The Big Ecology Lab

The Big Ecology Lab, led by Professor Angela Moles, is part of the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UNSW Sydney.

Rapid evolution of Arctotheca (South African population [left] & Australian population [right]).

Our Research Goals

• To find out how Australian plants are responding to climate change
• To improve understanding of the ecology and evolution of introduced species
• To use a big picture approach to quantify the factors affecting the ways plants grow and reproduce, including soil, climate and biotic interactions.

Our Research in Detail

At The Big Ecology Lab we use a combination of field work and synthesis of data from the literature to quantify large scale patterns in ecology. We use controlled glasshouse conditions to study rapid evolution in introduced species, and we use herbarium and museum specimens to study plants and animals from the past. We collaborate with ecologists from all around the world, and with researchers from a range of other disciplines including geography, climate science, and statistics.