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Science
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Visit Australia’s oldest scientific institution to learn about our latest scientific discoveries. We've been studying and documenting plant life in New South Wales and Australia for over 200 years.
Find out more
Our Work & Discoveries
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The Botanic Garden is a living lab. Home to some of the world's most valuable plant scientists, solving some of humanity's most vital challenges.
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The Botanic Garden is a living lab. Home to some of the world's most valuable plant scientists, solving some of humanity's most vital challenges.
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Branch Out
Branch Out with our new podcast and discover the surprising world of plants with science and stories from Australia’s oldest living scientific institution.
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Branch Out
Branch Out with our new podcast and discover the surprising world of plants with science and stories from Australia’s oldest living scientific institution.
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Plants
The Australian Botanic Garden is home to thousands of different plants. Learn more about our displays and the poeple that put them together.
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A world of discovery awaits primary students at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. We offer a range of unique learning activities designed to engage and delight both you and your students.
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A world of discovery awaits primary students at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. We offer a range of unique learning activities designed to engage and delight both you and your students.
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Construction underway on new National Herbarium of NSW
NSW Ministers announced the commencement of construction of a new National Herbarium of NSW following an official sod turning at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan during National Science Week.
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Construction underway on new National Herbarium of NSW
NSW Ministers announced the commencement of construction of a new National Herbarium of NSW following an official sod turning at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan during National Science Week.
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The Australian Institute of Botanical Science
Discover how the new Australian Institute of Botanical Science will advance fundamental knowledge of flora and drive effective conservation solutions to ensure the survival of plants, and all life that depends on them.
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The Australian Institute of Botanical Science
Discover how the new Australian Institute of Botanical Science will advance fundamental knowledge of flora and drive effective conservation solutions to ensure the survival of plants, and all life that depends on them.
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Dispersal of rainforest animals
Dispersal of rainforest animals
Rainforests of Australia – the interconnectivity between plant and animal survival
Where once our rugged land was covered in lush, rich and dense rainforest, we are now fighting for the survival of the remaining tiny ecosystem pockets. As the rainforest disappears, so too does a vital resource of food, protection and habitat for a huge percentage of Australia’s wildlife. The interesting thing is, that in order for the rainforest to thrive naturally, it relies heavily on the behaviour of its inhabitants, to encourage dispersal and new growth.
The vulnerability of the large fruits
Many of the world’s rainforests are home to large and diverse wildlife, such as monkeys, squirrels and even rhinoceroses. These large animals consume, move and disperse the seeds of large and small-fruited plants alike. In Australia, we have very few animals, who have the capacity to consume larger fruited plants.
Research conducted by our Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr Maurizio Rossetto has revealed that this has left our larger fruited species vulnerable and less able to disperse and multiply.
The Southern Cassowary and their crucial role
The Southern Cassowary lives deep in the rainforests of north-east Queensland. It is a unique bird, in that it is one of the only native rainforest animals that is large enough to ingest the larger seeded fruits. Many of these plants are solely reliant on the behaviour of the cassowary to disperse their seeds.
As the population of the cassowary dwindles, the dispersal potential goes with them. Through research such as Dr Rossetto’s, we are reminded just how reliant our animal and plant life are on one another and just how essential their work is to the overall endurance of our rainforests.