Jana Stewart

Jana Stewart is a Research Associate at the Centre for Ecosystem Science, affiliated with the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Her research focuses on soil biology and ecology, with an emphasis on field-based applied science to enhance ecosystem outcomes through soil biodiversity.

• Research Areas: Soil microbiology, ecosystem restoration, drone-based remote sensing, environmental DNA analysis, and arid land rehabilitation.
• Current Project: Investigating fire retardant impacts on soil and plant communities in the Threatened Rare and Endangered Plant Lab led by Associate Professor Mark Ooi.

Methodologies: Utilizes environmental DNA, drone imagery, field surveys, and greenhouse experiments to study microbial and invertebrate responses to restoration strategies. Her work bridges microbial ecology with practical conservation efforts in dryland ecosystems.

Email: jana.stewart@unsw.edu.au