The date of this talk has changed
Please note: this talk has been rescheduled from 21 July to 14 July
Dr Courtney Currier, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
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.
Science on Sundays
A programme of free, informal, monthly science talks bringing the latest discoveries in plant science, as well as research linked to the plant collection at CUBG to our visitors in a 30 minute nutshell.
We will be running these talks live from the Botanic Garden Classroom for those visiting the the Garden on the day.
Free with normal Garden admission.
Please check the website and social media for updates.
Suitable for adults and children aged 12+.
Talks run monthly March to August.
