Homepage of Christopher Philipson

Office WIG-E06
Institute of Environmental Sciences
Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstrasse 190
8057 Zürich

Tel.: ++41 (0)44 635 34 12
Fax: ++41 (0)44 635 57 11
E-mail: chrisp@uwinst.uzh.ch


Research interests

I am interested in the ecology of tropical rain forests particularly the processes that maintain diversity in tropical forests.

PhD project startet in February 2004

"The functional ecology of Bornean Dipterocarps: ecological trade-offs related to light"
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andrew Hector

My PhD is based around The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment, which is investigating the effect of altering the diversity of dipterocarp seedlings in an enrichment planting project in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Specifically I am interested in ecological trade-offs in response to light for a number of similar species within the family of dipterocarps. We have a number of experiments looking at trade-offs for light in the primary forest, secondary forest and in the nursery. We are also investigating distant and density dependent interactions affecting the regeneration of dipterocarp seedlings following a partial dipterocarp fruiting event.

We will be relating this to existing data to quantify functional diversity for species within the family of dipterocarps.

Field work is based at Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Education

1999 - 2003

The University of Aberdeen
BSc (hons) Plant & Soil Science Result: Upper second class

Honours Thesis : The Canopy Structure and light environments of three different tropical forest types in Sepilok forest reserve: Is there a need for broader definitions of canopy gaps to allow the forest dynamics debate to progress?

2002 Volunteer for British Ecological Society funded project " Biological Interactions in the Tropical Rain forest". I conducted field work for my honours thesis and took part in a project investigating the regeneration of Dipterocarp seedlings following a small mass fruiting event. I was awarded funding from the University of Aberdeen.
2001 I was part of the Aberdeen University Undergraduate Expedition to Sepilok in Malaysian Borneo, which was funded by The Royal Geographical Society and the Carnegie Trust.
1992 - 1998 George Watson's College, Edinburgh

Other interests

While in Aberdeen I spent my spare time diving and exploring the coasts of Scotland, since moving to Switzerland I enjoy mountain sports and exploring the Alps.

 

last updated on 28.08.2007