Professor Andrew Lowe

Biography/ Background

Current Position:
Joint position as Professor of Plant Conservation Biology at the University of Adelaide and Head of Science, State Herbarium and Bioknowledge, South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage.

At the University I lead a research team focused on a range plant ecological and evolutionary genetic. Within DEH, my current responsibilities are to develop strategic research direction, capability and external linkages for the State Herbarium and Biological Survey.

Qualifications

Experience:
Lecturer at the University of Queensland (2003-2006); Senior Scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh (1998-2003); Postdoctoral Researcher at BBSRC Long Ashton, Bristol (1998); Postdoctoral Researcher at Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Edinburgh (1996-1997); International Consultant, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya (1996); Field Science Officer for Society for Environmental Exploration, Tanzania (1991-2)

Education:
PhD in Plant Evolutionary Genetics, St Andrews University (1992-1996); Bsc (Hons) in Applied Biology, Bath University (1987-1991)

Research Interests

My main research focus is in plant ecological and evolutionary genetics:

How do plants survive and adapt to anthropomorphized landscapes?

My work has demonstrated gene flow and selection pressure changes across a range of fragmented and exploited landscapes, using molecular markers, spatial modeling and genomic assessments of adaptive genes (e.g. drought). This work has produced habitat management criteria and timber extraction thresholds, adopted by government agencies (e.g. Costa Rican and UK governments), and reassessments of the CITES conservation status of mahogany in Latin America. Management strategies are currently being developed for Australian macadamias and eucalypts Funding: EU (3M Euros, 2005-2008), CSIRO/CRDC ($100K, 2004-2008)

How do species migrate in response to climate change?

Using molecular markers (phylogeography) and simulation modeling, my work has documented extensive changes in species distributions since the last ice age. This work has lead to dispersal lag being included in climate change predictive models. Ongoing work is examining the influence of past environmental changes on Australasian flora (macadamia, southern pines and rainforest trees), incorporating ancient DNA approaches, to improve future predictability of biotic responses to climate change. Funding: ARC discovery ($250K, 2006-2009), EU (3M Euros, 2002-2005)

Weeds meet natives - microevolutionary consequences

Rapid evolution can follow hybridization between newly invasive and native species. My work proved the origin and establishment of a new hybrid weed species adapted to life in British car parks, which gained wide public and academic attention. Current work is examining the potential for transfer of adaptive genes from native species to new invasives via hybridization for Australian weeds. Funding: ARC discovery ($600K, 2006-2009), EU (Euros 2.6M: 2000-2005)

Commercial Developments and Industry Links

In 2002 I set up an incubation company in the UK (EcoGeneLabs), to undertake a range of commercial plant tissue (roots, leaves, wood) DNA fingerprinting activities, including; distinguishing the source of tree roots causing house subsidence, and identifying the species and source of harvested timber. The customer base of the service has grown substantially, and in the next year will be sold to an international forensics company. I regularly provide advice to the commercial sector on a range of genetic resource issues and advise on the potential use of hybridization and polyploidy for improving tree variety breeding

Publications

Published more than 60 papers, in top international journals and book chapters

Lead author of a book (Lowe et al 2004 Ecological Genetics; Design, Analysis and Application), which is now in its third print run and also available electronically through Blackwells.

Some publications:

Bacles CFE, Lowe AJ, Ennos RA (2006) Seed dispersal across a fragmented landscape. Science 311: 628.

Lowe AJ, Boshier D, Ward M, Bacles CFE, Navarro C (2005) Genetic resource loss following habitat fragmentation and degradation; reconciling predicted theory with empirical evidence. Review. Heredity 95: 255-273.

Bacles CFE, Burczyk J, Lowe AJ, Ennos RA (2005) Historical and contemporary mating patterns in Fraxinus excelsior L remnants provide evidence for non-detrimental genetic effects of chronic deforestation. Evolution 59: 979-990.

Lowe AJ, Harris SA, Ashton P (2004). Ecological Genetics: Design, Analysis and Application. Blackwells, Oxford.

Abbott RJ, Lowe AJ (2004) Origins, establishment and evolution of two new polyploid species of Senecio in the British Isles. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 82: 467-474.

Lowe AJ, Munro RC, Samuel S, Cottrell J (2004) The utility and drawbacks of chloroplast DNA for identifying native British oak stands. Forestry 77: 335-347.

Cavers S, Navarro C, Lowe AJ (2003) Chloroplast DNA phylogeography reveals colonisation history of a Neotropical tree, Cedrela odorata L., in Mesoamerica. Molecular Ecology 12:1451-1460.

Lowe AJ, Wilson J, Gillies ACM, Dawson I (2000) Conservation genetics of bush mango from central/west Africa, implications from RAPD analysis. Molecular Ecology. 9:831-841.

Lowe AJ, Abbott RJ (2000) Routes of origin of two recently evolved hybrid taxa: Senecio vulgaris var. hibernicus and York radiate groundsel (Asteraceae). American Journal of Botany. 87:1159-1167.

Newton AC, Allnutt T, Gillies ACM, Lowe AJ, Ennos RA (1999) Molecular phylogeography, intraspecific variation and the conservation of tree species. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 14:140-145.

Professional Associations

Serving on Editorial board of Diversity and Distributions (since 2006), Journal of Biogeography (since 2006) and Silvae Genetica (since 2004)

Elected to lead a working party on genetic diversity for IUFRO, 2005 onwards.

Community Engagement

Given 24 scientific presentations at international and public meetings in last 5 years, 11 of which were invited. Invited to give keynote at the Australian Society of Systematic Botany meeting (Brisbane 2005) and plenaries at IUFRO (Brisbane 2005) and the International Plant Molecular Biology Symposium (Adelaide 2006).

Awarded the 2004 Silvicultural prize by the British Institute of Chartered Foresters for "an original and much valued contribution to the genetics of oak and examination of the practical implications of the findings" for a publication in the journal Forestry.

My work on hybrid weed speciation (Lowe and Abbott 2004 Heredity) has been covered in The Times, Guardian, BBC radio, Yorkshire Post and Fife Times, caused strong debate in creationist vs. evolutionist websites, and inspired Young British Artists, Nick Relph and Oliver Payne, to exhibit an installation in the Finnish National Gallery (2005).

My work on population genetics of Irish oaks (Muir et al 2004 Annals of Botany) was covered in the Irish Times and on Irish National Radio.

Files

• Lowe publications list - Publications_lowe.doc [60.5K] (application/msword)
• forest gap - gap.jpg [177.8K] (image/jpeg)

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009