2023 Cumberland Plain Research Funding Grant Recipient

Lead Investigator: Student Madison White (MRes candidate WSU)

Co-Investigators: Dr Michelle Ryan (WSU), Professor Ian Wright (WSU) and Katherine Warwick (PhD Candidate WSU)

Project Summary: Freshwater ecosystems represent the sensitive interface between the stressors placed on both aquatic and terrestrial fauna and flora from expanding land use. This research project will primarily aim to assess the effects of urbanisation on the health of platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) populations in Western Sydney, through addressing two core research themes in the CPCP: “Supporting Aboriginal connections” and “Conserving threatened species and ecosystems”.

This project is built upon the active leadership of a proud Kamilaroi investigator, thus promoting the integration of traditional Aboriginal knowledge and western science practices. The platypus is of utmost significance in the Dreamtime, with modern occupation in sites of cultural significance, including the Yellomundee Regional Park; yet, it is vulnerable to the synergistic threats of anthropogenic activities, including habitat fragmentation and climate change, and is largely unprotected by legislation.

Through quantifying these effects, this project will comprehensively address several ecological research gaps identified for the Cumberland Plain. This study will be conducted in major localities including Penrith, Yarramundi, and Cattai, where these neighbouring basins share similar hydrological and climatological conditions, but juxtaposed land use histories. Field surveys will ascertain both biotic and abiotic indicators, including riparian habitat assessments, water and sediment quality studies, macroinvertebrate community composition, and demographic data of platypuses through live trapping, thus utilising the platypus as a flagship species for the broader ecosystem.

This data will conceptualise the portrait of the effects of urbanisation across ecological and linear time scales within and adjacent to the Cumberland Plain, assess ongoing changes to environmental health, triage rehabilitation efforts, and ultimately promote sustainability and resilience.