Dr. Amanda Taylor

Postdoc
email: amanda.taylor[at]uni-goettingen.de
phone: +49-(0)551-39-4998


Research Interests
I have broad research interests in the fields of ecology and evolution, conservation biology, functional ecology, and island biology. My current research focuses on explaining patterns and drivers of plant biodiversity at the global scale using orchids and epiphytes as model species.


Selected recent and representative publications

For a comprehensive list of all publications and citations please visit my Google scholar profile

Delavaux, C. S., Weigelt, P., Dawson, W., Essl, F., van Kleunen, M., König, C., Pergl, J., Pyšek, P., Stein, A., Winter, M., Taylor, A., Schultz, P. A., Whittaker, R. J., Kreft, H., & Bever, J. D. (2021). Mycorrhizal types influence island biogeography of plants. Communications Biology, 4(1), 1128. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02649-2 pdf

Taylor, A., Zotz, G., Weigelt, P., Cai, L., Karger, D. N., König, C., & Kreft, H. (2021). Vascular epiphytes contribute disproportionately to global centres of plant diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, geb.13411. doi: 10.1111/geb.13411 pdf

König, C., Weigelt, P., Taylor, A., Stein, A., Dawson, W., Essl, F., Pergl, J., Pyšek, P., Kleunen, M. van, Winter, M., Chatelain, C., Wieringa, J. J., Krestov, P., & Kreft, H. (2021). Source pools and disharmony of the world’s island floras. Ecography, 44(1), 44–55. doi: 10.1111/ecog.05174 pdf

Taylor, A., Keppel, G., Weigelt, P., Zotz, G., & Kreft, H. (2021). Functional traits are key to understanding orchid diversity on islands. Ecography, 44(5), 703–714. doi: 10.1111/ecog.05410 pdf

Mendieta-Leiva, G., Ramos, F.N., Elias, J.P.C., Zotz, G., Acuña-Tarazona, M., Alvim, F.S., Barbosa, D.E.F., Basílio, G.A., Batke, S.P., Benavides, A.M., Blum, C.T., Boelter, C.R., Brancalion, P.H.S., Carmona, M.J., Carvalho, L.P., de la Rosa-Manzano, E., Einzmann, H.J.R., Fernández, M., Furtado, S.G., de Gasper, A.L., Guzmán-Jacob, V., Hietz, P., Irume, M.V., Jiménez-López, D.A., Kessler, M., Kreft, H., Krömer, T., Machado, G.M.O., Martínez-Meléndez, N., Martins, P.L.S.S., de Macêdo Mello, R., Mendes, A.F., Menini Neto, L., Mortara, S.R., Nardy, C., de Paula Oliveira, R., Pereira, A.C.A., Pillaca, L., Quaresma, A.C., Rodríguez Quiel, C., Soto Medina, E., Taylor, A., Vega, M.S., Wagner, K., Werneck, M.S., Werner, F.A., Wolf, J.H.D., Zartman, C.E., Zuleta, D. & Jímenez-Alfaro, B. (2020). EpIG-DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics. Journal of Vegetation Science, 31(3), 518–528. doi: 10.1111/jvs.12867 pdf

Guzmán-Jacob, V., Zotz, G., Craven, D., Taylor, A., Krömer, T., Monge-González, M.L. & Kreft, H. (2020): Effects of forest-use intensity on vascular epiphyte diversity along an elevational gradient. Diversity and Distributions 26, 4-15. pdf

Taylor, A., Weigelt, P., König, C., Zotz, G. & Kreft, H. (2019): Island disharmony revisited using orchids as a model group. New Phytologist 223, 597-606. pdf

Taylor A., and Burns K.C. 2016. Radial distributions of air plants: a comparison between epiphytes and mistletoes. Ecology 97: 819-825. pdf

Taylor A., Saldaña A., Zotz G., Kirby C., Díaz I., and Burns K.C. 2016. Composition patterns and network structure of vascular epiphyte assemblages in Chilean and New Zealand temperate forests. NZ Journal of Botany 54: 204-222. pdf

Taylor A., and Burns K.C. 2015. Epiphyte community development throughout tree ontogeny: an island ontogeny framework. Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 902-910. pdf

Taylor A., and Burns K.C. 2015. Plant composition patterns inside an endemic birds’ nest fern (Asplenium goudeyi) on Lord Howe Island: effects of fern size, fern isolation and plant dispersal abilities. Journal of Tropical Ecology 31: 413-421. pdf


Academic qualifications

PhD in Ecology and Biodiversity 2016: Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Master of Conservation Biology 2010: The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
BSc in Geology (major) and Environmental Studies (minor) 2009: Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand


Funding and awards

• 230,000 € DFG research grant (Germany) 2020
• 2,400 € DAAD conference travel grant (Germany) 2019
• 8,500 € Postdoc start-up fund (Germany) 2017
• NZ Journal of Botany Early Researcher Prize for best publication (NZ) 2017
• $2,500 NZD Strategic research grant (NZ) 2015
• $6,000 NZD Doctoral submission scholarship (NZ) 2015
• $500 NZD Royal Society conference grant (NZ) 2015
• First place, best student oral presentation NZ Ecological Society (NZ) 2014
• $600 NZD Wellington Botanical Society student grant (NZ) 2014
• $100,000 NZD New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women PhD scholarship (NZ) 2013