Jonathan Silvertown (D.Phil.)
Professor of Evolutionary Ecology and Chair in Technology-Enhanced Science Education in Biological Sciences

- Institute of Evolutionary Biology
- School of Biological Sciences
- College of Science and Engineering
Contact details
- Tel: 01316507923
- Email: jonathan.silvertown@ed.ac.uk
Background
Professor of Evolutionary Ecology and... |
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Chair in Technology-Enhanced Science Education |
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh |
Oct 2014 - |
Visiting Professor and Associate Director of the Open Science Laboratory (Honorary) |
Open University |
2014 - 2017 |
Professor of Ecology |
Open University, Milton Keynes |
2000 -2014 |
Director of Research, Dept. of Biology |
Open University, Milton Keynes |
1995-1998 |
Reader in Biology, |
Open University, Milton Keynes |
1993-2000 |
Senior Lecturer in Biology, |
Open University, Milton Keynes |
1988-1993 |
Visiting Associate Professor |
Section of Ecology & Systematics, Cornell University, NY, USA |
1985-1986 |
Visiting Scientist |
Section of Ecology & Systematics Cornell University, NY, USA. |
1983 |
Lecturer in Biology (tenured) |
Open University, Milton Keynes |
1979-1988 |
Lecturer in Population Biology & Ecology |
University of Sussex |
1978-1979 |
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, University of Sussex (1975).
D.Phil. University of Sussex (1979).
Current research interests
Use of digital tools in education and biodiversity research and outreachPast research interests
Many areas of plant population biology. See my publications on my personal website at https://www.JonathanSilvertown.comCurrent project grants
£100,000 Nesta, Rethinking Parks prototyping Award 2018 - 2019
Past project grants
£10, 883 Patsy Wood Trust 2013, Pilot funding for a climate change experiment
£196, 000 Garfield Weston Foundation 2012 - 2013, Biodiversity Observatory/ iSpot
£250, 000 Wolfson Foundation 2012 - 2013, Wolfson Open Science Lab (co-PI), my approx share
£50, 000 British Ecological Society, iSpot, 2012 - 2013
£56,000 Natural Environment Research Council 2009 - 2010. Experimental investigation of the origin of fynbos plant community structure after fire.
£136,000 Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 2010 - 2012, Ecological Continuity Trust
£63,000 British Council 2008 - 2010, iSpot internationalization
£60,000 British Council 2008 - 2010. Evolution MegaLab.
£40,000 Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 2008, Ecological Continuity Trust
£2,036,00 Big Lottery Fund 2007 - 2012, Biodiversity Observatory
£325,000 Darwin Initiative (Defra) 2007 - 2010. Tools, training and research for managing eco-hydrology of Cape flora.
£57,000 Royal Society 2006 – 2010. Evolution MegaLab.
£100,000 Big Lottery Fund 2006-2007, Biodiversity Observatory
£10,000 British Ecological Society 2006 (Ecological Continuity Trust)
£84,000 Leverhulme Trust, 2005-2007, Eco-hydrology of Cape flora
€100, 000 European Science Foundation Marie Curie fellowship (H. Freville) 2003 - 2005
£30, 000 Natural Environment Research Council 2003
£34, 000 Natural Environment Research Council 2002
£166,345 Natural Environment Research Council 1999 - 2002
£12, 000 Ferguson Trust 1999-2000
£209,000 Natural Environment Research Council 1997- 2001
£18,753 Natural Environment Research Council 1997
£83, 229 Natural Environment Research Council 1991- 1994
£44, 573 Natural Environment Research Council 1989- 1992
£116, 600 Agriculture and Food Research Council 1989 -1992
£42, 858 Natural Environment Research Council 1986-1989
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Location, but not defensive genotype, determines ectomycorrhizal community composition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings
(17 pages)
In:
Ecology and Evolution, vol. 11, pp. 4826-4842
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7384
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Williams’ intuition about extrinsic mortality is irrelevant
(1 page)
In:
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 35
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.02.010
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Letter (Published) -
George C. Williams’ problematic model of selection and senescence: Time to move on
In:
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 35
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.02.001
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Heritable genetic variation but no local adaptation in a pine-ectomycorrhizal interaction
In:
Mycorrhiza
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-020-00941-3
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Evolutionary ecology of senescence and a reassessment of Williams' 'extrinsic mortality' hypothesis
(12 pages)
In:
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.006
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Capturing the sounds of an urban greenspace
(8 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-4-W11-19-2018
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Conference contribution (Published) -
Dinner with Darwin: Food, drink and evolution
(232 pages)
Research output: › Book (Published) -
Climate Change Impacts on Hydrological Niches of Restionaceae Species in Jonkershoek, South Africa
(9 pages)
In:
Journal of Water Resource and Hydraulic Engineering, vol. 5, pp. 20-28
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5963/JWRHE0501002
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Dissecting the hydrological niche: Soil moisture, space and lifespan
(8 pages)
In:
Journal of Vegetation Science: Advances in plant community ecology, vol. 27, pp. 219–226
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12353
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The visualisation of ecological networks, and their use as a tool for engagement, advocacy and management
(45 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.10.006
Research output: › Chapter (Published) -
Have Ecosystem Services been oversold?
(8 pages)
In:
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 30, pp. 641–648
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.08.007
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Crowdsourcing the identification of organisms: A case-study of iSpot
(22 pages)
In:
Zookeys, pp. 125-146
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.480.8803
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Hydrological niches in terrestrial plant communities: A review
(16 pages)
In:
Journal of Ecology, vol. 103, pp. 93–108
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12332
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (Published)
Silvertown, J. (2009) A new dawn for citizen science. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 24, 467-471.
Silvertown, J. (2005) Going, going, gone. New Scientist, 188, 50-51.
Silvertown, J. (2004) Plant coexistence and the niche. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 19, 605-611.
Silvertown, J. (2001) Plants stand still, but their genes don't: non-trivial consequences of the obvious. Integrating ecology and evolution in a spatial context (eds J. Silvertown & J. Antonovics), pp. 3-20. Blackwell, Oxford.
Silvertown, J., McConway, K. J., Dodd, M. E. & Chase, M. W. (2000) "Flexibility" as a trait and methodological issues in species diversity variation among angiosperm families. Evolution, 54, 1066-1068.
Silvertown, J. (1998) Plant phenotypic plasticity and non-cognitive behaviour. Trends In Ecology & Evolution, 13,255-256.
Silvertown, J. & McConway, K. J. (1997) Does ''publication bias''' lead to biased science? Oikos, 79, 167-168.
Silvertown, J. & Dodd, M. (1997) Comparing plants and connecting traits. Plant life histories: Ecology, phylogeny and evolution (eds J. Silvertown, M. Franco & J. L. Harper), pp. 3-16. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Gillman, M. P. & Silvertown, J. (1997) Population extinction and IUCN categories: the uncertainty of ecological measurement. The role of genetics in conserving small populations (eds T. E. Tew, T. J. Crawford, J. W. Spencer, D. P. Stevens, M. B. Usher & J. Warren), pp. 155-162. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.
Wilson, J. B., Lines, C. E. M. & Silvertown, J. (1996) Grassland community structure under different grazing regimes, with a method for examining species associations when local richness is constrained. Folia Geobotanica & Phytotaxonomica, 31, 197-206.
Harper, J. L., Silvertown, J. & Franco, M. (1996) Preface. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B - Biological Sciences, 351, 1227-1231.
Silvertown, J., Dodd, M., McConway, K., Crawley, M. & Potts, J. (1995) Species diversity and stability in grassland.Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 287-288.
Enright, N. J., Franco, M. & Silvertown, J. (1995) Comparing plant life histories using elasticity analysis: The importance of lifespan and the number of life cycle stages. Oecologia, 104, 79-84.
Tilman, D., Dodd, M. E., Silvertown, J., Poulton, P. R., Johnston, A. E. & Crawley, M. J. (1994) The Park Grass Experiment: Insights from the Most Long-Term Ecological Study. Long - Term Experiments in Agricultural and Ecological Sciences (eds R. A. Leigh & A. E. Johnston), pp. 287-303. C a B International, Wallingford, United Kingdom 0X10 8DE.
Silvertown, J., Franco, M. & Mcconway, K. (1993) The eternal triangle - an attempt at reconciliation. Functional Ecology, 7, 380-381.
Briske, D. D. & Silvertown, J. (1993) Plant demography and grassland community balance: the contribution of population regulation mechanisms. XVII International Grassland Congress. Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Silvertown, J. (1992) Seeds in natural populations and their significance for plant conservation. Conservation Biology. A Training Manual for Biological Diversity and genetic resources (eds P. Kapoor-Vijay & J. White), pp. 133-145. Commonwealth Science Council, London.
Silvertown, J. & Dale, P. (1991) Competitive hierarchies and the structure of herbaceous plant communities. Oikos,61, 441-444.
Silvertown, J. & Smith, B. (1989) Mapping the microenvironment for seed germination in the field. Annals of Botany, 63, 163-167.
Silvertown, J. & Smith, B. (1989) Germination and population structure of spear thistle Cirsium vulgare in relation to sheep grazing management of pasture. Oecologia, 81, 369-373.
Silvertown, J. (1989) Reply from J.Silvertown. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 4, 145-146.
Silvertown, J. (1989) China's Silent Spring. New Scientist, 123, 55-58.
Silvertown, J. (1989) Plant competition. Nature, 337, 122-123.
Silvertown, J. (1988) The demographic and evolutionary consequences of seed dormancy. Plant population ecology(eds A. J. Davy, M.J.Hutchings & A.R.Watkinson), pp. 205-219. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Silvertown, J. & Law, R. (1987) Do plants need niches? Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 24-26.
Silvertown, J. (1987) Ecological stability: a test case. American Naturalist, 130, 807-810.
Silvertown, J. (1986) "Biennials": reply to Kelly. American Naturalist, 127, 721-724.
Silvertown, J. & Rabinowitz, D. (1985) Reproductive decisions in the botanical world. New Scientist, 32-34.
Silvertown, J. (1985) Fertile arguments in the desert. Nature, 316, 298.
Silvertown, J. (1985) When plants play the field. Evolution: essays in honour of John Maynard Smith (eds P. Greenwood, P. H. Harvey & M. Slatkin), pp. 143-153. Cambridge University Press,, Cambridge.
Silvertown, J. (1984) Death of the elusive biennial. Nature, 310, 271.
Silvertown, J. & Wilkin, F. R. (1983) An experimental test of the role of micro-spatial heterogeneity in the co-existence of congeneric plants. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 19, 1-8.
Silvertown, J. (1983) Why are biennials sometimes not so few? American Naturalist, 121, 448-453.
Silvertown, J. (1982) Measuring plant distribution in limestone pavement. Field Studies, 5, 651-662.
Silvertown, J. (1979) The maintenance of species diversity in grassland, with particular reference to chalk grassland. D.Phil., University of Sussex.
Silvertown, J. (1978) The history of woodlands in Hornsey. London Naturalist, 57, 11-25.