Short info
I am an Associate Professor in Botany and the scientific curator of the Arboretum at the University Gardens, part of the University Museum. I apply systematic research to the curation of living plant collections to advance knowledge of biological diversity and conservation of threatened species.
Research
My research is in plant systematics and evolution, specialised particularly in the flowering plant genus Erica (Ericaceae) and family Annonaceae. My curatorial responsibilities encompass the Arboretum as a whole, with focus on our research and conservation collections, particularly of Ericaceae and Rosaceae, and through involvement in networks such as the Global Conservation Consortia (GCC) of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, for which I coordinate GCC Erica.
Publications
Lecture
- Pirie, Michael David; Andersen, Heidi Lie (2024). iNaturalist meets IrisBG, Index Seminum & Citizen Science.. (external link)
- Gehrke, Berit; Golubovic, Mladen; Pirie, Michael David (2023). Det norske arboret. (external link)
- Andersen, Heidi Lie; Pirie, Michael David; Jansen, Siri Skretting (2020). Sjokolade!. (external link)
Report
- Nürk, Nicolai M.; Pirie, Michael David (2024). What drives evolutionary diversification in a biodiversity hotspot? : A 'next generation' phylogenetic approach comparing three clades of the Cape Floristic Region´s mega-genus Erica : DFG Project Report. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2020). Remarkable insights into processes shaping African tropical tree diversity. (external link)
Poster
Academic lecture
- Pirie, Michael David (2024). Phylogenetic diversity and conservation prioritisation of Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
- Kandziora, Martha; Gehrke, Berit; Popp, Magnus et al. (2022). Young, disturbed, and usaturated: the enigmatic tropical alpine flora on the African sky islands. (external link)
- Brochmann, Christian; Seid, Abel Gizaw; Gelete, Desalegn Chala et al. (2022). History and evolution of the afroalpine flora: in the footsteps of Olov Hedberg. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Blackhall-Miles, Robbie; Bourke, Greg et al. (2021). A Global Conservation Consortium for Erica. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Andersen, Heidi Lie (2020). Benefits and challenges of an iNaturalist-based workflow for field collection. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2019). Erica phylogeny: Present and future . (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2019). “May you live in interesting times” On interesting problems in species level phylogenomics, and the rapid species radiation in Cape Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
Academic article
- Pirie, Michael David; Bellstedt, Dirk U.; Bouman, Roderick W. et al. (2024). Spatial decoupling of taxon richness, phylogenetic diversity and threat status in the megagenus Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
- Nelson, E. Charles; Pirie, Michael David; Bellstedt, Dirk U. (2024). Redefining the megagenus Erica L. (Ericaceae): the contributions of E. G. H. Oliver and I. M. Oliver (née Nitzsche) to taxonomy and nomenclature. (external link)
- Oliver, E.G.H.; Forshaw, Nigel; Oliver, Inge M. et al. (2024). Genus Erica: An identification aid version 4.00. (external link)
- Musker, Seth D.; Pirie, Michael David; Nürk, Nicolai M. (2024). Pollinator shifts despite hybridisation in the Cape's hyperdiverse heathers (Erica, Ericaceae). (external link)
- Elliott, Alan C.; Bester, Stoffel P.; Klopper, Ronell R. et al. (2024). Curating an online checklist for Erica L. (Ericaceae): contributing to and supporting global conservation through the World Flora Online. (external link)
- Akinlabi, Funmilade Modupe; Pirie, Michael David; Oskolski, Alexei A. (2023). Fire, frost, and drought constrain the structural diversity of wood within southern African Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
- Nelson, E. Charles; Oliver, Edward G.H.; Pirie, Michael David (2023). Erica L. (Ericaceae): homonyms amongst published names for African species and proposed replacement names. (external link)
- Nelson, E. Charles; Pirie, Michael David (2022). Where have all the heathers gone? . (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Blackhall-Miles, Robbie; Bourke, Greg et al. (2022). Preventing species extinctions: A global conservation consortium for Erica. (external link)
- Kandziora, Martha; Gehrke, Berit; Popp, Magnus et al. (2022). The enigmatic tropical alpine flora on the African sky islands is young, disturbed, and unsaturated. (external link)
- Strijk, Joeri S.; Hinsinger, Damien D.; Roeder, Mareike M. et al. (2021). Chromosome-level reference genome of the soursop (Annona muricata): A new resource for Magnoliid research and tropical pomology. (external link)
- Nürk, Nicolai; Linder, H. Peter; Onstein, Renske E et al. (2020). Diversification in evolutionary arenas—Assessment and synthesis. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Kandziora, Martha; Nürk, Nicolai et al. (2019). Leaps and bounds: geographical and ecological distance constrained the colonisation of the Afrotemperate by Erica. (external link)
- Le Maitre, Nicholas C.; Pirie, Michael David; Bellstedt, Dirk U. (2019). An approach to determining anthocyanin synthesis enzyme gene expression in an evolutionary context: an example from Erica plukenetii. (external link)
- Le Maitre, Nicholas C.; Pirie, Michael David; Bellstedt, Dirk U. (2019). Floral Color, Anthocyanin Synthesis Gene Expression and Control in Cape Erica Species. (external link)
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Popular scientific article
- Gehrke, Berit; Brochmann, Christian; Kandziora, Martha et al. (2023). I Olov Hedbergs fotspor - Plantenes evolusjon i det afrikanske høyfjellet. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Eriksson, Torsten; Kandziora, Martha et al. (2023). In search of Cape Ericas: - research visit to South Africa, October 2022. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2023). Truede Rhododendron-arter i Universitetetshagene i Bergen. (external link)
- Moe, Bjørn; Pirie, Michael David (2022). Arboretets venner, aktiviteter og opplevelser 2019–2021. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David; Blackhall-Miles, Robbie; Bourke, Greg et al. (2022). Botaniske hager går sammen for å stanse utryddelsen av arter: Global Conservation Consortium for Erica (lyng). (external link)
- Moe, Bjørn; Andersen, Heidi Lie; Eriksson, Lars Torsten et al. (2022). Årsmeldinger for Universitetshagene 2019–2021. (external link)
- Bellstedt, Dirk U.; Coetzee, Anina; Hitchcock, Anthony et al. (2020). Small differences, big secrets. (external link)
Other presentation
- Pirie, Michael David (2023). Threatened and threatening plants. (external link)
- Gehrke, Berit; Tetlie, Odette; Knudsen, Solveig Lokøen et al. (2022). Eple. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2021). Arboretum tour: 'How together we can conserve biological diversity'. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2020). Arboretum tour. (external link)
- Pirie, Michael David (2020). Arboretum tour. (external link)
- Jansen, Siri Skretting; Andersen, Heidi Lie; Pirie, Michael David et al. (2019). Epledag i Botanisk hage. (external link)
Academic literature review
Popular scientific lecture
See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.
Selected publications:
- Pirie MD, Bellstedt DU, Bouman RW, Fagúndez J, Gehrke B, Kandziora M, Maitre NCL, Musker SD, Newman E, Nürk NM, Oliver EGH, Pipins S, Niet T van der, Forest F (2024) Spatial decoupling of taxon richness, phylogenetic diversity and threat status in the megagenus Erica (Ericaceae). PhytoKeys 244: 127–150. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.244.124565
- Kandziora, M., Gehrke, B., Popp, M., Gizaw, A., Brochmann, C., & Pirie, M.D. 2022. The enigmatic tropical alpine flora on the African sky islands is young, disturbed, and unsaturated. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119: e2112737119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2112737119
- Pirie, M.D., Blackhall-Miles, R., Bourke, G., Crowley, D., Ebrahim, I., Forest, F., Knaack, M., Koopman, R., Lansdowne, A., Nürk, N.M., Osborne, J., Pearce, T.R., Rohrauer, D., Smit, M., & Wilman, V. 2022. Preventing species extinctions: A global conservation consortium for Erica. PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET 4 (4): 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10266
- Pirie MD, Chatrou LW, Maas PJM (2018) A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Cremastosperma (Annonaceae), including five new species. PhytoKeys 112: 1. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.112.24897
- Kadereit, G., Ackerly, D., & Pirie, M.D. (2012). A broader model for C4 photosynthesis evolution in plants inferred from the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae s.s.). Proc. R. Soc. B. 279, 3304-3311 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0440
- Pirie, M.D., & Doyle, J.A. (2012). Dating clades with fossils and molecules: the case of Annonaceae. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 69, 84-116 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01234.x
- Pirie, M.D., Humphreys, A.M., Barker, N.P. & Linder, H.P. (2009) Reticulation, data combination and inferring evolutionary history: an example from Danthonioideae. Syst. Biol., 58, 612-628 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syp068