Team

Caroline Lehmann

The University of Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, United Kingdom

I work on improving our understanding of the ecology and evolution of tropical ecosystems, specifically savannas. I do this via linking remotely sensed data, experimental data, meta-analyses and field observations. My current field research program focuses on understudied regions such as Madagascar, southern Africa and South-East Asia and how improved understanding of these regions can inform understanding of community assembly and dynamics of grassy biomes.

Sally Archibald

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

I work on understanding the dynamics of savanna ecosystems in the context of global change. My work integrates field ecological data, remote sensing, modelling, and biogeochemistry. I am involved in collaborative research projects with Yale University, Edinburgh University and the University of Liverpool among others which variously work on fire-grazer interactions, inter-continental savanna comparisons, the importance of land-atmosphere feedbacks, and pursuing a global theory of fire.

Bat Vorontsova

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, United Kingdom

I study grasses and everything about them, with a particular focus on tropical African diversity and poorly known lineages, their evolutionary history, and the history of tropical grasslands and savannas. I use herbarium based alpha taxonomy to enrich our understanding of ecosystems and their function. My main research direction is a full taxonomic treatment of Poaceae for the Flora of Madagascar, a long term project incorporating a range of ecological, phylogenetic, ethnobotanical, and horticultural work.

Gareth Hempson

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

My research interests lie in understanding how large mammal herbivores shape vegetation communities in African ecosystems - both at very large scales and via interactive effects with fire. I am currently analysing patterns of historical herbivore biomass and fire at the continental scale in Africa. My field research explores grass community responses to frequent grazing.

Anya Courtenay

The University of Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, United Kingdom

I manage the GGG database and support analyses. My work focuses on the functional biogeography of savanna and grassland vegetation with aim to uncover the environmental complexities of habitats occupied by distinct plant communities, especially where underground trees occur in the Afrotropics.

Jakub Wieczorkowski

The University of Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, United Kingdom

I am interested in the intersection of ecology, biogeography and data science with the aim to understand the biodiversity change in the grassy biomes. My current research focuses on the effects of woody encroachment and fire suppression on ground layer diversity. I am a PhD student based at the University of Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Affiliated students

Olinirina Nanjarisoa

Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, Madagascar

I have studied grass taxonomy since 2013, and I am the first Malagasy botanist specialized in Poaceae. Over time, my career has expanded into other aspects of grasslands. My current PhD research focuses on plant diversity and livelihoods in the grasslands of the central highlands in Madagascar to demonstrate their origins, importance in conservation and use by local communities.

Fenitra Randrianarimanana

Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre and University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

I am a PhD student working on the taxonomy of grasses, especially the Poaceae species found in the malagasy grasslands. My research interests involve studying every contribution of grasses and grasslands to human activities, from their origins to their uses in farming and weed management.

Susan Eshelman

The University of Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, United Kingdom

I am a PhD researcher looking at grassy ecosystems globally. In particular, my research explores how environmental drivers and disturbances shape grassland ecosystems, focusing on the functional traits of grasses in Madagascar and Scotland to understand ecological patterns across tropical and temperate biomes.