Mark Westoby

Biography

Westoby’s PhD was in wildlife ecology, from Utah State University in 1973. He came to Macquarie University as a lecturer in 1975. He currently (2011-15) holds a Laureate Fellowship from Australian Research Council and a Distinguished Professorship from the University. He is chair of the Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Ecology Evolution and Conservation. Forty research students and postdocs from his lab have won career positions on university faculties or in research agencies, both in Australia and overseas.

Research Interest

The lab's research aims to understand and predict from evolutionary principles the physiognomy and traits of vegetation. The structure and chemistry of plant tissues has decisive influence on geochemical, hydrological and habitat functions in terrestrial ecosystems. One strand of research concentrates on hydraulics and biomechanics in stem tissues, linking to previous research on leaf economics and on seed size and life history. Another strand develops theory. One principle that underpins theory is that natural selection is an invisible hand, continually weeding out ecological strategies with lower fitness. Another principle is that fitness arises game-theoretically through interplay among different strategies.