Lecture 6

Lecture 6

Lecture 6

Speaker: Professor Uromi Manage Goodale

Uromi GOODALE joined Xi ‘an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in 2022 as Professor of Plant Ecology at the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science. She received a Masters in Forest Science in 2001 and a Ph.D. in 2009 from Yale University, USA. She has held postdoctoral fellowships through the National Institutes of Health, USA at University of California San Diego (2009-2012) and at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China (2012-2014). She was an associate professor at the College of Forestry in Guangxi University, China from 2014 to 2022. Currently she is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Forestry, the chairperson of the Ecology Section of the Botanical Society of America and Co-Chair of the IUCN Seed Conservation Specialist Group (SCSG).
She is interested in plant physiological mechanisms underlying the ecological properties of species, communities, and ecosystems. Her research focuses on seed biophysiology and regeneration dynamics in tropical, subtropical, and temperate systems with the aim of integrating research findings into conservation and management plans. Throughout her career in science, she has been dedicated to facilitating student learning and engaged in activities that examine the interplay of diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM disciplines.

Topic: The Mysterious World of Orchids

Abstract: Orchids have fascinated and intrigued people for centuries, with their exotic beauty and diverse range of spectacular colors, unique shapes, and alluring fragrances. They are known worldwide for their numerous medicinal, ornamental, and ethnobotanical uses. However, over harvesting, habitat destruction, fragmentation, climate change, reduction in the number of pollinators and increase in pests and diseases has threatened many members of this highly diverse plant family to the verge of extinction. Despite being a significant focus of scientific investigation, many mysteries remain unsolved about their complex and highly specialized pollination mechanisms, their ability to adapt to a wide range of habitat conditions, the capacity of their tiny dust seeds to be airborne and find suitable fungal partners that facilitate their germination, defying scientific explanation in many ways. This talk will explore the mysterious world of orchids and shed light on some of their secrets while learning how to contribute to their conservation.

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