Plants are incredibly diverse, and so are botanists! In its mission to spread fascinating stories about the plant world, Botany One also also introduces you to the scientists behind these great stories.
Today, we have Dr Karen Sommerville, a research scientist based at the Australian PlantBank, a conservation and research facility of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. Initially trained in ornamental horticulture but working in plant conservation since 2003, Sommerville has worked in several conservation-related projects, including the ecology, genetics and reproductive biology of saltmarsh plants, seed dormancy in alpine and rainforest species, and cryopreservation and symbiotic germination of terrestrial orchid seeds. For the past decade, she has been leading research under the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project, looking at which Australian rainforest seeds are suitable for banking, assessing their longevity in storage, and developing other preservation methods for species that can’t be banked.
Sommerville’s current research focuses on two key areas: investigating underlying causes and alternative storage conditions for rainforest seeds we’ve found to be very short-lived in storage and investigating conservation options for species severely affected by myrtle rust, a disease that is having a devastating impact on rainforest species in the Myrtaceae family.
What made you become interested in plants?
It’s hard to put it down to just one thing, but I think my interest started in the home I grew up in. My family had a very typical backyard for the time – big enough to have a few chickens, a veggie patch and some fruit trees. I used to love climbing the plum tree when it was fruiting and just sitting on a branch eating all the plums I could reach. The neighbour behind us had a mulberry tree and would hand us buckets of mulberries over the fence when it was fruiting. We had a passionfruit vine, too, and I remember being fascinated by the shape and colour of the flowers. My grandmother’s backyard was full of other beautiful flowering plants, and she also had a lovely little vegetable garden where I used to pick strawberries and peas when I visited. All those experiences added to an appreciation of plants from a young age.
What motivated you to pursue your current area of research?
It started with a bit of good luck! I’d been working on the conservation of terrestrial orchids (which I still find fascinating) when our organisation was lucky enough to receive a grant for a 5-year project focused on conserving rainforest seeds. Five-year grants are pretty scarce in this field, so I applied for one of the positions and have been working on rainforest seeds ever since.
What is your favourite part of your work related to plants?
I love it all! My work has a great mix of fieldwork, imaging (microscope and x-ray), laboratory experiments in germination, tissue culture and cryopreservation, and nursery experiments in reproductive biology. It’s all fascinating – but one of the things I love most is looking down a microscope and seeing the intricate structures of seeds and flowers that aren’t visible to the naked eye. It’s amazing how much you can learn just by taking a closer look! Another aspect I really love is the collaboration – I’ve worked on some great conservation projects with colleagues in my own organisation and with colleagues in universities, government departments and other botanic gardens around the world. It’s a joy to work with people who are passionate about what they do and to have the opportunity to learn from their wealth of experience.
Are any specific plants or species that have intrigued or inspired your research? If so, what are they and why?
One plant I’ve found intriguing is Wilsonia backhousei – a little clonal saltmarsh plant that can tolerate really high levels of salinity and submersion under high tides and still manage to look beautiful. This was one of the species I studied for my doctorate, and I’m still impressed by how tough it is. I’m also intrigued by terrestrial orchids because they have such interesting relationships with other organisms. They all produce tiny seeds that need to associate with a mycorrhizal fungus to germinate, and about a third of the family uses deception to attract pollinators. The sexually deceptive orchids (like Cryptostylis species) attract a specific male pollinator by mimicking the shape or smell of a female of the species. How amazing is that?!
Could you share an experience or anecdote from your work that has marked your career and reaffirmed your fascination with plants?
On my first field trip for the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project, I visited a grove of beautiful old Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus moorei) trees. As we walked through the trees a gentle rain started falling, and I got such a kick out of just being in a rainforest when it was raining, smelling the freshness of it and seeing how the water dripped from the canopy into the soil. Then I looked up at the trees. Each one was enormous, hundreds of years old, and every trunk and branch supported its own community of vines, ferns, orchids, mosses and lichens. I was awed by the sight and by the reminder that the survival of so many living organisms (including us) is aided by or dependent on others.
What advice would you give young scientists considering a career in plant biology?
Go for it! Plants are endlessly fascinating. There’s always something new to learn and you’ll be contributing to a science that is essential to the health of the planet and the well-being of us all.
What do people usually get wrong about plants?
That trees are a nuisance! This is a common complaint in urban areas, especially when a bad storm has led to branches dropping on people’s cars or houses. However, trees also provide oxygen for us to breathe and shade from the hot sun. They help to cool urban temperatures, filter pollutants from the air, and provide habitat and food for local fauna. A recent review found they’re also great for our mental health – reducing stress, blood pressure, symptoms of depression and even symptoms of ADHD. If you’re looking for a way to make your community more sustainable, planting and caring for trees is a great place to start.
Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra
Carlos (he/him) is a Colombian seed ecologist currently doing his PhD at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and working as a Science Editor at Botany One and a Communications Officer at the International Society for Seed Science. You can follow him on BlueSky at @caordonezparra.
The post Karen Sommerville: The Quest for Conserving Australian Rainforest Plants appeared first on Botany One.
