Lock, J. Michael (Retired)

Job Title

Honorary Research Fellow

Department

Herbarium

Section

Honorary Research Fellow

Science Teams:

Foreign Language(s): French, basic Swahili

Qualifications & Appointments

BA, Univ. Cambridge, 1963

MA, Univ. Cambridge, 1967

PhD, Univ. Cambridge, 1967

Editor, Kew Bulletin (1990-2004)

Editorial Board, Journal of Arid Environments (1992-1996)

Associate Editor, African Journal of Ecology (1998-2003)

Assistant Editor (Taxonomy), Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

Role

Taxonomy of African Monocotyledons, particularly Xyridaceae and Zingiberaceae. Taxonomy of African Leguminosae. Vegetation of Africa.

Following retirement from Kew work has continued on Leguminosae, assisting with the preparation of ‘Legumes of the World' and contributions on the family for ‘Flora Zambesiaca'. This is now largely complete and now preparing accounts of Monocot families for the same Flora, including Zingiberaceae, Costaceae, Cannaceae, Musaceae, Marantaceae, Agavaceae, and Xyridaceae. In the longer term a continent-wide revision of Xyridaceae (perhaps 60 species, all of seasonally or permanently wet nutrient-poor sites) is planned.

Projects

Selected Recent Publications

  • Lock, J.M. (2001). Ecosystems of Africa. In Levin, S.A.(ed). Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Vol. 1. Academic Press. 55-70.
  • Lock, J.M. (2002). New species of Xyris (Xyridaceae) from Tanzania. Kew Bulletin. 57: 445-450.
  • Lock, J.M. & Ford, C. (2004). Legumes of Malesia: a check-list. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 295 pp.
  • Lewis, G.P., Schrire, B.D., Mackinder, B.A. & Lock, J.M. (2005). Legumes of the World. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pp. c.600. [J.M.Lock: Author of Tribes Amorpheae, Thermopsidae, Hedysareae, Trifolieae; co-author of Tribes Loteae, Fabeae, Cicereae, Galeageae.]

Selected Earlier Publications

  • Lock, J.M. (1972). Effects of hippopotamus grazing on grasslands. J.Ecol. 60: 445-467
  • Lock, J.M. (1977). The vegetation of Rwenzori National Park, Uganda. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 98: 372-448
  • Lock, J.M. (1986). Zingiberaceae. In Polhill, R.M. (ed). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Balkema, Rotterdam.
  • Lock, J.M., Howell, P.P. & Cobb, S. (1988). The Jonglei Canal - Impact and Opportunity. Cambridge University Press. 537 pp.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa - a check-list. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 619 pp.

Scientific Research & Data

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