Research

Amanda Dodd – Victoria University, Bachelor of Science (Applied Biology) Honours

Honours student, Amanda Dodd is currently using Mt Rothwell to conduct her research.  Her project investigates the relationship between marsupial diggings and the germination and recruitment of native forbs. For her experiment Amanda is using two native flora species, Ptilotus spathulatus (Pussy Tails) and Podolepis sp.1 (Showy Podolepis) which were common in the area prior to European settlement.

She has chosen several sites located closely together, each site includes 3 plots - ‘a not recently disturbed area’, ‘a recently disturbed area’ (by a small marsupial), and a ‘pick-turned area’.  Amanda has directly seeded both Pussy Tails and the Showy Podolepis seeds onto these plots. She has covered some of these plots with chicken wire so as to protect them from the marsupials and left other plot groups exposed to observe what effects the animals will have on the plants as they grow. 

The current drought has limited the growth of the seedlings but the recent rain is now allowing them to germinate. We look forward to learning more about Amanda’s project and how her results will help in the conservation of Victoria’s flora and fauna.