Rate My Professor Pauline Grierson

Professor Pauline Grierson holds the position of Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Western Australia. She is Director of the West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre and leads the Ecosystems Research Group. Her academic interests center on ecosystem biogeochemistry, ecology, ecophysiology, dendrochronology, and ecohydrology. Grierson applies stable isotope methods involving carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen to investigate ecosystem processes, with a particular emphasis on biogeochemistry and ecological water requirements in semi-arid systems. Her research encompasses ecohydrological linkages in arid environments, fire ecology including spatial patterning and connections to key ecological processes, and plant and ecosystem responses to environmental change. She directs efforts in reconstructing past climates through tree-ring studies and examining the impacts of extreme weather events on vegetation dynamics across ecotones.

Grierson's career at the University of Western Australia includes prior roles such as Deputy Head of the School of Plant Biology. She has authored or co-authored influential publications, including 'Long-term impacts of prescribed burning on regional extent and incidence of wildfire in central western Australia' (Boer et al., 2009, International Journal of Wildland Fire), 'Stable isotope and hydrochemical evolution of groundwater in the semi-arid Musi sub-basin, South India' (Dogramaci et al., 2012, Journal of Hydrology), 'Estimation of evaporative loss based on the stable isotope composition of water stored in tree trunks: Laboratory and field experiments' (Skrzypek et al., 2015, Science of the Total Environment), 'Megadroughts and pluvials in southwest Australia: 1350–2018 CE' (O’Donnell et al., 2021, Climate Dynamics), and 'The role of extreme rain events in driving tree growth across a rainforest-savanna ecotone' (2021, Ecography). Her scholarly output has accumulated over 9,400 citations, reflecting substantial impact in her field. Grierson has secured Australian Research Council funding for projects such as LP190100724 on dating Murujuga petroglyphs, DP130104156, and LP120200002. She contributes to public engagement through articles in The Conversation on megadroughts and climate history, and supports interdisciplinary initiatives including archaeobotany and stable isotope facilities.