“Our plants have been able to cope with some of the world’s poorest soils [and] adapt to some of the strangest pollinators.”

In a career spanning fifty years, Emeritus Professor Byron Lamont is recognised as one of Australia’s foremost experts on the unique flora of southwestern Australia. Recently, this included pioneering work that shows the ancestors of one of Australia's most iconic floral species, the banksias, actually migrated here from North Africa. Byron joined us to discuss this work, and his remarkable career.

Byron joined Curtin University as Lecturer in Biology in 1974. Before retiring, he was the Personal Chair in plant ecology and Director of Curtin's Centre for Ecosystem Diversity and Dynamics. With over 400 papers and reviews on plant ecology, biogeography, population dynamics and genetics, and ecophysiology, focussing on the unique flora of southwestern Australia, Byron is recognised as the most highly cited researcher at Curtin University.

He received a Wright Lifetime Achievement Award from the international Association of Fire Ecology in 2022.

The Ecological Society of Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Help the ESA support ecology in Australia by donating (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ecolsoc.org.au/get-involved/donate/donation-form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) or by becoming a member (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ecolsoc.org.au/get-involved/become-a-member⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

The music in this podcast is 'Glow' by Scott Buckley - www.scottbuckley.com.au.

Episode image credit - Wikimedia Commons.

Season image credit - Russell Charters.