Pollination ecology and evolution
Longicorn beetles on Bursaria spinosa, Three Capes, Tasmania
Pollination - essentially plant sex - is a fascinating interaction that connects plants to the birds, bees, beetles, bats and other pollinators that carry pollen from one flower to another.
My PhD explored the large-scale evolution and ecology of flowers and pollination, and I continue to work on these questions, including contributing to pollination data in AusTraits, a growing database of Australian plant traits.
Ongoing research questions include:
- How much do we actually know about pollination in Australia's flora?
- Does pollinator availability shape the plants in different ecosystems?
- Can ecoacoustics with machine learning provide new insights into pollination systems?
- How robust are generalised pollination systems to species losses and global change?
I pretty much love anything to do with pollination, from plant reproduction to pollinator behaviour and everything in between. If you're interested in collaborating or in student projects in this space, please get in touch and we can develop ideas together.
