People
Daws, Matthew I.
| Job Title | Seed Ecologist |
|---|---|
| Department | Seed Conservation |
| Section | Research |
| Science Teams |
Large-Scale Syntheses Millennium Seed Bank Project |
| Joined Kew | 2002 |
| Foreign Language(s) | French (intermediate level) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Manchester, 1998
PhD, Univ. Aberdeen, 2002.
Vice chair, Tree Seeds Committee International Union of Forest Research Organisation
Moisture Committee, International Seed Testing Association
Editorial boards, South African Journal of Botany, Canadian Journal of Botany, Plant Growth Regulation.
Role
Seed ecology, its relevance for seed conservation banking operations and phylogenetic significance.
Investigation of the impact of the natural environment on seed quality, in particular germinability and desiccation sensitivity, with the aim of developing predictive frameworks and models for seed responses. This work requires an understanding of plant-environment interactions as well as the role that phylogenetic relatedness can play in confounding the interpretation of comparative data sets. In particular: ecological adaptations of recalcitrant seeds to dryland environments, clinal effects on seed dormancy and germination, maternal effects on seed quality, regeneration niche requirements for seed germination and phylogenetic analyses of comparative data sets. Co-supervisor of PhD students (3), supervisor of PhD students (1), College-based sandwich course students (5), work experience students (2) and partner scientists (5). Writing grant applications (£110,000 raised from Norwegian Res. Council, 2003), editing/reviewing research grant applications and papers for science journals, and preparing/publishing own research as high impact-factor papers.
Projects
Comparative Longevity (Orthodox Seeds)
Development of Predictive Tool of Germination Requirements for MSB Collections
Genetic Polymorphisms in Populations of Aesculus hippocastanum across Europe
Germination Micro-Site Perception: the Role of Light Quality and Quantity
Maternal Environment Effects on Seed Germination and Dormancy: Inter-Site and -Season Comparisons
Oilseeds – Biogeographical Effects on Composition in Relation to Sustainable Use
Seed Information Database (SID)
Seed Responses to Climate Change and Environmental Extremes
Theme: Climate and Reproductive Biology
Theme: Ecophysiology and Morphology
Theme: Genetics and Chemical Traits
Towards Universally Applicable Seed Viability Stains
Unwelcome Guests? The Seed Biology of Invasive Species
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Daws, M.I., Garwood, N.C. & Pritchard, H.W. (2006). A predictive model for identifying desiccation sensitive seeds of woody species based on two seed traits and 104 species. Annals of Botany 97: 667-674.
Daws, M.I., Cousin, C., Hall, J. & Wood, C.B. (2006). Pressure-time dependency of vacuum degassing as a rapid method for viability assessment using tetrazolium chloride: a comparative study of 17 Pinus species. Seed Science and Technology 34: 497-505.
Daws, M.I., Orr, D., Burslem, D.F.R.P. & Mullins, C.E. (2006). Effects of high temperature on chalazal plug removal and germination in Apeiba tibourbou Aubl. Seed Science and Technology 34: 221-225.
Daws, M.I., Cleland, H., Chmielarz, P., Gorian, F., Leprince, O., Mullins, C.E., Thanos, C.A., Vandvik, V., & Pritchard, H.W. (2006). Variable desiccation tolerance in Acer pseudoplatanus seeds in relation to developmental conditions: a case of phenotypic recalcitrance? Functional Plant Biology 33: 59-66.
Daws, M.I., Garwood, N.C., & Pritchard, H.W. (2005). Traits of recalcitrant seeds in a semi-deciduous tropical forest in Panama: some ecological implications. Functional Ecology 19: 874–885.
Daws, M.I., Gaméné, C.S., Glidewell, S.M., & Pritchard, H.W. (2004). Seed mass variation potentially masks a single critical water content in recalcitrant seeds. Seed Science Research 14: 185-196.
Daws, M.I., Lydall, E., Chmielarz, P., Leprince, O., Matthews, S., Thanos, C.A. & Pritchard, H.W (2004). Developmental heat sum influences recalcitrant seed traits in Aesculus hippocastanum L. across Europe. New Phytologist 162: 157-166 (2004).
Brown, N.A.C., van Staden, J., Daws, M.I. & Johnson, T. (2003). Patterns in the seed germination response to smoke in plants from the Cape Floristic Region South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 69: 514-525.
Daws, M.I., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Crabtree, L.M., Kirkman, P., Mullins, C.E. & Dalling, J.W. (2002). Differences in seed germination responses may promote coexistence of four sympatric Piper species. Functional Ecology 16: 258-267.
Selected Publications pre-2001
Waterworth, W.M., West, C.E., Daws, M.I. & Bray, C.M. (2000). The barley scutellar peptide transporter: relationship to germination and loss of seed viability. In Seed Biology: Advances and Applications (Black et al. (eds). CABI Publishers, New York, NY. 297-308.
Pritchard, H.W., Daws, M.I. & Harris, C.(1999). Syzygium cuminii. The Project on Handling and Storage of Recalcitrant and Intermediate tropical Forest Tree Seeds. Newsletter 5: IPGRI, Rome. 12-13.
Kioko, J., Berjak, P., Pritchard, H.W. & Daws, M.I. (1998). Studies of post-shedding behaviour and cryopreservation of seeds of Warburgia salutaris, a highly endangered medicinal plant indigenous to tropical Africa. International Union of Forestry Research Organisations Seed Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pritchard, H.W., Yameogo, C.S. & Daws, M.I. (1996). Desiccation, storage and germination of Butyrospermum paradoxum (Vitellaria paradoxa) seed from Burkina Faso. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute Annual Report. 51.