How are climate and atmospheric CO2 changing competition between trees and grasses to degrade savanna ecosystems?

Our NERC-funded project uses experiments in open-top chambers in South Africa and analyses field data.

How does deploying PV panels to manipulate the solar spectrum impact crop performance in agricultural fields?

Our role in the Horizon Europe PV4Plants project is to evaluate spectral manipulations in the lab and field.

How did C4 photosynthesis evolve in grasses, and how have these species adapted to diverse global environments?

How do plant populations adapt to different climates, and how is climate adaptation related to dispersal?

What have been the roles of climate and evolutionary history in assembling and maintaining savanna ecosystems? 

Our working group mapped grassy ecosystems to understand the controls over their global distributions and dominant grasses.

How did domestication change crop biology, how did agriculture begin, and what are the modern legacies of these ancient events?

We currently focus on the mechanisms of selection acting during domestication, especially the role of competition.

How did crop history shape agricultural diversity, and which novel crops could be introduced to diversify food production?

We look at the histories of crop adaptation and adoption, and culturally appropriate diversification of local food systems.