Tim Curran
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timcurran.bsky.social
Tim Curran
@timcurran.bsky.social
3.8K followers 2.3K following 710 posts
Assoc. Prof. of Ecology at Lincoln Uni, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Scientist, teacher, dad, bibliophile, cricket tragic, snorkeler, rockpooler (fond of crabs). Uses traits to understand plant responses to disturbance. Likes to BBQ plants.
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timcurran.bsky.social
Tim Curran @timcurran.bsky.social · Aug 29
I'm so very proud of Niger Sultana and the first chapter of her PhD thesis!!!

She had so many challenges and came through them all with flying colours.

With @loraxcate.bsky.social @azhar06.bsky.social et al.

in @botsocamerica.bsky.social

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Testing key tenets of pyro‐ecophysiology: Indicators of drought response in relation to shoot flammability
Premise Relationships between flammability and drought tolerance influence vegetation dynamics during fires. A goal of the emerging subdiscipline of pyro-ecophysiology is to identify ecophysiologica.....
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Reposted by Tim Curran
veronikameduna.bsky.social
To mark the death of James Watson, please read this 2023 piece about Rosalind Franklin's role in the discovery of the double helix
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:52 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
Welcome to Bluesky @mrowling.bsky.social!

Mieke is one of our conservation and ecology students, who has just finished first year.
November 8, 2025 at 11:12 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
Bark Type as an Indicator of Pyro-Ecological Strategy in
the Eucalypts

Fascinating paper by @katejfuller.bsky.social @rachaelnolan.bsky.social et al.

Journal of Biogeography onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Bark Type as an Indicator of Pyro‐Ecological Strategy in the Eucalypts
Aim Eucalypt species are known for their diversity of bark types and adaptation to fire and drought. Eucalypts with stringy bark and ribboning bark are notorious for accumulating large amounts of ba.....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Tim Curran
ecostanley.bsky.social
Thanks to @royalsocietynz.bsky.social for awarding me the Callaghan medal for Science Communication. Thanks to my many supporters, NZ communities for being curious, & the many people in various agencies who really do want to use evidence in decision-making. This is critical now, more than ever. 🌐🌏🧪
November 5, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
jgpausas.bsky.social
Pine plantations burn more severely & recover more slowly than other vegetation types. This is observed using the forest map (L) or the forest inventory (R), Spain
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
jgpausas.blogs.uv.es/2025/10/16/p...
🧪🌎🔥🍁🌳🔥 wildfire @jappliedecology.bsky.social
Relationship between fire severity (dNBR, x axis) and early postfire recovery (y axis) for the different vegetation types affected in the Bermeja, Culebra and Hurdes wildfires (Spain). A: based on the Spanish Forest Map (MFE) data; B: based on the Spanish National Inventory (IFN). Dashed lines correspond to global means.
October 16, 2025 at 9:44 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
The legacy of pine plantations on fire severity - Repeto‐Deudero @jgpausas.bsky.social

@jappliedecology.bsky.social

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The legacy of pine plantations on fire severity
Our findings provide quantitative evidence that pine plantations can exacerbate fire severity under contemporary climate conditions, and that, once burned, these areas seldom recover. Effective spati...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
ecologybrad.bsky.social
The final version is now available #AmJBot
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Toward a macroevolutionary understanding of live‐leaf flammability in plant species of fire‐prone forests
Premise The flammability of live leaves in canopies varies considerably among plant species. Identifying macroevolutionary processes that shape variation in leaf flammability contributes to an under.....
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 2, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
botsocamerica.bsky.social
We thank the hard work of the contributing authors and reviewers. We also thank special issue editors Kasey E. Barton, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Dylan W. Schwilk, Imma Oliveras Menor, Timothy J. Curran, Pedro Jaureguiberry & Alessandra Fidelis.

#botany #plantscience #ecology #evolution #conservation
SPECIAL ISSUE: Understanding novel fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches: American Journal of Botany: Vol 112, No 10
Click on the title to browse this issue
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Tim Curran
botsocamerica.bsky.social
🔥🌱 The new #AJB Special Issue, “Understanding novel #fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches," is now online! 🌱🔥

This issue features studies from evolutionary, ecological, organismal, physiological, fire management & conservation perspectives.

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15372197...
Prescribed ecological burn conducted at Como in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Fires were implemented in either autumn or winter, and obligate seeding species were subsequently monitored over time to see if recovery differed with fire seasonality. The work was undertaken as a joint collaboration between the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, Queensland Parks and Wildlife and HQ Plantations. (Photo credit: Mark Ooi.)
October 30, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Tim Curran
ivanjaric.bsky.social
How the #arts and #science can jointly protect #nature – our new article on building synergies between #art and #biodiversity #conservation now published in in Front. Ecol. Environ. @esajournals.bsky.social esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
October 31, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
alinacansler.bsky.social
Enjoyed reading this wonderful new paper on fire-adapted traits in North American conifers, yesterday. And here is a post about it today!
botsocamerica.bsky.social Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Apr 10
🔥🌱 From the upcoming #AJB Special Issue: “Understanding novel fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches" 🌱🔥

Community #phylogenetics of North American #conifers through the lens of fire-adapted traits

By Daniel Turck, Aaron Sparks, Jack Sullivan & David Tank
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany
This figure shows the distribution of four common conifer fire adaptations across North America: Thick bark, serotinous cones, seedling grass stage, and post-fire resprouting. We see here that these traits are latitudinally stratified, with serotiny being the only trait present in North American boreal ecosystems. Moving south, thick bark, and then resprouting occur. Finally, the seedling grass stage is present only in tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
April 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
timcurran.bsky.social
Wildfire smoke and its harmful effects will worsen with climate change

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Wildfire smoke and its harmful effects will worsen with climate change
Excess deaths from wildfire-smoke-derived fine particulate matter could reach 70,000 a year in the United States by 2050.
www.nature.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
timcurran.bsky.social
SPECIAL ISSUE: Understanding novel fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches

With an outstanding cover photo by @markooiecol.bsky.social

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15372197...
SPECIAL ISSUE: Understanding novel fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches: American Journal of Botany: Vol 112, No 10
Click on the title to browse this issue
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
Understanding novel fire regimes using plant trait-based approaches: An introduction

Here's the introduction to the Special Issue of the American Journal of Botany @botsocamerica.bsky.social

Thanks to all who contributed!

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
rahmstorf.bsky.social
Since 2013, five tropical cyclones would have been category 6 - if the traditional hurricane scale didn’t stop at 5.
Unlike, say, the Richter earthquake scale and the Celsius scale.

Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
#Melissa
www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
The hypothetical new label could go to any tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 192 mph — an intensity that five storms have surpassed since 2013, the scientists said.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:30 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
NZ’s first marine reserve is turning 50 – the lessons from its recovery are invaluable
theconversation.com/nzs-first-ma...
NZ’s first marine reserve is turning 50 – the lessons from its recovery are invaluable
The recovery of kelp forests brought many fish species back. But fish stocks in the reserve remain far below those present before commercial fishing took off.
theconversation.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
timcurran.bsky.social
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Price of poverty hurts us all, yet research reveals an easy fix
In 2020, Australia massively increased welfare payments and conducted a live experiment in ending poverty, but when the subsidy was removed, many were thrown back into hardship. Leaving aside the mora...
www.abc.net.au
October 28, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
alefidelis.bsky.social
Oportunidade de Pós-Doutorado / Post-doctoral Research Opportunity in our lab!
leveg.bsky.social Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology (LEVeg) 🌾 @leveg.bsky.social · 17d
🔥 Postdoc: Biota-Cerrado on Fire (FAPESP)
3-yr position at LEVeg/Unesp (Brazil) on fire, open ecosystems & functional ecology.

Pós-Doc (3 anos) sobre fogo, ecossistemas abertos e ecologia funcional.

📅 Deadline/Prazo: 30/11/25
🔗 Apply/Inscreva-se: fapesp.br/oportunidade...
#Postdoc #FireEcology
October 28, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Tim Curran
ericholthaus.com
...aaaand Melissa is now the strongest tropical cyclone ever measured in the satellite era.

T8.5 = 185kt
October 28, 2025 at 4:10 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
Huge congrats to @brennian.bsky.social and colleagues on a successful ARC Discovery grant: Disentangling the drivers of Australian animal diversity!
October 28, 2025 at 2:18 AM
timcurran.bsky.social
Pyro-ecophysiology of 11 woody Karst species: Leaf flammability analysis reveals fire-safe species for green firebreaks development

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Pyro-ecophysiology of 11 woody Karst species: Leaf flammability analysis reveals fire-safe species for green firebreaks development
Climate change is intensifying wildfire frequency and severity in Mediterranean ecosystems, creating urgent needs for effective fire management strate…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by Tim Curran
frankashwood.bsky.social
🎉 EXCITING BABY NEWS 🎉

I'm delighted to announce that I'm now a dad 🥰 We had a beautiful baby girl last Friday, named Elowyn. Mum and baby all doing really well, despite lack of sleep.

Instead of her photo (privacy), here's a cute baby springtail 😊

#Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Parenthood
A photograph of a purple baby springtail walking on the surface of some water.
October 22, 2025 at 10:48 PM
timcurran.bsky.social
The effectiveness of prescribed burning for protecting houses during wildfires in Australia

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The effectiveness of prescribed burning for protecting houses during wildfires in Australia - Fire Ecology
Background Approximately 14,000 houses have been destroyed during wildfires in Australia since 1900, and the number of houses lost per decade continues to rise. Greater application of prescribed burni...
link.springer.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
timcurran.bsky.social
Why the world needs a wildfire risk prediction system based on plant functional traits and moisture—before fires ignite

www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Why the world needs a wildfire risk prediction system based on plant functional traits and moisture—before fires ignite - npj Natural Hazards
npj Natural Hazards - Why the world needs a wildfire risk prediction system based on plant functional traits and moisture—before fires ignite
www.nature.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Reposted by Tim Curran
jgpausas.bsky.social
Iconic examples of fire-dependent (pyrophylous) taxa in the plant (green), animal (red), & fungi (gray) kingdom & their phylogenetic relationship. Tips are genus (& family)

Source: doi.org/10.1093/bios... BioScience
@aibsbiology.bsky.social

🧪🌍🔥🌳🌿🍁🌐 wildfire #ecoevo
Phylogeny of 14 plant, 3 animal, and 2 fungi genera, of fire-dependent species
October 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM