Dr Angela Moles, The University of New South Wales

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01 September 2011


Big ecology: from tundra to rainforest, desert to savanna

Why are some plant seeds very small and others large? Angela Moles tackled this simple question by compiling information on 12,669 plant species. She discovered that plant seeds in the tropics are, on average, 300 times bigger than seeds in colder places like the northern coniferous forests. She then used these data to follow the evolutionary history of seed size over hundreds of millions of years.

She used her L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowship to investigate the relationship between plant appearance and how much they get eaten by animals. Virtually all animals depend either directly or indirectly on energy gained from eating plants. For the animals, eating leaves and seeds is a good thing. For the plants, it can be a disaster. She investigated two strategies plants use to avoid being eaten.

Qualifications

2006                Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (learning and teaching), Macquarie University
2004                PhD (Ecology), Macquarie University: The seed size synthesis
1997                Bachelor of Science, First Class Honours, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

Career highlights, awards, fellowships, grants

2007                Senior Lecturer, Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales
2007                Australian Research Council Discovery grant: Naturalisation to invasion: how do naturalised plants become successful invaders? (awarded to M Leishman, B Murray, A Moles, D Richardson & J Klironomos)
2006                Lecturer in plant ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2006                Faculty Small Research Grant to fund data collection for project on global patterns in plant height, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2006                New Researcher’s Grant to establish a long term study of how plant-animal interactions are changing in response to climate change, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2006                Victoria University of Wellington University Research Fund Grant to continue work on the World Herbivory Project
2005                Macquarie University Research Development Grant to fund collection of plant diversity data at the World Herbivory Project study sites (awarded to A Moles & E Seabloom)
2004                Australian Research Council postdoctoral research grant, Macquarie University
2004                Amazon Conservation Association grant: Latitudinal gradients in biotic processes affecting plant growth and establishment, Los Amigos, Peru
2004                Australian Geographic grant to help set up Australian sites for the World Herbivory Project
2004                Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Doctoral thesis
2003                Postdoctoral Researcher, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
2003                National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis postdoctoral fellowship: The radiation of seed mass strategies worldwide
2003                Australian Research Council Discovery grant: Latitudinal gradients in biotic processes affecting plant growth and establishment (awarded to A Moles & P Coley)
2002                New Zealand Ecological Society award for best publication by a new researcher
2001                New Zealand Ecological Society award for best student presentation at the conference
2000                Australian Postgraduate Award for PhD study
1998-2000       Research Assistant for Mark Westoby, Macquarie University
1997-1998       Research Assistant for Donald Drake, Victoria University of Wellington

Angela Moles working with plants (Photo credit: L’Oréal/SDP Photo)

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