Stephen Hopper - Research

 

Contact Information

For all enquiries relating to Professor Stephen Hopper's research, please contact:

Dr Rhian Smith
Director's Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB

Email: rhian.smith@kew.org
Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5105

Research Interests

  • Evolution, systematics and conservation of the southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot.
  • Elucidation of new aspects of vertebrate pollination ecology, flora conservation and conservation genetics applied to the Australian flora.
  • The revision of phytogeographic concepts and regionalisation for the ancient landscapes of south-western Australia and the Greater Cape Region of South Africa.
  • Origins of plant species richness in the world’s Mediterranean climate regions.
  • The development of collaborative international programs on the biogeography and conservation of granite outcrop floras.
  • The development of new theory relating to the evolution and conservation of biodiversity on old and young landscapes.

 Current Research Projects

Current Research Students

Name Project Title Institution Supervisors
Alea Faber Ecology and phylogenetics of rare granite outcrop Paracaleana (Duck Orchids) Kings Park and Botanic Garden / School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia Prof. Stephen Hopper, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Dr. Pieter Poot, University of Western Australia
Leslie Saul-Gershenz Chemical and pollination ecology and natural history of thynnid wasp pollinators and their respective sexually deceptive orchid species in Southwestern Australia. Kings Park and Botanic Garden / School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia Prof. Kingsley Dixon, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth Australia; Prof Rod Peakall, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; Prof Stephen Hopper, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew