ABSTRACT

After widespread plant mortality at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Australian desert in 2019 associated with a record-breaking drought and heatwave, Anangu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara People) were concerned and wanted to know why plants were being impacted. Over the last three years of my PhD, I have been working with Anangu researching why ecologically and culturally significant plants are dying during extreme heatwaves and drought. 

We conducted a range of field-based studies and glasshouse experiments to disentangle the physiological drivers of plant death. Together, we learnt about the water use strategies that co-occurring plants have to deal with heat and water stress, and importantly why and when they fail. Excitingly, after measuring a range of hydraulic and morphological traits, we can now answer why juvenile kurkara (desert oak, Allocasuarina decaisneana) have a much lower mortality rate than large mature trees during drought. Using a network of microclimate sensors we installed across the landscape, we also tested a hypothesis we created together linking topographic differences in temperature, wind, and soil moisture to the spatially explicit mortality of pukara (Aluta maisonneuvei).

I’ll talk about the partnership we have created with Anangu, Parks Australia, and other researchers – or our research family as we like to call it. The benefits of conducting Right-Way science with Anangu and our research family have been profound. Together we have generated critical knowledge of fundamental plant ecophysiology, shared ecological and cultural knowledge and skills, and have built a long-lasting and trusting relationship. It has been a privilege to work alongside Anangu, and so I hope my exit seminar is a celebration of our collaboration and what we have achieved together, as much as it is a fun and honest reflection of my personal journey.

BIOGRAPHY

After working as a botanist in Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land, I wanted more of a scientific challenge. Serendipity prevailed (a drought killing lots of desert plants and a few emails), and an exciting PhD project working at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park with Anangu and Parks Australia came to fruition. I’m really excited to share both the scientific and personal journeys I have been on in the last 3 years and highlight the shared benefits of conducting Right-Way science.