Dr Felix Forest
Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Felix is a plant evolutionary biologist with a wide range of interests. He has worked on the molecular systematics of numerous plant groups including the legume family (Leguminosae), the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) and the birch family (Betulaceae). His main current interest is the iris family (Iridaceae), more specifically the species found in the Cape of South Africa, and the evolution of pollination syndromes in this group. He is also interested in biogeographical patterns and processes and the factors promoting diversification and speciation. The application of phylogenetics to conservation planning in biodiversity hotspots and the integration of evolutionary approaches in conservation are also topics that he has focused on in recent years. This include the use of phylogenetic diversity to explore plant biodiversity patterns in the Cape of South Africa and the application of the EDGE approach to a large group of plants, the gymnosperms (which comprise conifers and cycads). Felix has studied and worked in three renowned botanical gardens, the Jardin Botanique de Montreal in Canada, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in South Africa, and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in the UK.