisors:

Professor Thomas Baumgartl

Dr Susanga Costa – Deakin University


Project 23 - PhD, Program Code CM0

Assessing tropical cyclone characteristics in the current-generation CMIP6 models

Outline

The impact of climate change on tropical cyclone (TC) activity is a topic of considerable scientific and socio-economic importance. With a few exceptions, most climate modelling studies have reported a likely decrease in the globally averaged TC frequency (and a likely increase in the number of intense TCs) in response to greenhouse warming. However, future projections of regional-scale TC activity is complicated by model deficiencies and biases that limit adequate simulation of regional changes in large-scale environmental conditions necessary for TC formation. Now with the availability of the latest-generation CMIP6 models – some at even finer resolutions compared to their CMIP5 predecessors – this project aims to examine how TC characteristics are simulated in CMIP6 models, and how they will change in the future warming climate.

Supervisory Team

Principal Supervisor: Savin Chand, Federation University

Co-supervisors:

Andrew Dowdy, Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Kevin Tory, Australian Bureau of Meteorology


Project 24 - PhD, Program Code CU0

Characterisation of grassland communities via remote detection with aerial imaging

Outline

Serrated tussock represents a major threat to Australia’s native grasslands and pastures, but its management is currently hampered because it can become established in isolated areas before control strategies can be implemented. A tool for remote detection of serrated tussock outbreaks in grasslands is under development by Agriculture Victoria Research, which will improve timely management of this weed. In this proposal, we are advocating a supplementary investigation to characterise spectral signatures of serrated tussock under a range of conditions (plant phenology, herbicide history, environmental conditions) which will assist in the more reliable classification of serrated tussock infestations. The project will include the collection of data across a range of spatial scales, spectral bands, and image platforms (hand-held spectroscopy, drones, air photos, commercial satellites and open access satellites). A number of image analysis techniques will be evaluated to enable a robust description and classification of serrated tussock populations, including differentiation of serrated tussock from other species of interest. This will enhance the ability of managers of grasslands (reserves and production environments) to better manage this weed. The information gathered through this project will also place us in a better position to detect outbreaks and institute controls of similar invasive weed species.

Additional support from the industry:

Source Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Cash In-kind Cash In-kind Cash In-kind

Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (Victorian Government)

10,000 20,000 10,000 20,000 10,000 20,000

Serrated Tussock working Party 10,000 10,000 10,000 Total 10,000 30,000 10,000 30,000 10,000 30,000

Supervisory Team

Principal Supervisor: Prof Manzur Murshed, Federation Australia

Co-supervisors:

Prof Singarayer Florentine, Federation Australia

Prof Guojun Lu, Federation Australia

Dr Tanveer Choudhury, Federation Australia

Dr Kathryn Sheffield, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Victorian Government


Project 25 - Masters by Research, Program Code SA9

Fungi and Fire: How forest recover after catastrophic events

Outline

Intensity of bushfires varies considerably as do the landscapes they affect. Bushfire intensity is not a precisely defined feature yet the effects of varying intensity are observable. Fire intensity may vary considerably whether naturally started or deliberately lit,(as in hazard reduction burns).

Natural vegetation areas in Victoria are categorised into Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs), and among these we can identify uncontaminated (pristine) sites, or contaminated (brownfield) sites that have been recently burnt from natural ignition. One of the early recolonisers are fungi and they are essential in the regrowth and reestablishment of a resilient landscape.

We aim to compare burnt sites of differing fire intensity (identified via a key from established criteria) in “pristine” and “brownfield” landscapes. At these sample sites we aim to assess the recolonization of fungi (determined by field and laboratory identification) and also assess heavy metal uptake into the fungi fruiting bodies (determined by laboratory assays).

We will be investigating the relationships between landscape type (pristine and brownfield), fire intensity (high, medium, low), fungi occurrence (species and abundance), and heavy metal uptake by fungi fruiting bodies. The implications of these for ecological management within the EVCs will be discussed.

The research will encompass the following main phases:

• Global literature review (formulated as a review paper for publication)• landscape analysis to determine zones of high and low burn intensity• In autumn 2020, field survey to determine the species colonization of fungi in the

landscape. Specimens will also be collected for identification and for nutrient and heavymetal analyses.

• Analysis at ANSTO via INAA• Production of two papers one exploring the fire intensity verse fungi colonization and the

other to address metal contamination uptake.

Supervisory team

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Kim Dowling

Co-supervisor: Professor S. K. Florentine

society and environment - federation university australia · this case study focusses on the ......

Documents