Young Scientists

Titles of presentations from people awarded an Australian Flora Foundation Young Scientist Prize

Two prizes are awarded at each annual meeting of the Ecological Society of Australia, and starting in 2002, two at each biennial meeting of the Australian Society of Horticultural Science. At each meeting, one prize is awarded to the under- or postgraduate student who gives the best talk, and one to the under- or postgraduate student who presents the best poster, provided the Society considers the presentations to be excellent.

2015
Ecological Society of Australia
Assessing adaptive potential of revegetation: comparing genomics of natural and revegetated stands of Eucalyptus microcarpa

Talk:  Rebecca Jordan, University of Melbourne       Summary
How should we model reproductive maturity in plants?
Poster:  Freya Thomas, University of Melbourne     Summary

2014
Ecological Society of Australia
Plasticity in water use traits within Australian alpine plants

Talk:   Sonya Geange, Australian National University       Summary
A comparison of the parasitic and epiparasitic strategies in mistletoe
Poster:  Mitchell Star-Jones – University of Adelaide    Summary

2013
Ecological Society of Australia
Soil water availability mediates woody plant seedling growth to elevated CO2 in a model grassland system

Talk:   Anthony Manea, Macquarie University        Summary
Density and assemblage influences on the species richness-productivity relationship in Australian dry sclerophyll species
Poster: Ruth Mallett – University of Tasmania    Summary

2012
Ecological Society of Australia
Using biological soil crusts to assess condition of semi-arid ecosystems
Talk:   Cassia Read, School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Vic.    Summary

2011
Ecological Society of Australia
Agricultural land use history increases invasions in regenerating fragmented ecosystems, compromising understorey flora diversity
Talk:   Sarah Butler, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland        Summary
Climate change impacts on the northern sandplain Kwongan vegetation of SW Australia
Poster: Amity Williams, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Murdoch University   Summary

2010
Ecological Society of Australia
Age and growth of a Tasmanian temperate old-growth forest stand dominated by Eucalyptus regnans, the world’s tallest angiosperm
Talk:   Sam Wood, School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania        Summary
Global Warming, Fire & Australian Alpine Plants: Catastrophe or Resilience?
Poster:James Camac, School of Botany, University of Melbourne    Summary

2009
Neither Society awarded Young Scientist Prizes in 2009

2008
Ecological Society of Australia
Can we be certain?: Using expert models to manage Box-Ironbark forests
Talk: Christina Czembor, University of Melbourne. Summary
Use of fire, cultivation and coarse woody debris as restoration techniques in Tasmanian dry forests
Poster: Tanya Bailey, University of Tasmania. Summary

Australian Society for Horticultural Science
Is the time of floral initiation in Ptilotus nobilis affected by temperature, daylength or light intensity?
Talk: Sybille Orzek, University of Queensland. Summary
Low storage temperatures can induce leaf and flower browning on cutBackhousia myrtifolia stems
Poster: Joseph Eyre, University of Queensland. Summary

2007
Ecological Society of Australia
Reconstructing the fire history of an unmanaged semi-arid landscape: the Lake Johnston Region, Western Australia.

Talk: Alison O’Donnell, University of Western Australia. Summary
Interference by poor quality pollen leads to pollen limitation of seed set inBulbine bulbosa (Asphodelaceae)
Poster: Kathleen Owen, University of New England.  Summary

2006
Neither Society awarded Young Scientist Prizes in 2006

2005
Ecological Society of Australia
Predicting changes in seedling recruitment and distribution with a changing climate using a natural gradient and ‘space for time’ substitution.

Talk. Suzanne Venn, La Trobe University.  Summary
Effectiveness of rehabilitation treatments on bulldozed fire control lines in the north-east Victorian mountains.
Poster: Seraphina Cutler, La Trobe University. Summary

7th Australian Native Flower Conference, May 25th-28th at the Bardon Conference Centre, Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane
Acquisition and transport of phosphorus in the Australian koala fern Caustis blakei (Cyperaceae), a role for specialised dauciform roots.
Cameron Playsted
, University of Queensland.  Summary

2004
Ecological Society of Australia
Weevil pollination of Australian cycad Lepidozamia peroffskyana
Talk: John Hall, University of Queensland

Australian Society for Horticultural Science
6th Australian Horticultural Conference “Harnessing the Potential of Horticulture in the Asia-Pacific Region” Hyatt Regency, Coolum 1-3 September
Acquisition and transport of phosphorus in the Australian koala fern Caustis blakei (Cyperaceae), a role for specialised dauciform roots.
Cameron Playsted
, University of Queensland
  Summary

2003
Ecological Society of Australia
The mechanism of self-sterility in Bulbine bulbosa: self-incompatibility or inbreeding depression.
Talk: Kathleen Owen, Botany, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351Summary
Can the seed bank prevent genetic changes in Grevilea caleyii populations?
Poster: Tanya Llorens, Institute for Conservation Biology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522

2002
Ecological Society of Australia
Plant Functional Types, Grazing and Fire in the Rangelands
Talk: Peter Vesk, Macquarie University
A population viability analysis for Leionema ralstonii
Poster: Joanne Potts, University of Melbourne

Australian Society for Horticultural Science national conference:
Swainsona sejuncta: a native species of ornamental promise or a potential weed?
Talk: Amelia Martyn, University of Sydney  Publication
Genetic variation and phylogenic relationships in the genus Scaevola.
Poster: Shuming Luo, University of Sydney

2001
Ecological Society of Australia
Spatial patterns in seed banks of arid zone wetlands.
Talk Joint winner: John Porter, Brock, M., Kingsford, R. and Prakash, N. University of New England
Enhanced water conservation in low-rain species leads to shorter leaf lifespan at a given leaf mass per area.
Talk joint winner  Ian Wright and Mark Westoby, Macquarie University
Seedling Recruitment and Litter Dynamics in Disturbed Cypress Pine Communities.
Poster Mark Harris, University of Queensland

2000
Ecological Society of Australia
Genetic structure of Banksia integrifolia woodlands at Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria.
Katherine Evans, Newbigin, E.and Ades, P. School of Botany, University of Melbourne