April 2017: National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin, 4-6th April 2017

The BES Ecological Genetics Special Interest Group (affectionately known as EGG) meet every year and 2017 was their first meeting in Ireland. It was a strategic move from the organising team headed by Dr Gemma Beatty (Aberystwyth University) to expand their Irish membership. Keep reading...

I presented a poster with some of our simulation modelling. We parameterised the model using PLANTPOPNET demographic data to establish baseline effects of demography on genetic diversity. Our results show that 1) small changes in fecundity and survival within the observed range of P. lanceolata influence genetic diversity and 2) migration dilutes the effect of demography on genetic diversity. These results provide hypotheses for ongoing analysis of Plantago SNPs, which will ultimately reveal the demographic pathway through which the environment affects genetic diversity.

Click to see our poster and stay tuned for results from the real data... 

Nov 2016: The inaugural meeting of the Irish Ecological Association, Sligo, 24–26th November 2016


The IEA conference highlighted the huge diversity of ecological research in Ireland, including themes on farmland biodiversity, food webs and community ecology, population dynamics of threatened and invasive species, parasite ecology, evolution and macroecology, population genetics, phylogenetics and taxonomy, genetic monitoring, landscape ecology and disturbance ecology. Keep reading...

I was elected IEA Meetings Officer at the AGM. Get in touch if you want to nominate your institution as a potential venue for our next meeting (early to mid 2018).

To find out more about ecology in Ireland, read the BES Virtual Issue: Ecology and Evolution in Ireland.

Nov 2016: George Olah spent years collecting macaw DNA in south-eastern Peru and we used landscape data from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory to analyse spatial patterns of gene flow. We now know that macaws have relatively few natural barriers to dispersal, except very high mountain ranges.

Our new paper provides data about natural gene flow that will serve as a baseline for monitoring and preserving connectivity across the Amazon.

Olah G, Smith AL, Asner GP, Brightsmith DJ, Heinsohn RG, Peakall R (2016). Exploring dispersal barriers using landscape genetic resistance modelling in scarlet macaws of the Peruvian Amazon. Landscape Ecology DOI: 10.1007/s10980-016-0457-8. Read online.

Check out the 3-minute video documentary about this work:

June 2016: I have just started a postdoc at PLANTPOPNET HQ Trinity College Dublin, working on demographic landscape genomics.

We will explore how the environment shapes spatial genomic patterns in Plantago lanceolata, while also examining the influence of population growth and survival rates on genomic structure. The species has an enormous distribution (here's one from my backyard in OZ) and the global scope of the network allows us to examine demographic and genomic processes in native and non-native ranges. Ultimately, we will contribute new knowledge about plant performance and adaptation under global change.

May 2016: Our new paper by honours student Alice McDougall shows how rocks are being used to restore habitat for native species in a rapidly developing urban area.






McDougall A, Milner RNC, Driscoll DA, Smith AL (2016). Restoration rocks: integrating abiotic and biotic habitat restoration to conserve threatened species and reduce fire fuel load. Biodiversity and Conservation, DOI: 10.1007/s10531-10016-11136-10534 Abstract

March 2016: ... But careful consideration must be given to the size and shape of prescription burns to ensure that species can move through their habitat.

Our new research in Proceedings B explains why:

Smith AL, Landguth EL, Bull CM, Banks SC, Gardner MG, Driscoll DA (2016). Dispersal responses override density effects on genetic diversity during post-disturbance succession. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 283, 20152934 Abstract


Check the MEDIA coverage on this paper