Joe Morton
PhD Student
Department
Team
Specialism
Trait evolution, genomics, ecological stoichiometry, taxonomy, ecology
I am interested in how nutrient availability shapes genome size evolution in flowering plants. Using a combination of lab and field experiments, I aim to understand how nitrogen and phosphorus limitation interacts with genome size to influence nutrient allocation and growth, both at the physiological and the ecological level. I will take this further, using modelling of existing global data to explore how such interactions can affect plant survival and species composition in natural systems. A baseline understanding of how nutrient availability impacts upon species of differing genome sizes may shed further light on the drivers of angiosperm evolution. Furthermore, such knowledge is vital if we wish to become less reliant on artificial fertilisers, while continuing to feed a growing human population.
- MSc Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation, Queen Mary's University of London, 2019
- BA Biological Sciences, Oxford University, 2018
- Queen Mary's University of London Principal's Prize, 2019
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Grasses and savannas of Madagascar
Using knowledge of endemic grasses to understand the history of open canopy areas for land management and conservation planning.
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Uncovering the genomic diversity of plants
Understanding how plants have diversified, the underlying mechanisms that promote genomic-level changes and the evolutionary and ecological consequences of this over time.