SEMINAR: Long-term ecosystem development and terrestrial plant diversity

Over tens of thousands of years, soils gradually lose plant nutrients, especially phosphorus (P). This long-term process of soil formation, which strongly influences vegetation and ecosystem processes, can only be studied by using natural gradients of soil age – also called ‘soil chronosequences’. However, fewer than 10 of these long-term soil chronosequences have currently been described. In this talk, I will present some recent results from our studies of a unique 2-million year coastal dune chronosequence near Jurien Bay in south-western Australia.

The Jurien Bay chronosequence provides one of the strongest soil fertility gradients ever recorded and is located in the middle of a global biodiversity hotspot. I will show how this sequence of dunes helped us to understand how plants adapt to low soil fertility, and how soils affect plant biodiversity.

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****