Staff profile
Dr Alison C. Monsant
Research Associate
Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering
School of Life SciencesDepartment of Agricultural Science
AgriBio, the Centre for AgriBioscience
Melbourne (Bundoora)
- T: +61 3 9032 7420
- E: a.monsant@latrobe.edu.au
Qualifications
BBiolSci, BEnvSci (Hons), PhD (LaTrobe University)
Membership of professional Associations
Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology; International Phytotechnology Society
Area of study
Agricultural Sciences
Botany
Environmental Science
Brief Profile
Dr Alison Monsant is a Research Associate at La Trobe University, Department of Agricultural Science, Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, Melbourne, Australia. She is currently researching soil nutrient processes and vegetation dynamics in response to global warming and fire events in the Victorian Alps, Australia. This current research addresses the soil ecological component of the ARC linkage project “An Integrated Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on Victorian Alpine Ecosystems: Detecting and Managing Ecological Change”. Alison has a PhD in Agriculture (soil chemistry, plant physiology and plant chemistry) (June 2011). She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science with honours and a Bachelor of Biological Science which extend her life-long study of diverse natural ecosystems, ecophysiology, and an interest in environmental interactions between abiotic and biotic components. Alison is interested in using unique methods of analysis to probe the interactive effects between the soil and plants in response to changing or stressful abiotic conditions. Her PhD was titled ‘Phytoremediation: impacts of nitrogen form on zinc interactions in the soil and plant system’. Alison has experience in analytical and instrumental chemistry, and specific techniques such as synchrotron instrumentation and metabolomic profiling.
Research specialisation
- Alpine ecology
- Soil science
Recent Publications
Monsant AC, Kappen P, Wang Y, Pigram PJ, Baker AJM, Tang C. 2011. In vivo speciation of zinc in Noccaea caerulescens in response to nitrogen form and zinc exposure. Plant and Soil 348:167–183.
Monsant AC, Wang Y, Tang C. 2010. Nitrate nutrition enhances zinc hyperaccumulation in Noccaea caerulescens (Prayon). Plant Soil 336: 391-401.
Monsant AC, Tang C, Baker AJM. 2008. The effect of nitrogen form on rhizosphere soil pH and zinc phytoextraction by Thlaspi caerulescens. Chemosphere 73: 635-642.
Research projects
An Integrated Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on Victorian Alpine Ecosystems: Detecting and Managing Ecological Change (ARC Linkage project).
Zinc speciation and localization using XANES and XRF (Funded by the Australian Synchrotron).
Use of microPIXE for cellular localisation and elemental mapping of zinc and cadmium in the leaves of Zn/Cd-hyperaccumulating plants (Funded by AINSE).
