This is an exciting new project at ANBG, involving collaboration between the Friends, the Gardens and the Australian National University in an application for funding from the Australian Research Council. Approval of this research grant was announced in late May 2009 and the project is getting under way.
The Australian alpine region is critically vulnerable to climate change and many alpine plants are under threat of extinction. This project will investigate how climate change will affect the reproductive ecology and demography of Australian alpine flora, helping enable the preservation of alpine biodiversity and the improved ecosystem resilience to climate change. As part of the project, state of the art seed banking based on germination, dormancy and longevity will be developed to provide conservation of nationally vulnerable and threatened alpine flora in seed banks and botanic gardens, providing insurance against extinction. The project will provide a national resource of alpine seeds for revegetation and research . This will be complemented by outreach and interpretative resources which will facilitate public awareness of the ecological significance and fragility of Australian alpine flora and ecology in relation to climate change.
The Australian National University is the Administering Organisation for this project and the Gardens and the Friends are Partner Organizations. The Friends will be contributing approximately $22000 in cash for the three years commencing in 2009/2010. In addition the Friends will be asked to make in kind contributions to the project over the three years.
The Friends see this project as having a number of benefits :
. It moves ANBG towards becoming the centre of excellence for
work on native alpine species, especially in the context of climate
change.
. It gives momentum towards re-establishing ANBG as a research
centre.
. It should lead to a physical display, research and educational
facility on alpine plants and climate change at ANBG, including
an interpretative alpine garden.
. There will be a range of volunteer opportunities for members
of the Friends to assist directly with the project, including seed
collecting and with the seed bank.
The project will be led by Dr Adrienne Nicotra, senior lecture at ANU in the School of Botany and Zoology. The key researcher for the project will be Dr Gemma Hoyle, whose first degree was from Manchester University in Applied Biology and a PhD from the University of Queensland. Also involved will be Dr Kathryn Steadman, senior lecturer in Pharmacy at the University of Queensland and Mr Roger Good. David Taylor and Sarah Fethers at ANBG will be closely involved with the project.
The Friends are also assisting through volunteers helping in the seedbank and on the collecting trips to the alps over the next three years. If you are interested in volunteering for these activities please email the Friends
(info@friendsANBG.org.au) or phone 6250 9548.
The Friends liaison person for this project is Kristiane Herrmann.