Research field

My research has two main strands, one basic and one applied. 

My basic research lies at the intersection of plant ecology and functional biogeography, with a particular interest in how life-history strategies such as clonality and belowground bud banks shape plant persistence across environmental gradients. I study how clonal growth, belowground storage organs, and biomass allocation influence plant adaptation, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning. Much of my work focuses on understory herbaceous plants in forest ecosystems, combining large-scale biogeographic patterns with field-based studies in subtropical forests to understand how plant functional traits are linked to climate and habitat conditions.

My applied research centers on biodiversity conservation and management, especially the protection of rare and endangered species. I have led and participated in a range of government-commissioned projects on the survey, monitoring, in situ and ex situ conservation, propagation, reintroduction, and population recovery of nationally protected wild plants. I am also actively involved in bird-related conservation work, drawing on long-term field experience in bird observation and survey. These projects include regional avifaunal inventories, monitoring of priority bird species, satellite tracking, and the development of birdwatching sites. More broadly, I am interested in how field-based ecological research can support local conservation practice, ecological restoration, and biodiversity policy.