Pauline Ladiges facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Professor
Pauline Yvonne Ladiges
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| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Awards | AO, FAA |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Plant ecology, taxonomy |
| Institutions | University of Melbourne |
Pauline Yvonne Ladiges AO FAA (born 1948) is a famous botanist. She has made big contributions to understanding Australian plants. Her work focuses on how plants are classified (taxonomy) and how they live in their environment (ecology). She also studies how plants have spread over time (historical biogeography).
Professor Ladiges is especially known for her work on Eucalypts. She has also helped a lot with science education for students of all ages. She is a professor at the University of Melbourne. From 1992 to 2010, she was the head of the School of Botany there. Since 2002, she has been a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Pauline Yvonne Ladiges was born in Bolton, England, in 1948.
She studied at the University of Melbourne in Australia. In 1971, she earned a Diploma of Education. The next year, she completed her Master of Science degree. Her Master's research was about a type of gum tree called Eucalyptus viminalis. In 1976, she received her PhD from the same university. Her PhD studies looked at how Eucalyptus viminalis populations differed. She also studied how they handled things like mineral nutrition and drought.
Pauline Ladiges' Career
Pauline Ladiges started her career as a plant ecologist. She worked in this field from 1974 to 1983. This meant she studied how plants interact with their surroundings.
Understanding Plant Family Trees
Later, she focused on phylogenetic systematics and historical biogeography. These are ways to understand how different plant groups are related. They also show how plants have spread across the land over long periods.
Eucalyptus trees grow in many different places in Australia. They have a long and complex history of how they changed over time. Pauline Ladiges was the first to use advanced methods to figure out the relationships between the main groups of Eucalyptus. She used two key techniques:
- Cladistic analysis: This method groups plants based on shared features. It helps build their "family tree."
- Molecular techniques: These involve studying the DNA of plants. This helps estimate how different plant types are related to each other.
Teaching and Science Education
Pauline Ladiges has always supported science education. She helps students learn science at both high school and university levels. While she was doing her Master's degree, she also got a teaching diploma. She taught for her first year at a Teacher's College. Throughout her career, she has taught and guided many university students.
As the head of the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne, she worked to solve a problem. Australia needed more skilled plant classifiers (taxonomists). She created connections with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. This garden uses a lot of plant knowledge. This effort was praised with an award. She has also served on the board of the Royal Botanic Gardens for 14 years.
Awards and Recognition
Pauline Ladiges has received many awards for her important work:
- 2001: Centenary Medal. This was for her service to Australian science. It recognized her work on how Australian plants spread and live in their environment.
- 2002: Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA). This is a high honor for scientists.
- 2005: Royal Society of Victoria Research Medal. This was for her work in biological sciences. She also received an Award for Excellence in Australian Publishing.
- 2009: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This award recognized her service to botanical science and research. It also honored her work in classifying plants and conserving Australian plants and animals.
- 2011: Nancy T. Burbidge Medal. This award is given each year for outstanding work in classifying and studying Australian plants.
- 2020: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Victoria (FRSV).
Selected Publications
Educational Books
- Biology: an Australian focus / Pauline Ladiges, Barbara Evans, Robert Saint and Bruce Knox. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2010.
- Evans, B. K., Ladiges, P., McKenzie, J., & Sanders, Y. (2005). Heinemann Biology 1. Pearson.
- Biology two: survival mechanisms, continuity and change / Barbara K. Evans, Pauline Y. Ladiges, John A. McKenzie. 2nd ed. Heinemann Educational Australia, 1995.
See also
