Curtin University
Up to three quarters of the biodiversity living on Western Australia’s iconic ironstone mountains in the State’s Mid West (known as Banded Iron Formations) could be difficult or impossible to return quickly to its previous state after the landscape has been mined, a Curtin University study has found.
The research published in Ecology and Evolution, discovered that the plant ecosystems are well-adapted to the characteristics of the region’s ancient and nutrient-poor soils – and that the very different features of mined landscapes mean many native species are unlikely to be returned by rehabilitation.
Lead researcher Dr Adam Cross from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences said the elevation and different habitats offered by Banded Iron Formations (BIF) in an otherwise dry, mostly flat landscape, make them a sponge for biodiversity – but that their iron-rich rock made them increasingly attractive to iron-ore miners.
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Study finds pretty plants hog research and conservation limelight
New Curtin University research has found a ‘beauty bias’ may be holding science back. The study revealed a tendency among scientists to choose colourful and visually striking plants for scientific study, which then benefit from subsequent conservation efforts, regardless of their ecological importance.
The mountain Gentian (Gentiana nivalis) is a striking alpine species that is topical and well studied.
Co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Kingsley Dixon from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences was part of an international team that looked for evidence of an aesthetic bias among scientists by analysing 113 plant species found in global biodiversity hotspot the Southwestern Alps and mentioned in 280 research papers published between 1975 and 2020.
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IMAGE: One of the plant species, Gentinana nivalis, found to attract more than its share of research attention. view more
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New Curtin University research has found a bias among scientists toward colourful and visually striking plants, means they are more likely to be chosen for scientific study and benefit from subsequent conservation efforts, regardless of their ecological importance.
Co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Kingsley Dixon from Curtin s School of Molecular and Life Sciences was part of an international team that looked for evidence of an aesthetic bias among scientists by analysing 113 plant species found in global biodiversity hotspot the Southwestern Alps and mentioned in 280 research papers published between 1975 and 2020.
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Honeybee numbers and dance skills harmful combination for native species
A Curtin University study has found the introduced European honeybee could lead to native bee population decline or extinction when colonies compete for the same nectar and pollen sources in urban gardens and areas of bush.
Picture: Kit Prendergast
Published in the ‘Biological Journal of the Linnean Society’, the research found competition between the native bees and the introduced European honeybee could be particularly intense in residential gardens dominated by non-native flowers, and occurred when the bees shared the same flower preferences.
Under these conditions, it would appear that European honeybees, being very abundant, and effective foragers, with the ability to exploit a wide range of flowers, can outcompete native bees for nectar and pollen resources.
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