Susan Laurance

Susan Laurance is Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at James Cook University, Cairns Campus, Australia since 2010. Her academic foundation includes a PhD (1998-2001) and MSc (1994-1996) in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the University of New England.

As a tropical ecologist specializing in human and natural impacts on rainforest communities, her research spans Amazon rainforest fragmentation, climate change effects, drought impacts, and biodiversity conservation. Her work employs experimental drought studies, forest fragmentation analysis, and large-scale biogeographic assessments to understand ecological responses to anthropogenic and climatic stressors. Current investigations focus on edge effects, tree physiological responses, and community assembly patterns across Amazonia.

Her publication record reveals strong emphasis on Amazonian forest dynamics, particularly examining tree growth responses to climate change, functional trait variations, and fragmentation impacts. Recent work integrates remote sensing with field ecology to address methodological biases in forest research while exploring how tropical forests track climate velocity.

• No specific scientific awards listed in source materials

Laurance actively supervises research through experimental drought projects and collaborates extensively with international Amazon research networks. Her work informs ecological restoration frameworks and conservation strategies for tropical landscapes. She maintains laboratory facilities for physiological ecology studies and participates in large-scale collaborative projects examining Amazon forest resilience.