Botany and Fungi
Modern botany is an integrative discipline encompassing the evolution, function and ecology of plants and fungi. At UNE, our dynamic academics collaborate closely with students and other institutions. We are key contributors to training and research in plant systematics and taxonomy, expertly supported by the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium . Our broader research addresses pressing questions in conservation, genetics, plant-fungal interactions, and agroecology.
The survival of threatened species and ecosystems depends on conservation of their genetic diversity and their interactions, particularly in the face of climate change and habitat loss.... Fungi and other cryptogams are critical to healthy ecosystems, yet they remain among the least understood organisms on the planet. Plant systematics involves testing and describing new species, discovering the phylogenetic relationships of lineages, and analysing global biogeography. Systematics spans multiple scales and is not limited to living species or features that can be seen with the naked eye.... Australia has one of the most extraordinary and distinctive floras on Earth, shaped by fire, profoundly low soil nutrients and interactions with our own unique fauna as pollinators and herbivores.Research Groups
