Gunnar Keppel

APrf Gunnar Keppel

Associate Professor of Environmental Biology

School of Biological Sciences

College of Science

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Gunnar has a broad background in vegetation ecology, island biogeography and conservation biology. He leads the Ecology of Global Change Lab, that focuses on understanding and addressing the ecological implications of global environmental changes on biodiversity. The principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to his research, publications, mentoring, and teaching. Current key projects are 1) Refugia as safe havens for biodiversity in the Anthropocene, 2) Dieback of stringybark forests in South Australia, 3) Current and future impacts of tropical cyclones on forests, and 4) Microclimate and biodiversity.

I am an internationally recognised high-calibre researcher at the interface of biogeography, conservation and ecology. I strongly believe in working across boundaries (instituional, geographic, disciplinary and others) and have published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles that have been cited >5000 times. My research centres around the conservation of biodiversity in Oceania and I have been an Alexanfer von Humboldt Foundation and MAK'IT fellow. Details about current research projects can be found on the Ecology of Global Change Lab webpage.

Year Citation
2025 Hordijk, I., Poorter, L., Liang, J., Reich, P. B., Keppel, G., & Marimon, B. S. (2025). Effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world's forests. Nature Communications, 16(1, article no. 4773), 1-15.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2025 Bentze, C., Keppel, G., Guerin, G. R., & Hurren, A. (2025). Using in situ microrefugia to safeguard stringybark eucalypts from hot droughts. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, online, 14 pages.
DOI
2025 Jiang, F., Pu, X., Schmid, B., Reich, P. B., Keppel, G., & Wang, Z. (2025). Mycorrhizal symbioses and tree diversity in global forest communities. Science Advances, 11(24, article no. eadt5743), 1-13.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2025 Fricker, S. R., Keppel, G., & Williams, C. R. (2025). Characterisation of riverine mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) community structure in southern Australia and the impact of a major flood based on analysis of a 20-year dataset. Medical And Veterinary Entomology, 39(2), 335-350.
DOI
2025 Fitzgerald, D. L., Peters, S., Hurren, A., & Keppel, G. (2025). Vegetation assessment using remote sensing: a systematic review for eucalypts in Australia. Austral Ecology, 50(4, article no. 70061), 1-18.
DOI
2024 Keppel, G., Stralberg, D., Morelli, T. L., & Bátori, Z. (2024). Managing climate-change refugia to prevent extinctions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 39(9), 800-808.
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2024 Keppel, G., Ibanez, T., & Webb, E. L. (2024). Changes in community composition and functional traits after cyclones and fire in a Pacific rainforest.. Pacific Science, 77(2-3), 209-232.
DOI
2024 Delaporte, B., Arsouze, T., Keppel, G., Jullien, S., Menkes, C., & Ibanez, T. (2024). StormR: an R package to quantify and map the tropical storms and cyclones' winds characteristics. Journal of Open Source Software, 9(93), 1-5.
DOI
2024 Naikatini, A. N., Keppel, G., Brodie, G., & Kleindorfer, S. (2024). Elevational differences in territory defence response in native (endemic and non-endemic) forest birds on Viti Levu Island, Fiji. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 51(2), 301-316.
DOI
2024 Ibanez, T., Bauman, D., Aiba, S. I., Arsouze, T., & Keppel, G. (2024). Damage to tropical forests caused by cyclones is driven by wind speed but mediated by topographical exposure and tree characteristics. Global Change Biology, 30(5), 1-16.
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2024 Peters, S., Liu, J., Keppel, G., Wendleder, A., & Xu, P. (2024). Detecting Coseismic Landslides in GEE Using Machine Learning Algorithms on Combined Optical and Radar Imagery. Remote Sensing, 16(10), 1722.
DOI Scopus12
2024 Keppel, G., Nge, F. J., & Ibanez, T. (2024). Slowing taxon cycle can explain biodiversity patterns on islands: Insights into the biogeography of the tropical South Pacific from molecular data. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 62(2), 201-214.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7
2024 Zou, Y., Zohner, C. M., Averill, C., Ma, H., Crowther, T. W., & Keppel, G. (2024). Positive feedbacks and alternative stable states in forest leaf types. Nature Communications, 15(4658), 1-15.
DOI Scopus7 Europe PMC3
2024 Hordijk, I., Bialic Murphy, L., Lauber, T., Routh, D., Keppel, G., & Crowther, T. W. (2024). Dominance and rarity in tree communities across the globe: patterns, predictors and threats. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 33(10, article no. e13889), 1-21.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2024 Mo, L., Crowther, T. W., Maynard, D. S., van den Hoogen, J., Keppel, G., & Zohner, C. M. (2024). The global distribution and drivers of wood density and their impact on forest carbon stocks. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8(12), 2195-2212.
DOI Scopus37 WoS35 Europe PMC10
2023 Hordijk, I., Maynard, D. S., Hart, S. P., Lidong, M., Keppel, G., & Crowther, T. W. (2023). Evenness mediates the global relationship between forest productivity and richness. Journal of Ecology, 111(6), 1308-1326.
DOI Scopus30 WoS31
2023 Carey, M., Boland, J., & Keppel, G. (2023). Generalized Logarithmic Species-Area Relationship Resolves the Arrhenius-Gleason Debate. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 28(3), 491-499.
DOI Scopus5 WoS6
2023 Carey, M., Boland, J., & Keppel, G. (2023). Correction to: Generalized Logarithmic Species-Area Relationship Resolves the Arrhenius-Gleason Debate (Environmental Modeling & Assessment, (2023), 28, 3, (491-499), 10.1007/s10666-023-09873-6). Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 28(3), 501.
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2023 Carey, M., Boland, J., & Keppel, G. (2023). Habitat diversity, resource availability and island age in the species-area relationship. Journal of Biogeography, 50(4), 767-779.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2023 Mo, L., Zohner, C. M., Reich, P. B., Liang, J., Gunnar, K., & Crowther, T. W. (2023). Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential. Nature, 624(7990), 92-101.
DOI Scopus267 WoS244 Europe PMC55
2023 Kok, X., Bruns, L., Guerin, G., & Keppel, G. (2023). Understorey vegetation moderates climate in open forests: The role of the skirt-forming grass tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana F.Muell. Austral Ecology, 48(8), 2185-2204.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2023 Randell, A. S., Tanner, J. E., Wos Oxley, M. L., Catalano, S. R., Keppel, G., & Oxley, A. P. A. (2023). The root of influence: root-associated bacterial communities alter resource allocation in seagrass seedlings. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10(1278837), 1-25.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2023 Keppel, G., Sarnow, U., Biffin, E., Peters, S., Fitzgerald, D., Boutsalis, E., . . . Guerin, G. R. (2023). Population decline in a Pleistocene refugium: Stepwise, drought-related dieback of a South Australian eucalypt. Science of The Total Environment, 876(162697), 162697.
DOI Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC4
2023 Guerin, G. R., Keppel, G., Peters, S., & Hurren, A. (2023). Dieback of stringybark eucalypt forests in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 147(1), 17-38.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8
2023 Fitzgerald, D. L., Peters, S., Guerin, G. R., McGrath, A., & Keppel, G. (2023). Quantifying Dieback in a Vulnerable Population of Eucalyptus macrorhyncha Using Remote Sensing. LAND, 12(7), 19 pages.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5
2023 Delavaux, C. S., Crowther, T. W., Zohner, C. M., Robmann, N. M., Keppel, G., & Maynard, D. S. (2023). Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions. Nature, 621(7980), 1-22.
DOI Scopus68 WoS67 Europe PMC31
2023 Ma, H., Crowther, T. W., Mo, L., Maynard, D. S., Keppel, G., & Zohner, C. M. (2023). The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit. Nature Plants, 9(11), 1795-1809.
DOI Scopus37 WoS35 Europe PMC21
2023 Naikatini, A. N., Keppel, G., Brodie, G., & Kleindorfer, S. (2023). Avian diversity and abundance across years: consistent patterns in forests but not grasslands on Viti Levu, Fiji. Pacific Conservation Biology, 29(3), 223-237.
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2022 Ibanez, T., Platt, W. J., Bellingham, P. J., Vieilledent, G., Franklin, J., Martin, P. H., . . . Keppel, G. (2022). Altered cyclone-fire interactions are changing ecosystems. Trends in Plant Science, 27(12), 1218-1230.
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2022 Naikatini, A. N., Keppel, G., Brodie, G., & Kleindorfer, S. (2022). Interspecific Competition and Vertical Niche Partitioning in Fiji's Forest Birds. Diversity, 14(3, article no. 223), 1-13.
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2022 Lowe, C., Keppel, G., Waqa, K., Peters, S., Fisher, R. N., Scanlon, A., . . . Thomas Moko, N. (2022). Fijian sea krait behavior relates to fine-scale environmental heterogeneity in old-growth coastal forest: the importance of integrated land-sea management for protecting amphibious animals. Ecology and Evolution, 12(4, article no. e8817), 1-12.
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2022 Keppel, G., Peters, S., Taoi, J., Raituku, N., & Thomas Moko, N. (2022). The threat by the invasive African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv., for the critically endangered Fijian tree, Pterocymbium oceanicum A.C.Sm.; revisiting an assessment based on expert knowledge after extensive field surveys. Pacific Conservation Biology, 28(2), 164-173.
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2022 Cazzolla Gatti, R., Reich, P. B., Gamarra, J. G. P., Crowther, T., Keppel, G., & Liang, J. (2022). The number of tree species on Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(6, article no. e2115329119), 1-11.
DOI Scopus170 WoS10 Europe PMC64
2022 Liang, J., Gamarra, J. G. P., Picard, N., Zhou, M., Keppel, G., & Hui, C. (2022). Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 6(10), 1423-1437.
DOI Scopus84 WoS77 Europe PMC29
2021 Marcantonio, M., Silveira, F. A. O., Keppel, G., Harrison, S., & Ottaviani, G. (2021). Editorial: roles and implications of functional traits and phylogenies to characterize refugia under increasing climate variability. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9(754451), 1-3.
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2021 Ocón, J. P., Ibanez, T., Franklin, J., Pau, S., Keppel, G., Rivas Torres, G., . . . Gillespie, T. W. (2021). Global tropical dry forest extent and cover: a comparative study of bioclimatic definitions using two climatic data sets. PLoS ONE, 16(5, article no. e0252063), 1-20.
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2021 Keppel, G., Craven, D., Weigelt, P., Smith, S. A., van der Sande, M. T., Sandel, B., . . . Tiffany, M. (2021). Synthesizing tree biodiversity data to understand global patterns and processes of vegetation. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32(3), 1-14.
DOI Scopus23
2021 Anisi, R., De Souza, A., Brodie, G., Thaman, R., Peters, S., Jessop, L. W., & Keppel, G. (2021). The impact of ebony wood harvesting on Diospyros samoensis (Ebenaceae) on Vangunu Island, Western Solomon Islands. Pacific Conservation Biology, 27(2), 177-185.
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2021 Taylor, A., Keppel, G., Weigelt, P., Zotz, G., & Kreft, H. (2021). Functional traits are key to understanding orchid diversity on islands. Ecography, 44(5), 703-714.
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2021 Davis, T. J., & Keppel, G. (2021). Fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and conservation management: Beach-cast wrack creates microhabitats for thermoregulation in shorebirds. Journal of Applied Ecology, 58(6), 1291-1301.
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2020 Anderson, J., Keppel, G., Thomson, S. M., Gibbs, J., & Brunetti, G. (2020). High diversity of native plants and vegetation types in the Morialta Conservation Park and the threat of invasive species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 144(2), 180-199.
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2020 Ibanez, T., Keppel, G., Baider, C., Birkinshaw, C., Florens, F. B. V., Laidlaw, M., . . . Birnbaum, P. (2020). Tropical cyclones and island area shape species abundance distributions of local tree communities. Oikos, 129(12), 1856-1866.
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2020 Barajas Barbosa, M. P., Weigelt, P., Borregaard, M. K., Keppel, G., & Kreft, H. (2020). Environmental heterogeneity dynamics drive plant diversity on oceanic islands. Journal of Biogeography, 47(10), 2248-2260.
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2020 Ottaviani, G., Keppel, G., Gotzenberger, L., Harrison, S., Opedal, O. H., Conti, L., . . . Chytry, M. (2020). Linking plant functional ecology to island biogeography. Trends in Plant Science, 25(4), 329-339.
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2020 Carey, M., Boland, J., Weigelt, P., & Keppel, G. (2020). Towards an extended framework for the general dynamic theory of biogeography. Journal of Biogeography, 47(12), 2554-2566.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6
2020 Sandel, B., Weigelt, P., Kreft, H., Keppel, G., van der Sande, M. T., Levin, S., . . . Knight, T. M. (2020). Current climate, isolation and history drive global patterns of tree phylogenetic endemism. Global ecology and biogeography, 29(1), 4-15.
DOI Scopus59 WoS59
2020 Gillespie, T. W., Keppel, G., Robinson, C. M., & Rivas Torres, G. (2020). Dry forests of the Galápagos: a comparative assessment of a World Heritage Site. Pacific conservation biology, 26(2), 161-172.
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2020 Bátori, Z., Vojtkó, A., Keppel, G., Tölgyesi, C., Čarni, A., Zorn, M., . . . Breg Valjavec, M. (2020). Anthropogenic disturbances alter the conservation value of karst dolines. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(2), 503-525.
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2020 Lowry, B. J., Lowry, J. H., Jarvis, K. J., Keppel, G., Thaman, R. R., & Boehmer, H. J. (2020). Spatial patterns of presence, abundance, and richness of invasive woody plants in relation to urbanization in a tropical island setting. Urban forestry and urban greening, 48(126516), 1-12.
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2019 Taylor, C. M., Keppel, G., O'Sullivan, S., Peters, S., Kerr, G. D., & Williams, C. R. (2019). Indiscriminate feeding by an alien population of the spotted-thighed frog (Litoria cyclorhyncha) in southern Australia and potential impacts on native biodiversity. Australian Journal of Zoology, 67(2), 59-72.
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2019 Dyer, M. J. B., Keppel, G., Tuiwawa, M., Vido, S., & Boehmer, H. J. (2019). Invasive alien palm Pinanga coronata threatens native tree ferns in an oceanic island rainforest. Australian journal of botany, 66(8), 647-656.
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2019 Ibanez, T., Keppel, G., Menkes, C., Gillespie, T. W., Lengaigne, M., Mangeas, M., . . . Birnbaum, P. (2019). Globally consistent impact of tropical cyclones on the structure of tropical and subtropical forests. Journal of ecology, 107(1), 279-292.
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2019 Schrader, J., Moeljono, S., Keppel, G., & Kreft, H. (2019). Plants on small islands revisited: the effects of spatial scale and habitat quality on the species-area relationship. Ecography, 42(8), 1405-1414.
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2019 Bátori, Z., Vojtkó, A., Maák, I. E., Lőrinczi, G., Farkas, T., Kántor, N., . . . Keppel, G. (2019). Karst dolines provide diverse microhabitats for different functional groups in multiple phyla. Scientific reports, 9(1, article no. 7176), 1-12.
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2019 Reid, E., Naikatani, A., Keppel, G., & Kleindorfer, S. (2019). The conservation value of secondary vegetation for Fijian woodland birds. Emu, 119(3e), 286-295.
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2019 Yates, C. J., Robinson, T., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Keppel, G., Hopper, S. D., Schut, A. G. T., & Byrne, M. (2019). High species diversity and turnover in granite inselberg floras highlight the need for a conservation strategy protecting many outcrops. Ecology and evolution, 9(13), 7660-7675.
DOI Europe PMC8
2019 Steidinger, B. S., Crowther, T. W., Liang, J., Van Nuland, M. E., Werner, G. D. A., Reich, P. B., . . . Keppel, G. (2019). Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses. Nature, 569(7756), 404-408.
DOI Scopus507 WoS463 Europe PMC248
2019 Ottaviani, G., Keppel, G., Marcantonio, M., Mucina, L., & Wardell Johnson, G. (2019). Woody species in resource-rich microrefugia of granite outcrops display unique functional signatures. Austral Ecology, 44(4), 575-580.
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2019 Keppel, G., & Kreft, H. (2019). Integration and synthesis of quantitative data: Alexander von Humboldt's renewed relevance in modern biogeography and ecology. Frontiers in biogeography, 11(2, article no. e43187), 1-7.
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2018 Taylor, C. M., Keppel, G., Peters, S., Hopkins, G. R., & Kerr, G. D. (2018). Establishment and potential spread of the introduced spotted-thighed frog, Litoria cyclorhyncha (Ranoidea cyclorhynchus), in South Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 142(1), 86-101.
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2018 Ottaviani, G., Tsakalos, J. L., Keppel, G., & Mucina, L. (2018). Quantifying the effects of ecological constraints on trait expression using novel trait-gradient analysis parameters. Ecology and evolution, 8(1), 435-440.
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2018 Keppel, G., Ottaviani, G., Harrison, S., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Marcantonio, M., & Mucina, L. (2018). Towards an eco-evolutionary understanding of endemism hotspots and refugia. Annals of botany, 122(6), 927-934.
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2018 Anderson, J., Keppel, G., Thomson, S. M., Randell, A., Raituva, J., Koroi, I., . . . Kleindorfer, S. (2018). Changes in climate and vegetation with altitude on Mount Batilamu, Viti Levu, Fiji. Journal of tropical ecology, 34(5), 316-325.
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2018 Ottaviani, G., & Keppel, G. (2018). Contrasting intraspecific foliar trait responses to stressful conditions of two rhizomatous granite outcrop species at different scales in southwestern Australia. Austral ecology, 43(3), 249-256.
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2018 Ibanez, T., Blanchard, E., Hequet, V., Keppel, G., Laidlaw, M., Pouteau, R., . . . Birnbaum, P. (2018). High endemism and stem density distinguish New Caledonian from other high-diversity rainforests in the Southwest Pacific. Annals of botany, 121(1), 25-35.
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2018 Kavousi, J., & Keppel, G. (2018). Clarifying the concept of climate change refugia for coral reefs. ICES Journal of marine science, 75(1), 43-49.
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2018 Ibanez, T., Keppel, G., Baider, C., Birkinshaw, C., & Birnbaum, P. (2018). Regional forcing explains local species diversity and turnover on tropical islands. Global ecology and biogeography, 27(4), 474-486.
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2017 Mokany, K., Jordan, G. J., Harwood, T. D., Harrison, P. A., Keppel, G., Gilfedder, L., . . . Ferrier, S. (2017). Past, present and future refugia for Tasmania's palaeoendemic flora. Journal of biogeography, 44(7), 1537-1546.
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2017 Keppel, G., Robinson, T. P., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Yates, C. J., Van Niel, K. P., Byrne, M., & Schut, A. G. T. (2017). A low-altitude mountain range as an important refugium for two narrow endemics in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region biodiversity hotspot. Annals of botany, 119(2), 289-300.
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2017 Bátori, Z., Vojtkó, A., Farkas, T., Szabó, A. E., Havadtὃi, K., Vojtkó, A. E., . . . Keppel, G. (2017). Large- and small-scale environmental factors drive distributions of cool-adapted plants in karstic microrefugia. Annals of Botany, 119(2), 301-309.
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2017 Keppel, G., Anderson, S., Williams, C., Kleindorfer, S., & O'Connell, C. (2017). Microhabitats and canopy cover moderate high summer temperatures in a fragmented Mediterranean landscape. PLoS One, 12(8, article no. e0183106), 1-18.
DOI WoS40 Europe PMC15
2017 Sommerville, K. D., Clarke, B., Keppel, G., McGill, C., Newby, Z. J., Wyse, S. V., . . . Offord, C. A. (2017). Saving rainforests in the South Pacific: challenges in ex situ conservation. Australian journal of botany, 65(8), 609-624.
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2016 O'Connell, C., & Keppel, G. (2016). Deep tree hollows: important refuges from extreme temperatures. Wildlife biology, 22(6), 305-310.
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2016 Keppel, G., Gillespie, T. W., Ormerod, P., & Fricker, G. A. (2016). Habitat diversity predicts orchid diversity in the tropical south-west Pacific. Journal of biogeography, 43(12), 2332-2342.
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2015 Keppel, G., Naikatini, A., Rounds, I. A., Pressey, R. L., & Thomas, N. T. (2015). Local and expert knowledge improve conservation assessment of rare and iconic Fijian tree species. Pacific conservation biology, 21(3), 214-219.
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2015 Keppel, G., Allen, J., & Riessen, N. (2015). Seasonal changes in plant communities surrounding warrens of the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinu Latifrons). The South Australian Naturalist, 89(1), 8-19.
2015 Keppel, G., & Kavousi, J. (2015). Effective climate change refugia for coral reefs. Global Change Biology, 21(8), 2829-2830.
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2015 Keppel, G., Mokany, K., Wardell Johnson, G., Phillips, B. L., Welbergen, J. A., & Reside, A. E. (2015). The capacity of refugia for conservation planning under climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(2), 106-112.
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2015 Keppel, G., & Wardell Johnson, G. W. (2015). Refugial capacity defines holdouts, microrefugia and stepping-stones: A response to Hannah et al. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 30(5), 233-234.
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2014 Reside, A. E., Welbergen, J. A., Phillips, B. L., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Keppel, G., Ferrier, S., . . . VanDerWal, J. (2014). Characteristics of climate change refugia for Australian biodiversity. Austral ecology, 39(8), 887-897.
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2014 Keppel, G., Morrison, C., Meyer, J. Y., & Boehmer, H. J. (2014). Isolated and vulnerable: the history and future of Pacific Island terrestrial biodiversity. Pacific conservation biology, 20(2), 136-145.
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2014 Tapper, S. L., Byrne, M., Yates, C. J., Keppel, G., Hopper, S. D., Van Niel, K., . . . Wardell Johnson, G. W. (2014). Isolated with persistence or dynamically connected?: Genetic patterns in a common granite outcrop endemic. Diversity and distributions, 20(9), 987-1001.
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2014 Gillespie, T. W., O'Neill, K., Keppel, G., Pau, S., Meyer, J. Y., Price, J. P., & Jaffré, T. (2014). Prioritizing conservation of tropical dry forests in the Pacific. Oryx, 48(3), 337-344.
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2014 Tapper, S. L., Byrne, M., Yates, C. J., Keppel, G., Hopper, S. D., Van Niel, K., . . . Wardell Johnson, G. W. (2014). Prolonged isolation and persistence of a common endemic on granite outcrops in both mesic and semi-arid environments in south-western Australia. Journal of Biogeography, 41(11), 2032-2044.
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2014 Schut, A. G. T., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Yates, C. J., Keppel, G., Baran, I., Franklin, S. E., . . . Byrne, M. (2014). Rapid characterisation of vegetation structure to predict refugia and climate change impacts across a global biodiversity hotspot. PLoS one, 9(1, article no. e82778), 1-15.
DOI Scopus68 Europe PMC22
2013 Franklin, J., Keppel, G., Webb, E. L., Seamon, J. O., Rey, S. J., Steadman, D. W., . . . Drake, D. R. (2013). Dispersal limitation, speciation, environmental filtering and niche differentiation influence forest tree communities in West Polynesia. Journal of biogeography, 40(5), 988-999.
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2013 Gillespie, T. W., Keppel, G., Pau, S., Price, J. P., Jaffré, T., & O'Neill, K. (2013). Scaling species richness and endemism of tropical dry forests on oceanic islands. Diversity and distributions, 19(8), 896-906.
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2012 Gillespie, T. W., Lipkin, B., Sullivan, L., Benowitz, D. R., Pau, S., & Keppel, G. (2012). The rarest and least protected forests in biodiversity hotspots. Biodiversity and conservation, 21(14), 3597-3611.
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2012 Keppel, G., Van Niel, K. P., Wardell Johnson, G. W., Yates, C. J., Byrne, M., Mucina, L., . . . Franklin, S. E. (2012). Refugia: identifying and understanding safe havens for biodiversity under climate change. Global ecology and biogeography, 21(4), 393-404.
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2012 Tuiwawa, S. H., & Keppel, G. (2012). Species diversity, composition and the regeneration potential of native plants at the Wainiveiota Mahogany Plantation, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. The South Pacific journal of natural and applied sciences, 30(1), 51-57.
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2012 Keppel, G., & Wardell Johnson, G. W. (2012). Refugia: keys to climate change management. Global change biology, 18(8), 2389-2391.
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2012 Keppel, G., Morrison, C., Hardcastle, J., Rounds, I., Wilmott, I. K., Hurahura, F., & Shed, P. K. (2012). Conservation in Tropical Pacific Island Countries: case studies of successful programmes. Parks: the international magazine dedicated to the protected areas of the world, 18(1), 111-124.
2012 Keppel, G., Morrison, C., Watling, D., Tuiwawa, M. V., & Rounds, I. A. (2012). Conservation in tropical Pacific Island countries : why most current approaches are failing. Conservation letters, 5(4), 256-265.
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2011 Wardell Johnson, G. W., Keppel, G., & Sander, J. (2011). Climate change impacts on the terrestrial biodiversity and carbon stocks of Oceania. Pacific conservation biology, 17(3), 230-240.
2011 Gillespie, T. W., Keppel, G., Pau, S., Price, J. P., Jaffré, T., Meyer, J. Y., & O'Neill, K. (2011). Floristic composition and natural history characteristics of dry forests in the Pacific. Pacific Science: a quarterly devoted to the biological and physical sciences of the Pacific Region, 65(2), 127-141.
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2011 Keppel, G., Prentis, P., Biffin, E., Hodgskiss, P., Tuisese, S., Tuiwawa, M., & Lowe, A. (2011). Diversification history and hybridisation of Dacrydium (Podocarpaceae) in remote Oceania. Australian Journal of Botany, 59(3), 262-273.
DOI Scopus28 WoS25 Europe PMC7
2011 Keppel, G., Tuiwawa, M. V., Naikatini, A., & Rounds, I. A. (2011). Microhabitat specialization of tropical rain-forest canopy trees in the Sovi Basin, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 27(5), 491-501.
DOI
2010 Keppel, G., Buckley, Y. M., & Possingham, H. P. (2010). Drivers of lowland rain forest community assembly, species diversity and forest structure on islands in the tropical South Pacific. Journal of Ecology, 87(1), 98.
DOI Scopus74 WoS67
2009 Morrison, C., Keppel, G., Thomas, N., Rounds, I., & Harlow, P. S. (2009). Critically endangered fijian crested iguana (brachylophus vitiensis) shows habitat preference for globally threatened tropical dry forest. Pacific Science, 223(2), 63-242.
DOI
2009 Keppel, G., Lowe, A., & Possingham, H. (2009). Changing perspectives on the biogeography of the tropical South Pacific: influences of dispersal, vicariance and extinction. Journal of Biogeography, 36(6), 1035-1054.
DOI Scopus100 WoS92 Europe PMC35
2008 Keppel, G., Hodgskiss, P., & Plunkett, G. M. (2008). Cycads in the insular South-west Pacific : dispersal or vicariance?. Journal of biogeography, 35(6), 1004-1015.
DOI

Year Citation
2022 Taoi, J., Lutua, A., Moko, N., Keppel, G., & Morrison, C. (2022). Distribution and ecology of the critically endangered tree, Pterocymbium oceanicum in Fiji: new records and implications for conservation. In D. A. DellaSala, & M. I. Goldstein (Eds.), Source details - Title: Imperiled: the Encyclopedia of Conservation (Vol. 1, pp. 875-883). Netherlands: Elsevier.
DOI
2019 Dyer, M. J. B., Keppel, G., Watling, D., Tuiwawa, M., Vido, S., & Boehmer, H. J. (2019). Using expert knowledge and field surveys to guide management of an invasive alien palm in a Pacific island lowland rainforest. In C. R. Veitch, M. N. Clout, A. R. Martin, J. C. Russell, & C. J. West (Eds.), Event/exhibition information: Proceedings of the International Conference on Island Invasives 2017, Dundee, Scotland, 10/07/2017-14/07/2017
Source details - Title: Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge. Proceedings of the international conference on island invasives (pp. 417-422). Gland, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
DOI
2019 Keppel, G., Thomson, L., & Senivasa, E. (2019). Agathis macrophylla. In Source details - Title: Trees for Life in Oceania: Conservation and Utilisation of Genetic Diversity (pp. 52-54). Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
2015 Vorwerk, S., Cameron, D., & Keppel, G. (2015). Clay soil in suburban environments: movement and stabilization through vegetation. In I. Indraratna, B. Chu, J. Rujikiatkamjorn, & C. Cholachat (Eds.), Source details - Title: Ground Improvement Case Histories; Chemical, Electrokinetic, Thermal, and Bioengineering Methods (pp. 655-682). UK: Elsevier.
DOI

  • Remote Sensing-Derived Biodiversity Indicators for Scalable Forest Plantation Monitoring – Pilot Case Study, PF Olsen (Aus) Pty Ltd, 25/06/2025 - 31/12/2026

  • The role of mycorrhizal communities in mediating dieback and regeneration of the Red Stringybark eucalypts in South Australia, ESA-Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, 14/04/2025 - 30/06/2026

  • Red Stringybark dieback research, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, 21/09/2023 - 31/12/2025

  • Aetiology and consequences of stringybark eucalyptus dieback in the Mount Lofty Ranges., Royal Society of South Australia - Small Research Grant, 28/11/2023 - 31/12/2024

  • The impacts of tropical cyclones on rain forest structure and functioning, Hermon Slade Foundation, 01/10/2019 - 01/10/2023

Courses I teach

  • BIOL 1014 Biodiversity for the Environment (2025)
  • BIOL 2022 Conservation Biology (2025)
  • BIOL 2023 Ecology (2025)
  • BIOL 1014 Biodiversity for the Environment (2024)
  • BIOL 2022 Conservation Biology (2024)
  • BIOL 2023 Ecology (2024)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Donna Lee Fitzgerald
2022 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Otasowie Michael Eguagie
2022 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Chloe Bentze
2020 Principal Supervisor - - Master Full Time Mr Stephen Robert Fricker

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2020 - 2024 External Supervisor Ecological Role and Conservation Status of the Endangered, Native Fijian Free-Tailed Bat (Mops bregullae, Felten 1964) in Fragmented Forest Habitats Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Adi Siteri Alisi Alisi Waqanivalukinaneni Tikoca

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