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

te Beest, M., Stevens, N., Olff, H. and van der Putten, W. (2009) The Journal of ecology, 97(6), pp. 1281–1290.
1262548 - Plant-soil feedback induces shifts in biomass allo...
te Beest, M., Stevens, N., Olff, H. and van der Putten, W. (2009) The Journal of ecology, 97(6), pp. 1281–1290.
1306947 - Plant-soil feedback induces shifts in biomass allo...
Pereira, L., Gianelli, I., Achieng, T., Amon, D., Archibald, S., Arif, S., Castro, A., Chimbadzwa, T., Coetzer, K., Field, T.-L., Selomane, O., Sitas, N., Stevens, N., Villasante, S., Armani, M., Kimuyu, D., Adewumi, I., Ghadiali, A., Obura, D., Pinho, P., Roa-Clavijo, F., Rocha, J. and Sumaila, U. (no date) EGUsphere.
1544303 - Equity and Justice should underpin the discourse o...
Pereira, L., Gianelli, I., Achieng, T., Amon, D., Archibald, S., Arif, S., Castro, A., Chimbadzwa, T., Coetzer, K., Field, T.-L., Selomane, O., Sitas, N., Stevens, N., Villasante, S., Armani, M., Kimuyu, D., Adewumi, I., Lapola, D., Obura, D., Pinho, P., Roa-Clavijo, F., Rocha, J. and Sumaila, U. (no date) Earth System Dynamics, 15(2), pp. 341–366.
1991239 - Equity and justice should underpin the discourse o...
Dr Nicola Stevens
Environmental Change Institute