Tom Matthews

Dr. Tom Matthews is an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, affiliated with the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on global environmental change using macroecological, macroevolutionary, and biogeographical approaches, with a particular emphasis on island systems and bird communities.

• Education:
  • DPhil, University of Oxford
  • MSc (Distinction), University of Oxford
  • BSc First Class Honors, University of Birmingham

Research interests span island biogeography, conservation biogeography, and functional diversity in fragmented landscapes. His work investigates the impacts of human-driven extinctions, habitat fragmentation, and climate change on island ecosystems. Recent publications analyze bioTIME databases, AVONET datasets, and anthropogenic extinction cascades, highlighting trends in functional and phylogenetic diversity loss.

Scientific contributions include authorship of two books: Species–Area Relationships (Cambridge University Press) and Island Biogeography (Oxford University Press). Awards include the NERC scholarship, Royal Geographical Society Awards, and Oxford’s Vice Chancellor’s Award. He supervises doctoral researchers in macroecology, island conservation, and global change biology, while teaching undergraduate modules in statistical ecology and conservation practices.