Chaminda Alahakoon is a PhD candidate in the Cumberland Plain Research Program. His research explores the sensitivity of native plant species in threatened ecological communities of the Cumberland Plain to extreme climate events through their seed germination response. He conducts experiments in the laboratory and climate-manipulated field research facilities, as well as under natural field conditions to validate the outcomes. His findings will inform adaptive management strategies to conserve and restore biodiversity in ecosystems increasingly exposed to droughts and heatwaves by guiding species selection and seed sourcing and determining optimal seeding times and conditions for successful establishment.