About this Event
Queensland contains extensive areas of tropical, sub-tropical and dry rainforest which are mostly located along the east coast. These communities, which include Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, are remnants of a continental-wide biome that is thought to have contracted over the last 5 to 10 million years.
Professor Patrick Moss will present a snapshot of the changing Queensland rainforest landscapes through an area of study called palynology: the analysis of fossil pollen preserved in sediments. Records from the Atherton Tablelands in the north, and marine sediments from northeast Queensland will be drawn upon, as well as late Quaternary records from K'gari and North Stradbroke Island in the southeast.
He will discuss the causes of rainforest contraction - drying conditions relating to climate change and continental drift. In addition, Professor Moss will focus on the need for more research in southeast and central Queensland to better understand how rainforest communities have responded to environmental changes over the last 10+million years.
Join us for this fascinating insight into Queensland rainforests through the millennia and gain an understanding of the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve remnant in the broader landscape.
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About presenter, Professor Patrick Moss:
Professor Patrick Moss is the Head of School, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Queensland University of Technology. His research includes palynology, paleoecology, fire ecology, archeology, geochemistry and environmental management.
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Featured image: Helen Jackson
This event is part of the Cairncross Conversations series: environmental, informative and on-point learning experiences for the community, held at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve's Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, 148 Mountain View Road, Maleny, Australia
