Papers by Alison Haynes
Of turf, trees and air quality: does roadside moss trap more particulate matter Of turf, trees an... more Of turf, trees and air quality: does roadside moss trap more particulate matter Of turf, trees and air quality: does roadside moss trap more particulate matter than leaves? than leaves?
Atmosphere, 2019
As interest in improving urban air quality grows, phytoremediation—amelioration through plants—is... more As interest in improving urban air quality grows, phytoremediation—amelioration through plants—is an increasingly popular method of targeting particulate matter (PM), one of the most harmful pollutants. Decades of research has proven that plants effectively capture PM from air; however, more information is needed on the dynamics of PM accumulation. Our study evaluated the effects of meteorological conditions on the dynamics of PM deposition, wash off and resuspension using four Australian tree species growing under natural conditions near a busy highway. Accumulation of PM on foliage was analyzed over the short term (daily changes) and over a longer time period (weekly changes). The results obtained were correlated with ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, rain intensity and wind strength. The highest accumulation of PM was recorded for Eucalyptus ovata (100.2 µg cm−2), which also had the thickest wax layer while the lowest was for Brachychiton acerifolius (77.9 µg cm−2). PM ac...
Journal of Global History
Natural history products formed an important, but little studied, component of the globalization ... more Natural history products formed an important, but little studied, component of the globalization of trade in the mid nineteenth century. The trade, specifically in zoology, occurred in the face of considerable challenges. It penetrated some of the more remote areas of the globe; its products were heterogeneous and difficult to price; and exchange occurred among scientists, commercial traders, and collectors, each of whom had their own particular practices and mores. This article charts the dimensions of this trade and offers explanations about the ways in which its complexities were addressed through major developments in taxidermy, taxonomy, transport and business logistics, alternative forms of exchange, and trust-based networks. More broadly, our work speaks to current developments in global history, imperial networks, and the history of scientific collecting.
International Journal of Plant Sciences
Premise of research. Worldwide, fire-sensitive shrubs have an important but underresearched life ... more Premise of research. Worldwide, fire-sensitive shrubs have an important but underresearched life history, and in Australia they are threatened by anthropogenic changes to fire regimes and habitat loss. Typically, adults are killed by fire, but they can also senesce and die if interfire intervals are prolonged. Populations can regenerate from seed banks displaying fire-stimulated germination; however, populations are ephemeral, and true population sizes and connectedness are difficult to estimate. Persoonia hirsuta ssp. evoluta is an endangered, inconspicuous, fire-sensitive shrub with a soil-stored seed bank currently known only from a small number of locations within the fire-prone Sydney Basin. Although it appears highly fragmented and populations are typically small, we predicted that its seed bank would buffer populations against loss of genetic diversity and population differentiation. Methodology. We used microsatellite markers to assess genetic variation within three aboveground populations of P. hirsuta separated by up to 25 km. The largest and most isolated population, at Appin, New South Wales, Australia, occurs on a mine site and may be subject to disturbance. We compared levels of genetic diversity and estimated the mating systems and genetic connectedness of plants within the three sites. Pivotal results. As predicted, all populations displayed similar genetic diversity, as judged by expected heterozygosity and allelic richness, and displayed little differentiation. All populations appear predominantly outcrossed. However, STRUCTURE and principal coordinates analyses showed that Appin individuals were distinct from those at the other locations. Conclusions. Our data imply that even for fire-sensitive species with few aboveground populations, genetic diversity can be maintained by the buffering effect of persistent seed banks with diversity reflecting historically greater interpopulation gene flow. While all P. hirsuta sites support comparable genetic diversity, the preservation of known populations is critical. Conservation efforts should include searches for additional populations, fire-stimulated germination of seed banks, and collection of seed for propagation in a nursery or direct sowing.
Conservation Physiology
When it comes to survival on land, adapting to local conditions is generally an advantage. But, w... more When it comes to survival on land, adapting to local conditions is generally an advantage. But, what if a plant that has not fine-tuned to its environment turns out to be better suited to survive climate change? Could this be? Aaron Ramirez and his University of California colleauges think so, especially upon investigating island plant populations to identify potential climate refugia. As temperatures rise and droughts increase with global climate change, the team's findings offer hope for plant conservation.
Premise of research. Worldwide, fire-sensitive shrubs have an important but underresearched life ... more Premise of research. Worldwide, fire-sensitive shrubs have an important but underresearched life history, and in Australia they are threatened by anthropogenic changes to fire regimes and habitat loss. Typically, adults are killed by fire, but they can also senesce and die if interfire intervals are prolonged. Populations can regenerate from seed banks displaying fire-stimulated germination; however, populations are ephemeral, and true population sizes and connectedness are difficult to estimate. Persoonia hirsuta ssp. evoluta is an endangered, inconspicuous, fire-sensitive shrub with a soil-stored seed bank currently known only from a small number of locations within the fire-prone Sydney Basin. Although it appears highly fragmented and populations are typically small, we predicted that its seed bank would buffer populations against loss of genetic diversity and population differentiation. Methodology. We used microsatellite markers to assess genetic variation within three abovegro...
Conservation Physiology
Can a plant that has been artificially cultivated for centuries survive in the wild? The answer i... more Can a plant that has been artificially cultivated for centuries survive in the wild? The answer is not a resounding 'no', but a new study from China certainly sheds doubt. Yet this question is crucial for conservation efforts worldwide, whether for reintroductions, revegetation, or insurance against future extinction.
Atmosphere
This paper presents a summary of the key findings of the special issue of Atmosphere on Air Quali... more This paper presents a summary of the key findings of the special issue of Atmosphere on Air Quality in New South Wales and discusses the implications of the work for policy makers and individuals. This special edition presents new air quality research in Australia undertaken by (or in association with) the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes hub, which is funded by the National Environmental Science Program on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Energy. Air pollution in Australian cities is generally low, with typical concentrations of key pollutants at much lower levels than experienced in comparable cities in many other parts of the world. Australian cities do experience occasional exceedances in ozone and PM2.5 (above air pollution guidelines), as well as extreme pollution events, often as a result of bushfires, dust storms, or heatwaves. Even in the absence of extreme events, natural emissions play a significant role in influencing the Australian u...
Plants in urban areas interact with air quality in numerous ways. Firstly, pollutants from indust... more Plants in urban areas interact with air quality in numerous ways. Firstly, pollutants from industry, vehicular and residential sources can be detrimental to plant growth. Secondly, plants sometimes contribute to poor air quality, for instance by emitting allergens such as pollen, or by trapping pollutants in street canyons and thirdly, with appropriate placement some species improve air quality through phytoremediation. A common urban pollutant is particulate matter (PM small particles of solid or liquid). While this is of concern to human health, less well known is its effect on vegetation and while moss is commonly studied as a biomonitor, there is little research on how it is affected by urbanisation. Our objective was to measure PM entrapment by roadside moss turfs and compare it to leaves of a common Australian tree species, Pittosporum undulatum on an urban gradient.,, Publication Details Haynes, A., Popek, R., Boles, M., Paton-Walsh, C. & Robinson, S. A. (2019). Of turf, tree...
Atmosphere
Urbanisation largely consists of removing native vegetation. Plants that remain interact with air... more Urbanisation largely consists of removing native vegetation. Plants that remain interact with air quality in complex ways. Pollutants can be detrimental to plant growth; plants sometimes reduce air quality, yet some species also improve it through phytoremediation. A common pollutant of concern to human health in urban areas is particulate matter (PM), small particles of solid or liquid. Our study compared roadside moss turfs with leaves of a common Australian tree species, Pittosporum undulatum, in their ability to capture PM along an urban gradient. We sampled nine sites, three in each of three levels of urbanisation: low, medium, and high according to road type (freeway, suburban road, quiet peri-urban road). In addition, we deployed a PM monitor over a two-week period in one site of each urban level to provide concentrations of PM2.5. We used chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm; maximum quantum yield of photosystem II) as a measure of plant stress. We extracted PM in three size frac...
Journal of Global History, 2017
Natural history products formed an important, but little studied, part of the globalisation of tr... more Natural history products formed an important, but little studied, part of the globalisation of trade in the mid nineteenth century. The trade, specifically in zoology, occurred in the face of considerable challenges. It penetrated some of the more remote areas of the globe; its products were heterogeneous and difficult to price; and exchange occurred among scientists, commercial traders, and collectors, each of whom had their own particular practices and mores. This paper charts the dimensions of this trade and offers explanations of how its complexities were addressed, especially through major developments in taxidermy, taxonomy, transport and business logistics, alternative forms of exchange, and trust-based networks. More broadly, our work speaks to current developments in global history, imperial networks, and the history of scientific collecting.
Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture by Alison Haynes
Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, 2021
This issue of Antennae titled ‘Spaces and Species’, aims, in the words of co-editors Linda Tegg,... more This issue of Antennae titled ‘Spaces and Species’, aims, in the words of co-editors Linda Tegg, Mauro Baracco and Louise Wright, to “ask architecture to reframe what it does best – to make careful relationships between things – this time with other species. The observation this requires – reflected in this issue – is aligned to practices of listening over processes of objectification as a precursor to acting with. We seek more diplomatic ways to conduct ourselves in the shared environment to find the gestures and patterns of living that enable us to follow those we live amongst”. Ar- architecture has for thousands of years mediated our relationship with the nonhuman and the land. Delimiting, separating, excluding, and isolating—at times architectural structures have implicitly reinforced the nature/culture dichotomy that has not only defined our daily activities but that has shaped our anthropocentric conception. This issue of Antennae features the contributions of artists, architects, and scholars whose practices help us to re-envision our relationship with the spaces and species that make up the interconnected world we live in.
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Papers by Alison Haynes
Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture by Alison Haynes