Simon Arns

I study the relationship between genetic variation and ecological function in Bornean Dipterocarpaceae Blume, a family of trees of great socio-ecological value. Genetics have only been studied in around 10 percent of all known species, of which there are hundreds. Since the 1970s, extensive deforestation on Borneo has fragmented and extirpated populations across the whole island, and climate change - in interaction - is predicted to exacerbate threats to their conservation. Approximately 60 percent of all Bornean dipterocarps are endemic, 62 percent are threatened, and many are sensitive to inbreeding. Genetic and evolutionary research can hopefully provide an empirical basis for long-term conservation strategies and expanding restoration.