Research interests
My research covers a number of themes in ecology. My main research interest is in understanding plant function and growth in response to disturbances and resources, and how this affects species distribution within and across landscapes. For my research methods I predominantly use comparative research and experimentation (greenhouse work and field work) and modelling techniques. I have mainly worked in savannas and grasslands, but my future research plans will encompass a wider range of biomes.
Presently my research is focused in two large collaborative projects, one on savanna dynamics and one on the ecological significance of spinescence in plants. The savanna project is carried over from research I began at Wageningen University. The spinescence project is a new project I am developing at XTBG.
I am now also involved in coordinating the long-term forest fragmentation project initiated by Ferry Slik and Jiajia Liu. This has grown into a collaboration with several other research groups both here at XTBG and internationally (see Research page).
Publications
2024
Zhao, W., Gao, J., Hall, D., Andersson, B.A., Bruxaux, J., Tomlinson, K., Drouzas, A., Suyama, Y., Wang, X-R., (2024). Adaptive radiation of the Eurasian Pinus species under pervasive gene flow. New Phytologist 242: 2353-2368. http://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19694
Anest, A., Bouchenak-Khelladi, Y., Charles-Dominique, T., Felix, F., Yves, C., Gareth, P. H., Olivier, M., Kyle, W. T., (2024). Blocking then stinging as a case of two-step evolution of defensive cage architectures in herbivore-driven ecosystems. Nat. Plants. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01649-4
Cooper, D.L.M., Lewis, S.L., Sullivan, M.J.P., …, Tomlinson, K.W., et al. (2024). Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06820-z
Sher, J., Khan, N. & Tomlinson, K.W. (2024). Plant growth of Chenopodium quinoa (Willd) is better when growing with kin than with non-kin regardless of soil nutrient conditions. Plant Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-023-01386-2
2023
Maurin O, Anest A, Forest F, Turner I, Barret RL, Cowan R, Wang L, Tomlinson K, Charles-Dominique T. Drift in the tropics: phylogenetics and biogeographical patterns in Combretaceae. Global Ecology & Biogeography. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.13737
Quibod MNRM, Gelin U, van Langevelde F, Tomlinson KW*. 2023. Diet-specific responses of skull traits to moisture gradients in bovids and cervids. Linnean Society Journal for Zoological Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad068
Satdichanh M, Dossa GGO, Yan K, Tomlinson KW, Barton KE, Crow SE, Winowiecki L, Vågen T-G, Xu J, Harrison RD. Contrasting effects of plant biodiversity, aboveground biomass and edaphic factors on soil organic carbon stocks during tropical forest succession. Journal of Ecology 111: 1722-1734. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14141
dos Santos Rabelo B, van Langevelde F, Tomlinson K, Diniz P, da Silva DA, Barbosa ERM, Borghetti F. 2023. Effects of native and exotic grasses on the survival and growth of tree seedlings in a Neotropical savanna. Biological Invasions. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03068-6
Sher J, Bibi F, Jan G, Tomlinson KW, Ayaz A, Zaman W. 2023. Kin and non-kin connected plants benefit more than disconnected kin and non-kin plants under nutrient competitive environments. Plants 12: 487. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030487
Gao J, Tomlinson KW, Wang B, Lapuz RS, Liu J-X, Pasion BO, Hai BT, Chanthayod S, Chen J, Peng Y-Q, Wang X-R. 2023. Phylogeography and introgression between Pinus kesiya and P. yunnanensis in Southeast Asia. Journal of Systematics and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12949
Lu Y, Zheng S, Tomlinson KW, Liu J-J. 2023. Contrasting responses of plant herbivory and disease to local and landscape drivers. Plant & Soil. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-023-05871-5
Wang X, Fan H, Phoncharoen W, Gelin U, Tomlinson KW. 2023. Leaf chemistry of architecturally defended plants responds more strongly to soil phosphorus variation than non-architecturally defended ones. Physiologia Plantarum. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13856
(All individual level data is available at https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.07154)
Yamawo A, Tomlinson KW. 2023. Defence plasticity in the spiny plant Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. in response to light and soil fertility. Annals of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac152
Njoroge DM, Dossa GGO, Ye L, Lin X, Schaefer D, Tomlinson KW, Zuo J, Cornelissen JHC. 2023. Fauna access outweighs litter mixture effect during leaf litter decomposition. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160190
2022
Agung AP, Chornelia A, Grismer LL, Grismer JL, Quah ESH, Lu J, Tomlinson KW, Hughes AC. 2022. Description of two new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from karst landscapes in Yunnan, China highlights complex conservation needs. Zoological Research 43: 767–786. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.105
Roeder M, Dossa GGO, Cornelissen JHC, Yang X, Nakamura A, Tomlinson KW. 2022. Liana litter decomposes faster than tree litter in a multispecies and multisite experiment. Journal of Ecology 110: 2433-2447. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13960
Zhang X-W, Gelin U, …, Tomlinson KW, … et al. 2022. Rapid Eocene diversification of spiny plants in subtropical woodlands of central Tibet. Nature Communications 13: 3787. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31512-z
Bibi F, Tomlinson KW, Liu C, Liu C-A, Jin Y, Tang J-W. 2022. The effect of stand age on fine root production and soil available nutrients in rubber monocultures versus rubber-Flemingia macrophylla agroforestry systems. Forests 13: 830. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060830
Li Y-P, Feng Y-L, Li W-T, Tomlinson K, Liao Z-Y, Zheng Y-L, Zhang J-L. 2022. Leaf trait association in relation to herbivore defense, drought resistance, and economics in a tropical invasive plant. American Journal of Botany. http://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1858
Katuwal HB, Rai J, Tomlinson KW, …, Quan R-C. 2022. Seasonal variation and crop diversification shape the composition of bird communities in agricultural landscapes in Nepal. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2022.107973
Lefebvre T, Charles-Dominique T, Tomlinson KW*. 2022. Trunk spines of trees: a physical defence against bark removal and climbing by mammals? Annals of Botany 129: 541-554. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac025
Lapuz RS, Monzon AKV, Reyes SR, de Alban JD, Tomlinson KW*. 2022. Greater loss and fragmentation of savannas than forests over the last three decades in Yunnan Province, China. Environmental Research Letters 17: 014003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3aa2
2021
Falster D, Gallagher R, …, Tomlinson KW, … 2021. AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data 8: 254. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-01006-6
5Chu Y, Wee AK, Lapuz RS, Tomlinson KW*. 2021. Phylogeography of two widespread C4 grass species suggest tableland and valley grassy biome in southwestern China pre-date human modification. GECCO, e01835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01835
Chen Y-J, Choat B, Sterck F, Phisamai M, Katabuchi M, Zhang S-B, Tomlinson KW, Oliveira R, Zhang Y, Shen J-X, Cao K-F, Jansen S. 2021. Hydraulic prediction of drought-induced plant dieback and top-kill depends on leaf habit and growth form. Ecology Letters 24: 2350-2363. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13856
Maurin M, Anest A, Bellot S, Biffin E, Brewer G, Charles-Dominique T, Cowan RS, Dodsworth S, Epitawalage N, Gallego B, Giaretta A, Goldenberg R, Gonçalves DJP, Graham S, Hoch P, Mazine F, Low YW, McGinnie C, Michelangeli FA, Morris S, Penneys DS, Pérez Escobar OA, Pillon Y, Pokorny L, Shimizu G, Staggemeier VG, Thornhill A, Tomlinson KW, Turner I, Vasconcelos T, Wilson PG, Zuntini A, Baker WJ, Forest F, Lucas E. 2021. A nuclear phylogenomic study of the angiosperm order Myrtales, exploring the potential and limitations of the universal Angiosperms353 probe set. American Journal of Botany 108: 1087-1111. https://doi:10.1002/ajb2.1699
Zeeshan M, Sha L, Tomlinson KW, Azeez PA. 2021. Factors shaping students’ perception of climate change in the western Himalayas, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability 3: 100035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2021.100035
Anest A, Charles-Dominique T, Maurin O, Millan M, Edelin C, Tomlinson KW*. 2021. Evolving the structure: climatic and developmental constraints on the evolution of plant architecture. New Phytologist 231: 1278-1295. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17296
2020
Harapan TS, Agung AP, Handika H, Novarino W, Tjong DH, Tomlinson KW. 2020. New records and potential geographic distribution of Elongated Caecilian, Ichthyophis elongatus Taylor, 1965 (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Ichthyophiidae), endemic to West Sumatra, Indonesia. Check List 16: 1695–1701. https://doi.org/10.15560/16.6.1695
Scheiter S, Kumar D, Corlett RT, Gaillard C, Langan L, Lapuz RS, Pfeiffer M, Tomlinson KW. 2020. Climate change promotes transitions to tall evergreen vegetation in tropical Asia. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15217
Huang G, Sreekar R, Velho N, Corlett RT, Quan R-C, Tomlinson KW. 2020. Combining camera-trap surveys and interviews to determine the status of mammals in protected rainforests and rubber plantations of Menglun, Xishuangbanna, China. Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12588
Gao J, Long Z, Zhao W, Wang X-R, Tomlinson KW, Xia S, Chen J. 2020. Combined genotype and phenotype analyses reveal patterns of genomic adaptation to local environments in the subtropical oak Quercus acutissima. Journal of Systematics and Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/jse.12568.
Armani M, Goodale UM, Charles-Dominique T, Barton KE, Yao X, Tomlinson KW*. 2020. Investment in spines is coupled with chemical defences but trades off with leaf productivity across saplings of spiny plants. Oikos. DOI:10.1111/oik.06960
Corlett RT, Tomlinson KW. 2020. Climate change and edaphic specialists: irresistible force meets immovable object? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 35: 367-376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.12.007
Xu W, Tomlinson KW, Jie L. 2020. Strong intraspecific trait variation in a tropical dominant tree species along an elevational gradient. Plant Diversity 42: 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2019.10.004
Yue X, Hughes ACH, Tomlinson KW, Xia S, Li S, Chen J. 2020. Body size and diet–related morphological variation of bats over the past 65 years in China. Journal of Mammalogy 101: 61-79. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyz161
2019
Roeder M, Liu JJ, Pasion BOP, Yasuda M, Slik JWF, Tomlinson KW. 20.19. Growth, mortality and wood density of lianas in fragmented forest in SW China. Journal of Vegetation Science 30: 1143-1152.
Armani M, Charles-Dominique T, Barton KE, Tomlinson KW*. 2019. Developmental constraints and resource environment shape early emergence and investment in spines in saplings. Annals of Botany 124: 1133-1142. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcz152
Song H-K, Singh D, Tomlinson KW, Yang X-D, Ogwu M, Slik JWF, Adams JM. 2019. Tropical forest conversion to rubber plantation in southwest China results in lower fungal beta diversity and reduced network complexity. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 95: fiz092. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz092
Siddiq Z, Tomlinson KW, Cao KF. 2019. Does fluctuation of meteorological conditions across years influence stand transpiration of Tectona grandis plantation? Ecohydrology 12: e2116. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2116
Khaing TT, Pasion BO, Lapuz RS, Tomlinson KW*. 2019. Determinants of plant composition, diversity and structure in a seasonally dry forest in Myanmar. Global Ecology and Conservation 19: e00669. 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00669
Roeder M, Yang W, Tomlinson KW. 2019. Influence of smoke, heat and fire on germination of woody species occurring in the dry valleys of southwest China. Journal of Plant Ecology 12: 931-940. (Editor’s choice)
Singh D, Slik FJW, Jeon YS, Tomlinson KW, Yang X-D, Wang J, Porazinska DL, Adams JM. 2019. Conversion of Asian tropical forests to monoculture rubber plantation reduces small metazoan α-diversity, and overall diversity. Scientific Reports 9: 5893. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42333-4
Tomlinson KW*, Sterck FJ, Barbosa ERM, de Bie S, Prins HHT, van Langevelde F. 2019. Seedling growth of savanna tree species from three continents under grass competition and nutrient limitation in a greenhouse experiment. Journal of Ecology 107: 1051-1066. Doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.13085
2018
Armani M, van Langevelde F, Tomlinson KW, Adu-Bredu S, Djagbletey G, Veenendaal EM. 2018. Compositional patterns of overstorey and understorey woody communities in a forest-savanna boundary in Ghana. Plant Ecology & Diversity 11: 451-463. Doi: 10.1080/17550874.2018.1539133
Pasion BO, Roeder M, Liu J-J, Yasuda M, Corlett RT, Slik JFW, Tomlinson KW*. 2018. Trees represent community composition of other plant life-forms, but not their diversity, abundance or responses to fragmentation. Scientific Reports 8: 11374. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29635-9
Beng KC, Corlett RC, Tomlinson KW. 2018. Seasonal changes in the diversity and composition of the litter fauna in natural forests and rubber plantations. Scientific Reports 8: 10232. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-28603-7
Charles-Dominique T, Midgley GF, Tomlinson KW, Bond WJ. 2018. Steal the light: Shade versus fire adapted vegetation in forest-savanna mosaics. New Phytologist 218: 1419-1429. Doi: 10.1111/nph.15117.
Wang B, Phillips JS, Tomlinson KW. 2018. Trade-off between physical and chemical defence in plant seeds is mediated by seed mass. Oikos 127: 440-447. Doi: 10.1111/oik.04867
2017
Griffith DM, Lehmann CER, Strömberg CAE, Parr CL, Sankaran M, Ratnam J, Still CJ, Powell RL, Hanan NP, Nippert JB, Osborne CP, Good SP, Anderson M, Holdo RM, Veldman JW, Durigan G, Tomlinson KW, Hoffmann WA, Archibald S, Bond WJ. 2017. Comment on “The extent of forest in dryland biomes”. Science 358: eaao1309. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6365/eaao1309.
Dayananda S, Mammides C, Lee M-B, Liu J-J, Pasion B, Sreekar R, Yasuda M, Quan R-C, Slik F, Tomlinson K, Goodale E. 2017. Topography and soil type are critical to understanding how bird and herpetofaunal communities persist in forest fragments of tropical China. Biological Conservation 215: 107-115. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320717300526.
Padmanaba M, Tomlinson KW, Hughes ACH, Corlett RT. 2017. Alien plant invasions of protected areas in Java, Indonesia. Scientific Reports 7: 9334. DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-09768-z
Chen Q, Tomlinson KW, Cao L, Wang B. 2017. Effects of fragmentation on the seed predation and dispersal by rodents differ among species with different seed size. Integrative Zoology 12: 468-476. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1749-4877.12273/full.
Liu J-J, Yu M-J, Tomlinson K, Slik JWF 2017. Patterns and drivers of plant biodiversity in Chinese university campuses. Landscape and Urban Planning 164: 64-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.04.008.
Chaturvedi RK, Raghubanshi AS, Tomlinson KW & Singh JS. 2017. Impacts of human disturbance in tropical dry forests increase with soil moisture stress. Journal of Vegetation Science 28: 997-1007. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvs.12547/full.
Leles B, Xiao X, Pasion B, Nakamura A, Tomlinson KW. 2017. Does plant diversity increase top-down control of herbivorous insects in tropical forest? Oikos 126: 1142-1149. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/oik.03562/full
2016
Ratnam J†, Tomlinson KW†*, Rasquinha DN & Sankaran M. 2016. Savannahs in Asia: evidence for antiquity, biogeography, and an uncertain future. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 371: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0305. (†Joint First Author)
Chen Y-J, Schnitzer S; Zhang Y-J, Fan Z-X, Goldstein G, Tomlinson KW, Cao K-F, Zhang J-L 2016. Stomatal regulation and efficient xylem water transport regulate diurnal water and carbon balances of tropical lianas. Functional Ecology 31: 306-317. Doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12724
Dayananda SK, Goodale E, Lee M-B, Liu J-J, Mammides C, Pasion BO, Quan R-C, Slik JWF, Sreekar R, Tomlinson KW, Yasuda M. 2016. Effects of forest fragmentation on nocturnal Asian birds: a case study from Xishuangbanna, China. Zoological Research 37: 151-158.
Beng KC, Tomlinson KW, Shen XH, Surget-Groba Y, Hughes AC, Corlett RT, Slik JWF. 2016. The utility of DNA metabarcoding for studying the response of arthropod diversity and composition to land-use change in the tropics. Scientific Reports 6: 24965. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep24965
Monoy CC, Tomlinson KW*, Iida Y, Swenson N, Slik FJW. 2016. Temporal changes in tree species and trait composition in a cyclone-prone Pacific dipterocarp forest. Ecosystems 19: 1013–1022. Doi: 10.1007/s10021-016-9983-0
Sreekar R, Huang G, Yasuda M, Quan R-C, Goodale E, Corlett R, Tomlinson KW. 2016. Effects of forests, roads and mistletoe on bird diversity in monoculture rubber plantations. Scientific Reports 6: 21822. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep21822
Tomlinson KW*, van Langevelde F, Ward DM, Prins HHT de Bie S, Vosman B, Sampaio EVSB & Sterck F. 2016. Defence against vertebrate herbivores diverges into architectural and low nutrient strategies amongst savanna tree species. Oikos 125: 126-136.
2015
Bhatt, P, Rawat GS, Sankar K, Tomlinson K, van Langevelde F. 2015. Pattern of invasion by Adhatoda vasica in savannahs of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, western India. Pp 170 – 179. In: Rawat GS, Adhikari BS (Eds.) Ecology and Management of Grassland Habitats in India, ENVIS Bulletin. Wildlife and Protected Areas. WII Dehradun.
Chen Y-J, Bongers F, Tomlinson K, Fan Z-X, Lin H, Zhang S-B, Zheng Y-L, Li Y-P, Cao K-F, Zhang J-L. 2015. Time lags between crown and basal sap flows in tropical lianas and co-occurring trees. Tree Physiology 36: 736-747. Doi:10.1093/treephys/tpv103
Roeder M, Slik FJW, Harrison RD, Paudel E, Tomlinson KW. 2015. Proximity to the host is an important characteristic for the selection of the first support in lianas. Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 1054-1060.
2014
Tomlinson KW*, Poorter L, Bongers F, Borghetti F, Jacobs L, van Langevelde F. 2014. Relative growth rate variation of evergreen and deciduous savanna tree species is driven by different traits. Annals of Botany 114: 315-324. doi:10.1093/aob/mcu107
Barbosa, E.R.M., K.W. Tomlinson, L.G. Carvalheiro, K. Kirkman, S. de Bie, H.H.T. Prins, F. van Langevelde. 2014. Short-term effect of nutrient availability and rainfall distribution on biomass production and leaf nutrient content of savanna tree species. PLoS ONE 9: e92619. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092619
Barbosa ERM, van Langevelde F, Tomlinson KW, Kirkman K, de Bie S, Prins HHT. 2014. Tree species from different functional groups respond differently to environmental changes during establishment. Oecologia 174: 1345-1357. doi:10.1007/s00442-013-2853-y
2013
Tomlinson KW*, van Langevelde F, Ward D, Bongers F, da Silva DA, Prins HHT, de Bie S & Sterck FJ. 2013. Deciduous and evergreen trees differ in juvenile biomass allometries because of differences in allocation to root storage. Annals of Botany 112: 575–587. doi:10.1093/aob/mct132
Tomlinson KW*, Poorter L, Sterck FJ, Borghetti F, Ward D, de Bie S & van Langevelde F 2013. Leaf adaptations of evergreen and deciduous trees of semi-arid and humid savannas on three continents. Journal of Ecology 101: 430-440. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.12056.x
2012 and earlier
Tomlinson KW, Sterck FJ, Bongers F, da Silva DA, Barbosa ERM, Ward D, et al. 2012. Biomass partitioning and root morphology of savanna trees across a water gradient. Journal of Ecology 100: 1113-1121. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.01975.x
Moore S, Shrestha S, Tomlinson KW & Vuong H. 2011. Predicting the effect of climate change on African trypanosomiasis: integrating epidemiology with parasite and vector biology. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2011.0654.
Tomlinson KW, Hearne JW, Dominy JG & O’Connor TG. 2007. A functional-structural model for growth of clonal bunchgrasses. Ecological Modelling 202: 243-264.
Tomlinson KW & O’Connor TG. 2005. The effect of defoliation environment on primary growth allocation and secondary tiller recruitment of two bunchgrasses. African Journal of Range and Forage Science 22: 29-36.
Tomlinson KW & O’Connor TG. 2004. Control of tiller recruitment in bunchgrasses: uniting physiology and ecology. Functional Ecology 18: 489-496.
Tomlinson KW, Hearne JW & Alexander RR. 2002. An approach to evaluate the effect of property size on land-use options in semi-arid rangelands. Ecological Modelling 149: 85-95.
Book Chapters
Tomlinson KW. 2014. The mixed success of Mimosoideae clades invading into Australia. In: Prins HHT, Gordon I (eds) Invasion biology and ecological theory: insights from a continent in transformation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Pp 39-57.
Van Langevelde F, Tomlinson KW, Barbosa ERM, de Bie S, Prins HHT, Higgins SI 2011. Understanding tree-grass coexistence and impacts of disturbance and resource variability in savannas. In: Hill MJ, Hanan NL (eds). Ecosystem function in savannas: measurement and modelling at landscape to global scales. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. pp 257-271.
Reports
Jewitt GPW, Lorentz SA, Gush MB, Thornton-Dibb S, Kongo V, Wiles L, Blight J, Stuart-Hill SI, Versfeld D & Tomlinson K 2009. Methods and guidelines for the licensing of SFRAs with particular reference to low flows. Water Research Commission. Report No. 1428/1/09. Pretoria, South Africa.
For more information about Kyle, you can visit his GoogleScholar and ResearchGate accounts.