© Pint of Science, 2025. All rights reserved.
From runaway cattle feed to nitrogen emissions, this session tackles the surprising consequences of how we manage our land. Learn how scientists are tracking greenhouse gases with high-tech isotope tools and why a fast-growing “miracle tree” might be more menace than miracle. It’s sustainability science rooted in reality!
Stable Isotope Tracing: how soil gasses shape our climate
Rob Kirkby
(Technician- Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry, Queensland University of Technology)
Nitrogen (N) fertilisation in Australian agriculture raises concerns due to low crop N recovery and nitrogen losses via denitrification. Using fully and semi-automated ¹⁵N isotope incubation systems- Robert can track N₂ and N₂O emissions in real time. High-resolution data improves process-level understanding, aiding predictive models and sustainable farming practices to reduce detrimental environmental impacts.
Controlling the Miracle Tree (Leucaena leucocephala)
Alex Leslie
(PhD candidate, University of Queensland)
Leucaena was introduced to Australia as cattle feed. Unfortunately, without constant grazing pressure it can outgrow its usefulness and begin to crowd out other species and spread. This can pose a threat to infrastructure as well as the environment.
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