Email: Mark Hughes
Phone: +44 (0)131 248 2893
Fax: +44 (0)131 248 2901
Research interests
I am interested in the partitioning and distribution of biodiversity within large genera, and what this can tell us about factors affecting both species richness and species distributions. To gain a holistic view of the generation of biodiversity within large genera, one needs to consider distributions and biodiversity indices at the species level, above the species level (clades / infra-generic taxa) and below the species level (populations). I have used Begonia and Streptocarpus as models to explore these issues.
Current research
- Begonia of SE Asia database
- Sumatran Begonia. Producing a taxonomic monograph and colour field guide, in collaboration with Herbarium Bogoriense and the Universities of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
- Biogeography of Begonia across Wallace's line. MacIntyre PhD project (Daniel Thomas).
- Tempo and geography of speciation in Begonia sect. Diploclinium. In collaboration with Rosario Rubite, University of Manila.
- Begonia of Palawan and dispersal across Huxley's line. MSc research project (Charles Coyle).
- Sampled Red List Index. Co-ordinator for the ferns on the SRLI (volunteers Viv Lisewski and Rachel Riddick).
- Streptocarpus speciation and biogeography in South Africa. In collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch.
- Registered as co-author for the Begonia account for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Collaborating on a revision of sect. Symbegonia in Papua New Guinea (Janet Gagul, University of Port Moresby; Martin Sands, RBGKew).
Publications
Hughes, M. & Tanaka, N. A new species of Begonia from northern Myanmar. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica, submitted.
Hughes, M. A new species of fleshy-fruited Begonia from the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. Adansonia, submitted.
Hughes, M. (2007). An annotated checklist of southeast Asian Begonia. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, in press.
Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. (2007). The impact of pollination syndrome and habitat on gene flow - a comparative study of two Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) species. American Journal of Botany, 94: 1688-1695.
Hughes, M. (2007). An online database of southeast Asian Begonia. WWW publication: http://elmer.rbge.org.uk/Begonia/
Hughes, M. (2007). Begonia cladotricha: a new species from Laos. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 64: 102-105.
Hughes, M. (2006). Four new species of Begonia from Sulawesi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 62: 197-206.
Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. (2005). Breeding system of a plesiomorphic floral type: an investigation of small flowered Streptocarpus species. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 262: 13-24.
Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J & de Villiers, M. (2005). Refugia, dispersal and divergence across a forest archipelago: a study of Streptocarpus in eastern South Africa. Molecular Ecology, 14: 4415-4426.
Forrest, L.L, Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth P.M. (2005). A phylogeny of Begonia using nuclear ribosomal sequence data and non-molecular characters. Systematic Botany, 30: 671-682.
MacMaster, G., Möller, M, Hughes, M., Edwards T.J. & Bellstedt D.U. (2005). A new species of Streptocarpus endemic to Madagacascar. Adansonia, 27: 131-136.
Möller, M., Brooks K.J. & Hughes, M. (2004). Plastid inheritance in Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) and an inferred hybrid origin for a population of S. aff. primulifolius from Igoda River, South Africa. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 60: 389-408.
Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. & Woodhead, M. (2004). EST and random genomic nuclear microsatellites for Streptocarpus. Molecular Ecology Notes, 4: 36-38.
Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2003). Population structure in the endemic Begonia of the Socotra archipelago. Biological Conservation, 113: 277-284.
Hughes, M., Hollingsworth, P.M. & Squirrell, J. (2002). Isolation of polymorphic microsatellite markers for Begonia sutherlandii Hook. f. Molecular Ecology Notes, 2:185-186.
Hughes, M. & Miller, A.G. (2002). A new endemic species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from the Socotra archipelago. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 59: 273-281.
Hughes, M., Russell, J. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2002). Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Socotran endemic herb Begonia socotrana. Molecular Ecology Notes, 2: 159-160.
Hughes, M. (2001). Collecting Begonia sutherlandii in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Glasgow Naturalist, 23: 125.
Hughes, M. (2001). The Begonia of the Socotra archipelago. The Begonian, 68: 199-213.
Catry, P., Mellanby, R., Suleiman, K.A., Salim, K.H., Hughes, M., McKean, M., Anderson, N., Constant, G., Heany, V., Martin, G., Armitage, M., Wilson, M. (2000). Habitat selection by terrestrial birds on Pemba Island (Tanzania), with particular reference to six endemic taxa. Biological Conservation, 95: 259-267.
Cresswell, W., Hughes, M., Mellanby, R., Bright, S., Catry, P., Chaves, J., Freile, J., Gabela, A., Martineau, H., MacLeod, R., McPhee, F., Anderson, N., Holt, S., Barabas, S., Chapel, C. & Sanchez T. (1999). Densities and habitat preferences of Andean cloud-forest birds in pristine and degraded habitats in north-eastern Ecuador. Bird Conservation International, 9: 124-145.
Cresswell, W., Mellanby, R., Bright, S., Catry, P., Chaves, J., Freile, J., Gabela, A., Hughes, M., Martineau, H., MacLeod, R., McPhee, F., Anderson, N., Holt S., Barabas, S., Chapel, C. & Sanchez, T. (1999). The birds of the Guandera Biological Reserve, Carchi, Northern Ecuador. Cotinga, 12: 55-63.
Hughes, M., Donelly, C., Crozier, A., & Wheeler, C.T. (1999). Effects of the exposure of roots of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. to light and flavonoids on nodulation. Canadian Journal of Botany, 77: 1311-1315.
Crozier, A., Hughes, M. & McDonald, M. (1998). Survey of the free and conjugated myricetin and quercetin content of red wines of different geographical origins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 46: 368-375.