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.  

Academic article

• Michael David Pirie; Dirk U. Bellstedt; Roderick W. Bouman et al. (2024). Spatial decoupling of taxon richness, phylogenetic diversity and threat status in the megagenus Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Martha Kandziora; Nicolai Nürk et al. (2019). Leaps and bounds: geographical and ecological distance constrained the colonisation of the Afrotemperate by Erica. (external link)
• Nicholas C. Le Maitre; Michael David Pirie; Dirk U. Bellstedt (2019). Floral Color, Anthocyanin Synthesis Gene Expression and Control in Cape Erica Species. (external link)
• E. Charles Nelson; Edward G.H. Oliver; Michael David Pirie (2023). Erica L. (Ericaceae): homonyms amongst published names for African species and proposed replacement names. (external link)
• Nicolai Nürk; H. Peter Linder; Renske E Onstein et al. (2020). Diversification in evolutionary arenas—Assessment and synthesis. (external link)
• Rendert D. Hoekstra; Seth D. Musker; Michael D. Pirie et al. (2025). An integrative approach to alpha taxonomy in Erica L. (Ericaceae) with three new species from the Western Cape, South Africa. (external link)
• Seth D. Musker; Michael David Pirie; Nicolai M. Nürk (2024). Pollinator shifts despite hybridisation in the Cape's hyperdiverse heathers (Erica, Ericaceae). (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Robbie Blackhall-Miles; Greg Bourke et al. (2022). Preventing species extinctions: A global conservation consortium for Erica. (external link)
• Joeri S. Strijk; Damien D. Hinsinger; Mareike M. Roeder et al. (2021). Chromosome-level reference genome of the soursop (Annona muricata): A new resource for Magnoliid research and tropical pomology. (external link)
• Alan C. Elliott; Stoffel P. Bester; Ronell R. Klopper et al. (2024). Curating an online checklist for Erica L. (Ericaceae): contributing to and supporting global conservation through the World Flora Online. (external link)
• E.G.H. Oliver; Nigel Forshaw; Inge M. Oliver et al. (2024). Genus Erica: An identification aid version 4.00. (external link)
• E. Charles Nelson; Michael David Pirie; Dirk U. Bellstedt (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)
• Funmilade Modupe Akinlabi; Michael David Pirie; Alexei A. Oskolski (2023). Fire, frost, and drought constrain the structural diversity of wood within southern African Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
• Samuel F. Brockington; Patricia Malcolm; Anthony S. Aiello et al. (2026). High-performance living plant collections require a globally integrated data ecosystem to meet twenty-first-century challenges. (external link)
• Martha Kandziora; Berit Gehrke; Magnus Popp et al. (2022). The enigmatic tropical alpine flora on the African sky islands is young, disturbed, and unsaturated. (external link)
• E. Charles Nelson; Michael David Pirie (2022). Where have all the heathers gone?. (external link)
• Seth D. Musker; Nicolai M. Nürk; Michael David Pirie (2025). Maximising informativeness for target capture-based phylogenomics in Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
• Nicholas C. Le Maitre; Michael David Pirie; Dirk U. Bellstedt (2019). An approach to determining anthocyanin synthesis enzyme gene expression in an evolutionary context: an example from Erica plukenetii. (external link)

Popular science article

• Dirk U. Bellstedt; Anina Coetzee; Anthony Hitchcock et al. (2020). Small differences, big secrets. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (2023). Truede Rhododendron-arter i Universitetetshagene i Bergen. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Robbie Blackhall-Miles; Greg Bourke et al. (2022). Botaniske hager går sammen for å stanse utryddelsen av arter: Global Conservation Consortium for Erica (lyng). (external link)
• Bjørn Moe; Michael David Pirie (2022). Arboretets venner, aktiviteter og opplevelser 2019–2021. (external link)
• Berit Gehrke; Christian Brochmann; Martha Kandziora et al. (2023). I Olov Hedbergs fotspor - Plantenes evolusjon i det afrikanske høyfjellet. (external link)
• Bjørn Moe; Heidi Lie Andersen; Lars Torsten Eriksson et al. (2022). Årsmeldinger for Universitetshagene 2019–2021. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Torsten Eriksson; Martha Kandziora et al. (2023). In search of Cape Ericas: - research visit to South Africa, October 2022. (external link)

Research report

• Michael David Pirie (2020). Remarkable insights into processes shaping African tropical tree diversity. (external link)
• Nicolai M. Nürk; Michael David Pirie (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)

Conference lecture

• Christian Brochmann; Abel Gizaw Seid; Desalegn Chala Gelete et al. (2022). History and evolution of the afroalpine flora: in the footsteps of Olov Hedberg. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (2025). Collaborative research and conservation of threatened heathers. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (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)
• Michael David Pirie; Heidi Lie Andersen (2020). Benefits and challenges of an iNaturalist-based workflow for field collection. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Robbie Blackhall-Miles; Greg Bourke et al. (2021). A Global Conservation Consortium for Erica. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (2024). Phylogenetic diversity and conservation prioritisation of Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (2024). Systematics, natural history, and conservation of Erica: the next steps. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie (2019). Erica phylogeny: Present and future. (external link)
• Martha Kandziora; Berit Gehrke; Magnus Popp et al. (2022). Young, disturbed, and usaturated: the enigmatic tropical alpine flora on the African sky islands. (external link)

Conference poster

• Michael David Pirie; Robbie Blackhall-Miles; Greg Bourke et al. (2021). A Global Conservation Consortium for Erica. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Anina Coetzee; Jaime Fagúndez et al. (2024). Systematics, natural history, and conservation of Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)

Academic literature review

• Christian Brochmann; Abel Gizaw; Desalegn Chala et al. (2021). History and evolution of the afroalpine flora: in the footsteps of Olov Hedberg. (external link)
• Jan Hackel; Andriantsilavo H. I. Razafimanantsoa; Vincent Porcher et al. (2025). Heathers (Erica, Ericaceae) of Madagascar: taxonomy, evolution, ecology and uses. (external link)

Popular science book chapter

• Michael David Pirie (2025). 1971 Arboretet på Milde – et refugium. (external link)

Editorial/Leader article

• Michael D. Pirie; Anina Coetzee; Jaime Fagúndez et al. (2025). Systematics, natural history, and conservation of Erica (Ericaceae). (external link)

Lecture

• Kandziora Martha; Berit Gehrke; Magnus Popp et al. (2020). Immigrants prevail: lessons from dating the Afroalpine flora. (external link)
• Berit Gehrke; Mladen Golubovic; Michael David Pirie (2023). Det norske arboret. (external link)
• Michael David Pirie; Heidi Lie Andersen (2024). iNaturalist meets IrisBG, Index Seminum & Citizen Science.. (external link)
• Heidi Lie Andersen; Michael David Pirie; Siri Skretting Jansen (2020). Sjokolade!. (external link)

Academic book chapter

• Joeri S. Strijk; Damien D. Hinsinger; Mareike M. Roeder et al. (2022). The Soursop Genome (Annona muricata L., Annonaceae). (external link)
• Berit Gehrke; Michael David Pirie (2024). Plants in a world of changing seasons. (external link)

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