Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology

About
Members
Projects
Publications
Stories & events

Research in the Nicotra group applies novel approaches in plant comparative ecology to the study of evolutionary ecology and ecophysiology to give insights into patterns and processes underlying plant function at multiple scales.

We are interested in phenotypic plasticity - the range of forms a given genetic individual can exhibit under different environments - and when and how it evolves and when it matters. We also have a soft spot for alpine ecology and enjoy exploring the links between plant reproductive ecology and ecophysiology.

A wide range of projects are underway in the lab and most of these provide options for undergraduate, Honours or PhD projects - see our Research projects for more detail and feel free to contact us if you'd like more information.

Behavioural, evolutionary and physiological ecology

Evolutionary genetics and genomics

Plant environmental biology and functional ecology

Divisional Visitors

Honours Students

PhD Students

Senior Research Officer

Amanda Padovan

Senior Technical Officer

Zachary Brown

Special Project Student

Tara Walker

Technical Assistants

Project	Status
Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF, ARC LIEF project)	Current
Domestic applicants for PhDs in Ecology & Evolution	Current
HONOURS/MSC PROJECTS: Thermal tolerance and response to climate change in plants from extreme environments	Current
Living on the edge: how do Australian plants cope with extreme temperature? (ARC Linkage 2019-22)	Current
Microbial control of root developmental plasticity	Current
Multi-trait plasticity: understanding temperature response of alpine plants in a warming world (ARC Discovery 2017-20)	Current
PhD Scholarship top-up opportunity: Enhancing climate-resilience of ecological restoration	Current
PHD STUDENT RESEARCH - Ecology and ecophysiology in Australian desert and alpine plant species	Current
Postgraduate projects with research support: Drivers of climate change responses in the Australian Alps	Current
Seed and seedling ecology	Current
SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS: Thermal tolerance and response to climate change in plants from extreme environments	Current
The evolution and functional sigificance of leaf shape	Current

Selected publications

Briceño, V. F., D. Harris-Pascal, A. B. Nicotra, E. Williams and M. C. Ball (2014). "Variation in snow cover drives differences in frost resistance in seedlings of the alpine herb Aciphylla glacialis " Environmental and Experimental Botany in press.

Cochrane, J. A., G. L. Hoyle, C. J. Yates, J. Wood and A. B. Nicotra (2014). "Predicting the impact of increasing temperatures on seed germination among populations of Western Australian Banksia (Proteaceae) " Seed Science Research.

Cochrane, J. A., C. Yates, G. L. Hoyle and A. B. Nicotra (2014). "Will among-population variation in seed traits improve the chance of species persistence under climate change? ." Global Ecology and Biogeography in press.

Cochrane, J. A., C. Yates, G. L. Hoyle and A. B. Nicotra (2014). "Climate warming delays and decreases seedling emergence in a Mediterranean ecosystem." Oikos.

Cochrane, J. A., C. Yates, G. L. Hoyle and A. B. Nicotra (2014). "Among-population variation in seed traits: an overlooked advantage for species persistence under climate change? ." Global Ecology and Biogeography in press.

Hoyle, G. L., H. Cordiner, R. B. Good and A. B. Nicotra (2014). "Effects of reduced winter duration on seed dormancy and germination in six populations of the alpine herb Aciphyllya glacialis (Apiaceae)." Conservation Physiology 2(1): cou015.

Valladares, F., S. Matesanz, M. S. Araujo, L. Balaguer, M. Benito Garzon, W. K. Cornwell, E. Gianoli, F. Guilhaumon, M. van Kleunan, D. E. Naya, A. B. Nicotra , H. Poorter and M. A. Zavala (2014). "The effects of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation on forecasts of species range shifts under climate change." Ecology Letters in press.

Xie, H., J. E. Ash, C. C. Linde, S. Cunningham and A. Nicotra (2014). "Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau Uplift Drives Divergence of Polyploid Poppies: <italic>Meconopsis</italic> Viguier (Papaveraceae)." PLoS ONE 9(6): e99177.

Alcorn, P. J., D. I. Forrester, R. G. B. Smith, D. S. Thomas, R. James, A. B. Nicotra and J. Bauhus (2013). "The influence of site quality on timing of pruning in Eucalyptus pilularis and Eucalyptus cloeziana plantations." Australian Forestry 76(1): 25-36.

Alcorn, P. J., D. I. Forrester, R. G. B. Smith, D. S. Thomas, R. N. James, A. B. Nicotra and J. Bauhus (2013). "Crown structure and vertical foliage distribution in 4-year-old plantation-grown Eucalyptus pilularis and Eucalyptus cloeziana." Trees-Structure and Function 27(3): 555-566.

Alcorn, P. J., D. I. Forrester, D. S. Thomas, R. James, R. G. B. Smith, A. B. Nicotra and J. Bauhus (2013). "Changes in Whole-Tree Water Use Following Live-Crown Pruning in Young Plantation-Grown Eucalyptus pilularis and Eucalyptus cloeziana." Forests 4(1): 106-121.

Goh, C. H., D. F. V. Vallejos, A. B. Nicotra and U. Mathesius (2013). "The Impact of Beneficial Plant-Associated Microbes on Plant Phenotypic Plasticity." Journal of Chemical Ecology 39(7): 826-839.

Gowland, K. M., M. M. van der Merwe, C. C. Linde, M. A. Clements and A. B. Nicotra (2013). "The host bias of three epiphytic Aeridinae orchid species is reflected, but not explained, by mycorrhizal fungal associations." American Journal of Botany 100(4): 764-777.

Hoyle, G. L., S. E. Venn, K. J. Steadman, R. B. Good, E. J. McAuliffe, E. R. Williams and A. B. Nicotra (2013). "Soil warming increases plant species richness but decreases germination from the alpine soil seed bank." Global Change Biology 19: 1549-1561.

Jones, C. S., H. I. Martinez-Cabrera, A. B. Nicotra, K. Mocko, E. M. Marais and C. D. Schlichting (2013). "Phylogenetic Influences on Leaf Trait Integration in Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) : Convergence, Divergence, and Historical Adaptation to a Rapidly Changing Climate." American Journal of Botany 100(7): 1306-1321.

Richards, C. L., M. Boruta, O. Bossdorf, C. A. C. Coon, C. M. Foust, A. R. Hughes, H. J. Kilvitis, A. L. Liebl, A. B. Nicotra, M. Pigliucci, M. H. Robertson and A. W. Schrey (2013). "Epigenetic mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity." Integrative and Comparative Biology 53: E179-E179.

Davidson, A. M. and A. B. Nicotra (2012). "Beware: alien invasion. Where to next for an understanding of weed ecology?" New Phytologist 194(3): 602-605.

Leigh, A., S. Sevanto, M. C. Ball, J. D. Close, D. S. Ellsworth, C. A. Knight, A. B. Nicotra and S. Vogel (2012). "Do thick leaves avoid thermal damage in critically low wind speeds?" New Phytologist 194(2): 477-487.

Davidson, A. M., M. Jennions and A. B. Nicotra (2011). "Do invasive species show higher phenotypic plasticity than native species and, if so, is it adaptive? A meta-analysis." Ecology Letters 14(4): 419-431.

Gowland, K. M., J. T. Wood, M. A. Clements and A. B. Nicotra (2011). "Significant phorophyte (substrate) bias is not explained by fitness benefits in three epiphytic orchid species." American Journal of Botany.

Leigh, A., M. A. Zwieniecki, F. E. Rockwell, C. K. Boyce, A. B. Nicotra and N. M. Holbrook (2011). "Structural and hydraulic correlates of heterophylly in Ginkgo biloba." New Phytologist 189(2): 459-470.

Nicotra, A., A. Leigh, C. K. Boyce, C. D. Jones, K. J. Niklas, D. L. Royer and H. Tsukaya (2011). "The evolution and functional significance of leaf shape in the angiosperms." Functional Plant Biology 38: 535-552.

Nicotra, A. B. and E. McIntosh (2011). "PrometheusWiki: online protocols gaining momentum." Functional Plant Biology 38(11): iii-v.

Nicotra, A. B., O. K. Atkin, S. P. Bonser, A. M. Davidson, E. J. Finnegan, U. Mathesius, P. Poot, M. D. Purugganan, C. L. Richards, F. Valladares and M. van Kleunen (2010). "Plant phenotypic plasticity in a changing climate." Trends in Plant Science 15(12): 684-692.

Nicotra, A. B. and A. Davidson (2010). "Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and plant water use." Functional Plant Biology 37(2): 117-127.

Sack, L., W. K. Cornwell, L. S. Santiago, M. M. Barbour, B. Choat, J. R. Evans, R. Munns and A. B. Nicotra (2010). "A unique web resource for physiology,ecology and the environmental sciences: PrometheusWiki." Functional Plant Biology 37(8): 687-693.