Prof Steve Johnson
Researcher
- 033 260 5148
- JohnsonSd@ukzn.ac.za
- PhD
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
- Pietermaritzburg Campus
Professor Steven Johnson’s research focuses on pollination biology, evolution, plant speciation, insect-plant relationships, invasive species, chemical ecology and floral mimicry. He currently holds the DST-NRF SARChI chair in Evolutionary Biology and is an associate editor of Proceedings of the Royal Society B and Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Research interests
- The ecology of plant-pollinator interactions.
- Formation of pollination ecotypes.
- Pollinator-driven speciation in plants.
- Plant breeding systems and ecological determinants of fruit and seed set.
- Floral mimicry in orchids and milkweeds.
- Coevolution of flowers and insects.
- Interpretation of trait evolution using phylogenetic analysis.
- Convergent evolution in plants with specialized pollination systems.
- Chemical ecology of pollination systems.
- Breakdown of plant-insect mutualisms in degraded landscapes.
- Reproductive systems of invasive plants.