Effects of geographic isolation on plant populations

Species are not equivalent in their abilities to colonise and maintain populations on islands or habitat islands because of differences in life form, dispersal ability, physiological tolerance to environmental stressors, demographic performance and evolutionary history. Departing from predictions of extended equilibrium theory of biogeography, we are investigating the effects of habitat size, heterogeneity and geographic isolation on patterns of intra- and interspecific diversity in oceanic islands and different types of ecological island on the mainland, and we test for environmental and evolutionary drivers of long-term demographic performance in isolated populations.

Spatial phenotypic variability is higher between island populations than between mainland populations worldwide

Small area and low connectivity constrain the diversity of plant life strategies in temporary ponds

Limits to species' geographic distribution

We are investigating ecological and biological factors that give rise to species' geographic range limit. We investigate traits and demographic mechanisms that enable plants to persist in populations situated in marginal ecological conditions.

Fekete R, Molnár VA, Bódis J and Csergő AM, Biogeographic patterns of orchid traits in anthropogenic habitats (in prep.)

Effects of climate change on plant demography

​We use experimental macroecology to investigate effects of drought and local adaptation on the long-term persistence of plant populations globally. Our experiments are using resources of PLANTPOPNET, led by Prof. Yvonne Buckley at Trinity College Dublin, a global plant demography network that studies the long-term population dynamics on a model plant, Plantago lanceolata.

Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant