PhD student
Population Biology, Ecology, Evolution Program
xingwen.loy@emory.edu
Education
Bachelor of Science in Botany (Hons Class 1) – 2014
University of Queensland, Australia
Honors thesis: Effects of invasive plant species on insect pollination and pre-dispersal seed predation in seven native annual wildflowers from the York gum woodlands of Western Australia
Honors supervisor: Assoc Prof. Margaret Mayfield
Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Management – 2009
Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore
Research Interests
I am interested in how plant communities respond to changes in resource availability caused by anthropogenic activities. My recent research includes understanding the impacts of introduced weeds on native plant-pollinator relationships, as well as the impacts of climate change on competition for water in both local (annual plant communities) and regional (tree species distributions) scales. I intend to explore the impacts of land-use change on insect pollinator communities and how this affects pollinator-mediated plant interactions.
Selected Peer-reviewed Publications
Loy, X., Wainwright, C. E. and Mayfield, M. M. 2015. Asteraceae invaders have limited impacts on the pollination of common native annual species in SW Western Australia’s open woodland wildflower communities. Plant Ecology 216 8: 1103-1115.
Staples, T. J., Dwyer, J. M., Loy, X. and Mayfield. M. M. 2016. Potential mechanisms of coexistence in closely related forbs. Oikos (early view publication).
Work and Volunteer Experience
Lab manager/research assistant at Mayfield Community Ecology Lab (2014-2016)
Infographic designer for non-profit ‘Bee Aware Brisbane’ (Volunteer, 2014-2016)
Infographic designer for Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens (2009)
Nature guide for Southern Ridges Park, Singapore (2009)
