Lauren's blog

In analyses of land management practices, people often focus on what we see above the ground as a sign of the health of the land. However, as scientists are discovering, and as I am coming to understand more and more in my research, what is below the ground is often just as important.

Increasing evidence is showing that the extinction of megafauna causes major changes to grasslands in Australia. Megafauna once played an essential role in the health and survival of grasslands.

Australia is known, and not unfairly so, for its harsh and unforgiving environment. Eighty percent of the land in Australia receives less than 600 millimeters of rainfall each year. How is climate change affecting this already dry and harsh land?