Dr John Devaney
Dr John Devaney is a CAROLINE Postdoctoral research fellow at TCD – funded by the Irish Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. John graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science in 2006 and went on to complete a PhD in Plant Ecology at UCC. In 2011, he was awarded an EPA Postdoctoral Fellowship which investigated contemporary deforestation in Ireland. From 2015 to 2017, John was a research fellow at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, where he remains a research associate. At the Smithsonian, John contributed to a range of forest ecology research projects, including exploring climate-driven shifts in the distribution of mangrove forests.
Current research project: Future Mangroves
Along semi-arid coastlines, mangrove forests can provide multiple ecosystem service benefits to local communities. Climate change is altering mangrove ecosystems worldwide yet its impact in semi-arid mangrove regions is largely unknown. Using growth chamber experiments, plant responses (e.g. water-use efficiency) to elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature will be measured to assess how climate change will influence the growth and survival of arid-adapted mangroves. In collaboration with the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, the Future Mangroves project will also use interdisciplinary approaches to inform sustainable management of mangrove forests for local communities.
Contact
email: jdevaney@tcd.ie
Selected publications
Devaney. J. L., Lehmann, M., Feller. I.C., Parker, J., L Mangrove microclimates alter seedling dynamics at the range edge. Ecology 2017
Devaney, J. L., Whelan, P. W., Jansen, M. A. K. Conspecific negative density dependence in a long-lived conifer. European Journal of Forest Research 2017
Devaney, J. L., Barrett, B. W., Barrett, F., Redmond, J. J., O’Halloran, J. Forest Cover Estimation in Ireland using Radar Remote Sensing: a Comparative Analysis of Forest Cover Assessment Methodologies. PlosOne, 2015
Devaney, J. L., Whelan, P. W., Jansen, M. A. K. Light responses of yew (Taxus baccata L.); does size matter? Trees, 2015