Animal-Plant Interactions Group (APIG)

Professor Stephen Simpson; A/Prof. R. Hinde; A/Prof Ross Coleman; Dr. Fiona Clissold; Dr. Dieter Hochuli; Dr. Clare McArthur; Dr Adele Pile; Dr Charlotte Taylor

A fundamental problem with many ecological theories and premises is that they are often developed and tested in one particular habitat type. Cross-habitat tests are vital if ecology in particular and biology in general, are to establish unifying fundamental relationships and develop real predictive power. APIG represents a team of researchers, unique in School of Biological Sciences, who utilize an exciting cross-system question-driven approach to ecological research. The group consists of closely collaborating biologists and ecologists from marine and terrestrial backgrounds with research interests ranging from the level of whole ecosystems down to molecules and genes. Our organismal interests are wide-ranging but not exclusive… we use the right test organisms appropriate for the questions! This diversity enables a sharing of experience in order to address novel, topical and exciting broad-scale questions.

Working with APIG means access to high-quality laboratory facilities or field support relevant to your work, with supervision and advice from workers at the cutting edge of their field. We also offer interactions with our international colleagues (Oxford, UK Simpson; Plymouth, UK Coleman; Southampton, UK, Scripps and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institutes (USA) Pile). You will hosted in a lab / area appropriate for your project topic, as an added bonus, you get access to any member of the group for additional expertise. You would also benefit from regular involvement in group discussions, thus you will get the widest and best possible support and development of your honours work.

Keywords: Behaviour, physiology, nutrition, defences, evolution, biodiversity, ecology, herbivory, phenotypic plasticity.

Topic Areas (but see our individual pages for more information):

" Interactions with plant secondary metabolites, nutrient balance and plant structural characteristics in determining foraging patterns and behaviour of insect, macropod and marine herbivores (Simpson, Clissold, McArthur, Coleman, Pile)

" Biodiversity and ecosystem function: testing predictions derived from different habitats (Coleman, Hochuli, McArthur, Pile)

" Scaling from individual physiological processes to ecological interactions.
(Simpson, Clissold, Hinde, Pile, Hochuli)

Click here to download Honours/Graduate Diploma Information booklet (2.5Mb Word file)