Physiological responses of Australian native and agricultural plant species to smoke from bushfires and prescribed burns

The impact of smoke from bushfires or prescribed burning has in the last decade emerged as a major risk for agricultural industries in Australia. This is especially true for the wine industry, as many wineries have recently experienced financial losses due to smoke taint in wine. A considerable amount of research has been done on the role of smoke in seed germination and on the effects of smoke on human health but research about the effects of smoke on the physiology of agricultural and native plant species is lacking. The aim of my research is to investigate the physiological responses of native and agricultural plants to smoke from bushfires or prescribed burns.