Fresh Science

From tropical savannas in the Territory to old growth rainforest in Tasmania, Australian forests may adapt to changing temperatures over time Forests are a major carbon sink, responsible for about three quarters of carbon absorption on land, a critical buffer against rising carbon levels in the atmosphere from climate change. As the temperature rises, ecologists…

Bendable, safe, long-lasting and green cement-free concrete A new type of concrete that is made out of waste materials and can bend under load has been developed by researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. This material, which incorporates industrial waste products such as fly ash produced by coal-fired power stations, is especially…

Tea trees crave water during hot and dry summer days The iconic Australian tea tree (Melaleuca decora) is more vulnerable than native eucalypt species to extreme temperature and moisture stress, Western Sydney University researcher Anne Griebel has discovered.  To make the finding, Anne and colleagues fitted instruments that measure the exchange of carbon, water and…

Is that plant healthy? We can’t easily monitor the health of plants, by the time we see that they’re sick it’s usually too late to save that. That’s an issue for your house plants, a field of wheat, orchards and plantations. Karina Khambatta has developed a way to use the waxy surface of leaves to…