RESEARCH
THE CUTTING EDGE
Ammothryon grandiflorum
STAFF AT THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BOTANICAL SCIENCE PUBLISH MORE THAN 90 PEER-REVIEWED
GERMINATION ON A DRYING CONTINENT As climate change pushes Australia to becoming a drier continent, scientists are gathering critical information on how changes in temperature and water availability will impact plant germination and survival. These studies assist conservation and restoration projects by identifying species that are vulnerable at the germination stage and may require targeted onground actions such as supplementary seeding or tubestock planting. One such study was recently undertaken by Drs Nathan Emery and Justin Collette, based at the Australian PlantBank. They examined the impact of different combinations of temperature and water availability on four Eucalyptus species that occur together in several threatened ecological communities within
10 THE GARDENS SPRING 2021
the Brigalow Belt South (BBS) bioregion in north-west New South Wales. The results¹ showed that under summer temperatures two of the species germinated faster, however, seeds of three of the species achieved maximum germination (i.e. the highest proportion of seeds germinating) under cooler winter temperatures. Maximising germination during cool temperatures and high moisture conditions is a key risk-avoidance strategy against
environmental stressors, as it increases the chance of seedling survival under longer periods of favourable conditions The study suggests it will be harder to introduce new individuals of these Eucalyptus species to the BBS bioregion as temperatures rise and soil moisture decreases. If, as part of restoration efforts, direct seeding does take place during dry conditions, it makes it clear that supplementary watering will be vital.
A NEW GENUS IN THE SEDGES
‘Translocation is happening with animals and plants in many parts of Australia’
The Cyperaceae, better known as sedges, is an extremely large family of plants that superficially resemble grasses in appearance. While sometimes neglected in favour of bigger, showier plant families, they are a critical part of many ecosystems, with a number of species in Australia. Many Cyperaceae occur in wetland
Photos: Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
ARTICLES EACH YEAR. DR BRETT SUMMERELL HIGHLIGHTS A FEW RECENT PROJECTS.
