Dr Nicola Stevens

Trapnell Research Fellow in African Environments

Academic Profile

Nicola is the current Trapnell Fellow in African Environments. My current research interests are centred around understanding the dynamics of African grassy ecosystems and how they are changing in the Anthropocene. I'm especially interested in understanding how altered fire and herbivory regimes against a backdrop of changing CO2 concentrations are driving changes. Along this vein I have become particularly interested in the phenomenon of woody encroachment where open ecosystems across the tropics are being invaded by native woody species. It has also driven me to improve our ability to predict future species ranges under global change by improving our mechanistic understanding of range edges in disturbance limited systems. I have ongoing projects in Southern and East Africa.

Selected Publications

For a full publications list, please see Google Scholar

Masia, N., Stevens, N. and Archibald, S. (2018) AFRICAN JOURNAL OF RANGE & FORAGE SCIENCE, 35(2), pp. 81–88.
1309751 - Identifying phenological functional types in savan...
Luvuno, L., Biggs, R., Stevens, N. and Esler, K. (2018) SUSTAINABILITY, 10(7).
1309752 - Woody Encroachment as a Social-Ecological Regime S...
Stevens, N., Erasmus, B., Archibald, S. and Bond, W. (2016) Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 371(1703), p. 20150437.
1262335 - Woody encroachment over 70 years in South African ...
Stevens, N., Erasmus, B., Archibald, S. and Bond, W. (2016) Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 371(1703), p. 20150437.
1306944 - Woody encroachment over 70 years in South African ...
Stevens, N., Lehmann, C., Murphy, B. and Durigan, G. (2016) Global Change Biology, 23(1), pp. 235–244.
1097600 - Savanna woody encroachment is widespread across th...
Stevens, N., Seal, C., Archibald, S. and Bond, W. (2014) Oecologia, 175(3), pp. 1029–1040.
1262544 - Increasing temperatures can improve seedling estab...
Stevens, N., Seal, C., Archibald, S. and Bond, W. (2014) Oecologia, 175(3), pp. 1029–1040.
1306945 - Increasing temperatures can improve seedling estab...
Stevens, N., Swemmer, A., Ezzy, L., Erasmus, B. and Ward, D. (2014) Journal of vegetation science : official organ of the International Association for Vegetation Science, 25(2), pp. 363–373.
1262545 - Investigating potential determinants of the distri...
Stevens, N., Swemmer, A., Ezzy, L. and Erasmus, B. (2014) JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, 25(2), pp. 363–373.
1309753 - Investigating potential determinants of the distri...
Buitenwerf, R., Bond, W., Stevens, N. and Trollope, W. (2012) GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 18(2), pp. 675–684.
1309754 - Increased tree densities in South African savannas...
Dr Nicola Stevens
Environmental Change Institute