Dr Neil Brummitt

Dr Neil Brummitt

Senior Researcher

Department: Life Sciences
Division: LS Algae, Fungi and Plants Division
Specialisms: biodiversity modelling and monitoring, conservation assessments and prioritisation, Plant taxonomy and biogeography
Email: n.brummitt@nhm.ac.uk

    Summary

    I am interested in understanding the patterns and drivers of plant diversity worldwide, and at the Natural History Museum I lead the Plants Under Pressure project, which uses specimen records of randomly-selected samples of plant species to produce assessments of extinction risk following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. From these we produce a sampled Red List Index (SRLI) for plants; the SRLI is a headline indicator of the Convention on Biological Diversity for its post-2020 target framework. The first, baseline assessment of the global status of plants showed more than 1 in 5 species to be threatened with extinction, and an index of extinction risk over time can be calculated by periodically re-assessing the same species and detecting any genuine changes in status. As the SRLI changes relatively slowly but represents large changes in species' distribution and abundance, it complements well other, more rapidly-changing indicators such as the Biodiversity Intactness Index. We characterize functional and phylogenetic attributes of threatened plant species, and use GIS and distribution modelling techniques to facilitate re-assessments of species’ extinction risk and synthesize maps of plant diversity patterns. We are investigating how the use of different diversity metrics impacts various measures of biodiversity within the Essential Biodiversity Variables framework, and have also carried out fieldwork across the globe in support of Plants Under Pressure.

    Qualifications

    Degrees

    • PhD (Patterns in the Diversity and Distribution of Flowering Plant Genera), University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 1999 - 2004
    • MSc, Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 1997 - 1998
    • BA (Hons), Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 1992 - 1995

    Employment history

    Academic

    • Member, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, UK, 2014 - ongoing
    • Researcher in Botanical Diversity, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom, 2010 - ongoing
    • Plant Diversity Analyst, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, 2005 - 2009
    • Herbarium Liaison Officer for the Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, 2003 - 2005
    • Scientific Officer, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, 1998 - 1999
    • Voluntary work experience, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, 1995 - 1997

    Highlighted publications

    • Brummitt N, Araújo AC, Harris T (2021) Areas of plant diversity—What do we know?. PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, (1) Wiley : 33 - 44. doi: 10.1002/ppp3.10110
    • Proença V, Martin LJ, Pereira HM, Fernandez M, McRae L, Belnap J, Böhm M, Brummitt N, García-Moreno J, Gregory RD, Honrado JP, Jürgens N, Opige M, Schmeller DS, Tiago P, Van Swaay CAM (2017) Global biodiversity monitoring: From data sources to Essential Biodiversity Variables. Biological Conservation, Elsevier BV : 256 - 263. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.07.014
    • Brummitt N, Aletrari E, Syfert MM, Mulligan M (2016) Where are threatened ferns found? Global conservation priorities for pteridophytes. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, (6) Wiley : 604 - 616. doi: 10.1111/jse.12224
    • Geijzendorffer IR, Regan EC, Pereira HM, Brotons L, Brummitt N, Gavish Y, Haase P, Martin CS, Mihoub J, Secades C, Schmeller DS, Stoll S, Wetzel FT, Walters M (2016) Bridging the gap between biodiversity data and policy reporting needs: An Essential Biodiversity Variables perspective. Cadotte M (Eds).Journal of Applied Ecology, (5) Wiley : 1341 - 1350. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12417
    • Brummitt N, Bachman SP, Aletrari E, Chadburn H, Griffiths-Lee J, Lutz M, Moat J, Rivers MC, Syfert MM, Nic Lughadha EM (2015) The Sampled Red List Index for Plants, phase II: ground-truthing specimen-based conservation assessments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, (1662) The Royal Society : 20140015 - 20140015. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0015
    • Pereira HM, Ferrier S, Walters M, Geller GN, Jongman RHG, Scholes RJ, Bruford MW, Brummitt N, Butchart SHM, Cardoso AC, Coops NC, Dulloo E, Faith DP, Freyhof J, Gregory RD, Heip C, Höft R, Hurtt G, Jetz W, Karp DS, McGeoch MA, Obura D, Onoda Y, Pettorelli N, Reyers B, Sayre R, Scharlemann JPW, Stuart SN, Turak E, Walpole M, Wegmann M (2013) Essential Biodiversity Variables. Science, (6117) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) : 277 - 278. doi: 10.1126/science.1229931
    • Brummitt NA, Bachman SP, Griffiths-Lee J, Lutz M, Moat JF, Farjon A, Donaldson JS, Hilton-Taylor C, Meagher TR, Albuquerque S, Aletrari E, Andrews AK, Atchison G, Baloch E, Barlozzini B, Brunazzi A, Carretero J, Celesti M, Chadburn H, Cianfoni E, Cockel C, Coldwell V, Concetti B, Contu S, Crook V, Dyson P, Gardiner L, Ghanim N, Greene H, Groom A, Harker R, Hopkins D, Khela S, Lakeman-Fraser P, Lindon H, Lockwood H, Loftus C, Lombrici D, Lopez-Poveda L, Lyon J, Malcolm-Tompkins P, McGregor K, Moreno L, Murray L, Nazar K, Power E, Quiton Tuijtelaars M, Salter R, Segrott R, Thacker H, Thomas LJ, Tingvoll S, Watkinson G, Wojtaszekova K, Nic Lughadha EM Green Plants in the Red: A Baseline Global Assessment for the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants. Jenkins CN (Eds).PLOS ONE, (8) Public Library of Science (PLoS) : e0135152 - e0135152. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135152

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