Study level

  • PhD
  • Master of Philosophy
  • Honours
  • Vacation research experience scheme

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

School of Mathematical Sciences

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Data Science

Centre for the Environment

Supervisors

Dr Matthew Adams
Position
Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Sciences
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science

Overview

Ecosystems respond to gradual change in unexpected ways. Feedback processes between different parts of an environment can perpetuate ecosystem collapse, leading to potentially irreversible biodiversity loss. However, it is unclear if greater knowledge of feedbacks will ultimately change environmental decisions.

The project aims to identify when feedbacks matter for environmental decisions, by generating new methods that predict the economic benefit of knowing more about feedbacks. Combining ecological modelling and value-of-information theory, the outcomes of these novel methods will provide significant and broad environmental benefits, by enabling managers to make informed decisions and stay one step ahead of potential ecosystem collapse.

Research activities

  • Code up mathematical models which express alternative stable states.
  • Calibrate models to data.
  • Apply value-of-information analysis to the calibrated models.

Outcomes

  • New mathematical methods for analysing ecosystems.
  • Methods demonstrated by application to ecosystem models.
  • Development of expertise in multidisciplinary research, cutting across mathematics, ecology and decision science.

In this project there will be the opportunity to collaborate with and/or present results to applied mathematicians, statisticians, economists, ecologists and/or decision scientists both within QUT and from external institutions.

Skills and experience

Excellent skills in coding of ordinary differential equations and/or statistical inference, and an interest in using a combination of mathematics and statistics to address applied ecology problems.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

Explore our research scholarships

Keywords

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.