Rebecca’s presentation will first explore the history of the Koonamore Reserve and what 100 years of vegetation surveys have revealed about key arid zone species such as mulga (Acacia aneura) and pearl bluebush (Maireana sedifolia). These long-term observations highlight the role of extreme rainfall events and rabbit control in plant recruitment, and show that even a century of monitoring represents just a brief snapshot of arid rangeland vegetation dynamics.
She will then introduce her PhD research on “fertile islands”—patches of enriched soil that form beneath perennial plants in the arid zone—which can boost plant growth by up to 60%. Rebecca will discuss how plant species and canopy structure influence fertile island formation and how this knowledge can guide the collection of soil to use at home to promote plant vigour. Her work also examines the contribution of microbes and nutrients within these fertile islands to plant growth, and evaluates which has the greater influence in arid ecosystems.