Assessing the impacts of global environmental change on the nutritional ecology of mammal and insect folivores

Eucalypt forests will be affected by global environmental change, but the responses of marsupial and insect herbivores to anticipated changes are poorly understood. I will investigate whether: 1) newly discovered effects of tannins mediate insect herbivory on eucalypts; 2) elevated carbon dioxide concentrations affect palatability and quality of eucalypt leaves for insects and marsupials; and 3) ambient temperature affects the ability of marsupials to metabolise toxic plant secondary metabolites. The results will enhance our understanding of insect herbivory and marsupial and insect responses to anticipated climate change effects, and will allow physiological data to be incorporated into species distribution models for eucalypt ecosystems.