Serpentine soils are often described as harsh, toxic and nutrient-poor, yet they harbor extraordinary concentrations of rare and endemic plants found nowhere else on Earth. In this presentation, we will journey through the serpentine landscapes in California and beyond to discover how these unusual soils shape evolution, biodiversity and ecological specialization. Along the way, Nishi will share recent discoveries about serpentine plants and other organisms and explore the remarkable adaptations that allow them to flourish where few others can survive.

Nishi will also discuss the growing challenges these species face from climate change, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, mining and urban development. Finally, we will examine the emerging promise of agromining, a technology that uses metal-accumulating plants to recover valuable metals such as nickel, showing how these botanical specialists may contribute to a more sustainable future.

Nishi Rajakaruna is a professor of biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has spent more than two decades exploring the remarkable plants and ecosystems associated with serpentine soils in California and around the world. His research focuses on how plants adapt to challenging soil environments, the origins of rare and endemic species and the conservation of rock outcrop biota.

He is also interested in metal-accumulating plants and their potential use in emerging technologies such as agromining. Nishi enjoys sharing the stories of serpentine plants and other biota with both scientific and public audiences and helping connect people with the natural history of the landscapes around them.