A talk by Dr Courtney Currier, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Event information
No booking required. Normal Garden entry fee applies. Suitable for adults and children aged 12+. Talks continue through the summer.
From exploring herbarium uses to discovering the secrets of wildflowers and fungi, come and discover the fascinating world of plant science in just 30 minutes! Science on Sundays is a free, informal and monthly series of talks, sharing the latest discoveries in plant science and research with our visitors.
Sandy dunescapes, blowing hot wind and parched lips. When you hear the word “desert,” do these descriptions come to mind? Like so many people, Courtney carried these stereotypes with her when she moved to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States. What she learned over ten years was how biologically diverse, evolutionary exquisite, and globally relevant these ecosystems are! Drylands are water-limited ecosystems that cover almost half the world’s terrestrial surface, store about as much carbon in their topsoils as forest plants globally and are home to over one third of the world’s human population. These ecosystems are transforming in the public eye from post-apocalyptic wastelands to key players for climate change mitigation. Yet climate extremes, like drought and flooding, and increased disturbance frequency, like fire, also make these landscapes particularly vulnerable to rapid change.
Please join Courtney for a 30-minute seminar and conservation, where she will share research and stories about these extraordinary ecosystems.
