Botanic scientists in Sydney battle climate change

Director Research & Chief Botanist Dr Brett Summerell is working with more than 50 world-class plant scientists at Australia’s oldest scientific institution to undertake vital research that will safeguard plants and our future.

Having a rich diversity of plants is not only important for the environment – we also rely on plants for food, water, medicine and the air we breathe.

DIRECTOR RESEARCH & CHIEF BOTANIST DR BRETT SUMMERELL

A study by Dr Rachael Gallagher from Macquarie University in NSW looked at 2.5 million Australian herbaria specimens and found 47 percent of Australia’s vegetation is potentially at risk from increases in mean annual temperature by 2070.

“Rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns are impacting our flora, which is further complicated by more frequent and severe wildfires, as well as increased outbreaks of disease and pest invasions,” said Dr Summerell.

“We are currently digitising over 1.4 million specimens at the National Herbarium of NSW to give scientists such as Dr Gallagher better access to vital plant data for faster and more comprehensive research outcomes,” said Dr Summerell.

UNSW PhD student Susan Everingham also discovered many plant species in northern Sydney are flowering earlier by comparing herbarium specimens dating back to 1842 with recently sampled plants in the region.  

“The flowering time of plants is extremely important as it can affect their reproduction, interactions with important pollinators and their overall survival,” said Dr Summerell.

To help mitigate the effects of climate change on Australian flora, Dr Summerell said the ambitious Restore and Renew program uses the latest DNA technology to help select genetically optimal plants to create more resilient habitats.

“So far, more than 30,000 plant specimens have been collected from across NSW for genetic analysis to create a publicly available online resource where genetically-appropriate plants can be selected to suit specific sites,” said Dr Summerell.

“The online tool also allows practitioners to use climate modelling to plant according to future forecasts, increasing the likelihood that the species planted will cope with a changing climate,” said Dr Summerell.

The Restore and Renew project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust. 

Plants growing in alpine and tropical areas regions are particularly susceptible to climate change alternative back-up plans are being developed.

“Feldmark grass, Rytidosperma pumilum, is Australia’s smallest grass and is extremely vulnerable as it only grows in a three-square kilometre area in the high alpine section of Kosciuszko National Park,” said Dr Summerell.  

Thanks to the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program, scientists based at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan have successfully collected and stored over 1200 feldmark grass seeds at the Australian PlantBank. 

“These seeds join 61% of NSW’s threatened flora stored in the seed vault, in tissue culture or in cryopreservation at the Australian PlantBank, creating a vital back-up collection and resource for future restoration projects,” said Dr Summerell.

“We recognise things are going to change, but we can use the latest science and technology to create ecosystems that are better adapted to climate change,” said Dr Summerell.