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Steve Johnson’s PhD on the pollination of plants in the Cape flora was obtained from the University of Cape Town in 1994 and he has since become a leading specialist in the field of plant pollination biology. Johnson’s research is aimed at understanding the evolutionary diversification of plants, particularly in southern Africa, the conservation of plant-pollinator mutualisms, and the reproductive biology of invasive species. He has recently developed a strong interest in the role of floral volatiles in mediating specialised plant-pollinator interactions, and has established a state-of-the-art laboratory for the study of chemical cues used by plants to attract insect pollinators. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, co-authored a book on the Natural History of Table Mountain and has also written many popular science articles. He is currently on the editorial boards of two
international journals, Oecologia and Arthropod-Plant Interactions, and was guest editor for a special issue of the South African Journal of Botany in 2009. He received the NRF President’s Award in 1999 and currently holds an A2rating from the NRF.
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Professor Johnson’s research is aimed at understanding the evolutionary diversification of plants, particularly in southern Africa, the conservation of plant-pollinator mutualisms, and the reproductive biology of invasive species.
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University of KwaZulu-Natal RESEARCH Report 2011
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A-rated researcher Professor Steve Johnson holds the South African Research Chair in Evolutionary Biology and is a Professor in the School of Biological and Conservation Sciences on UKZN’s Pietermaritzburg campus.
R E S E A R C H E R S
johnsonsd@ukzn.ac.za
N R F - R A T E D
Professor Steve Johnson