Faculty and Staff

David Tng, PhD

David Tng, PhD



Title
Center Director
Location
Yungaburra, Queensland, Australia
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Education
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences
University of Tasmania (Australia)
B.Sc. Honours in Plant Science
University of Tasmania (Australia)
Teaching
SFS 3021 Environmental Sustainability and socio-economic values
SFS 3262 Rainforests of Australia
SFS 3691 Tropical Biome Ecology & Climate Change
SFS 4910 Directed Research
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about

Faculty Profile

As an ecologist, naturalist and teacher, I am passionate about natural sciences, scientific outreach and environmental literacy. I believe that to be able to take empowered action and be good stewards of the resources and biodiversity of our planet we must first nurture an appreciation for nature, and foster ecological awareness in ourselves and others. For this reason, I am delighted to be working at the SFS (starting in 2019) to contribute to this mission to help engender a passion for the natural world and to improve environmental literacy.

Originally from Singapore, I pursued my higher education at the University of Tasmania, Australia, immersing myself in the fascinating study of natural sciences. I moved to North Queensland in 2010 to do my Ph.D research on the fascinating ecology of ecotone habitats of giant Eucalyptus trees and their relationship with fire-sensitive tropical rainforests and flammable savannas. After being awarded my doctorate in 2014, I then spent a year doing 19th century naturalist-style work, collecting tropical plants within the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to build a field herbarium at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory, and also setting up long term monitoring forest plots.

Following this, I conducted post-doctoral research at the James Cook University looking at how drought will impact Australia’s prime tropical rainforests at Cape Tribulation. Most recently between 2018-2019, I was a visiting Professor at the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador Brazil, where I did ethnobotanical research, and taught plant ecology and courses on academic writing and scientific outreach. These experiences have made me a firm believer of the importance of communicating science and strive to use social media for better scientific outreach, public education and community engagement.


Academics & Research

Research Interests

My research interests revolve mainly around biodiversity, ecology and vegetation science. I have an academic interest in a wide range of topics from ethnobotany, fire ecology, plant phenology, plant anatomy, taxonomy, tree rings, ecology of mosses and miniature plants, lepidoptera biodiversity, citizen science, and others. With the opportunity of being in the Australian wet tropics, I actively pursue basic and applied research on strategies for managing and conserving the natural resources of the region.

outputs

Publications

The enigma of Eucalyptus grandis (Rose Gum)/rainforest ecotones in the Australian Wet Tropics – the plot thickens

Tng DYP (2019) The enigma of Eucalyptus grandis (Rose Gum)/rainforest ecotones in the Australian Wet Tropics – the plot thickens. North Queensland Naturalist 49, 25-33.

Rainforest trees respond to drought by modifying their hydraulic architecture

Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Ishida YF, Mencuccini M, Lloyd J, Laurance WF, Laurance SGW (2018) Rainforest trees respond to drought by modifying their hydraulic architecture. Ecology and Evolution 8, 12479-12491. doi: 10.1002/ece3.4601

Fruit developmental biology and endosperm rumination in Elaeocarpus ruminatus F. Muell. (Elaeocarpaceae), and its taxonomic significance

Gagul J, Tng DYP, Crayn DM (2018) Fruit developmental biology and endosperm rumination in Elaeocarpus ruminatus F. Muell. (Elaeocarpaceae), and its taxonomic significance. Australian Systematic Botany 31, 409-419. doi: 10.1071/SB18010

Post-fire plant regeneration across a closed forest-savanna vegetation transition

Araújo FDC, Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Coelho PA, Pereira DGS, Santos RM (2017) Post-fire plant regeneration across a closed forest-savanna vegetation transition. Forest Ecology and Management 400, 77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.05.058

Temporal vegetation changes in a seasonally dry tropical forest enclave in an ecotonal region between savanna and semiarid zones of Brazil

Reis GH, Terra MCNS, Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Coelho PA, Santos RM, Nunes YRF (2017) Temporal vegetation changes in a seasonally dry tropical forest enclave in an ecotonal region between savanna and semiarid zones of Brazil. Australian Journal of Botany 65, 85-93. doi: 10.1071/BT16188

Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy

Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, Cernusak LA, Cheesman AW, Santos RM, Edwards WJ, Laurance SGW (2017) Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy. Functional Ecology 31, 582-591. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12787.

Tree succession across a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and forest-savanna ecotone in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Coelho PA, Santos PF, Paiva EDP, Apgaua DMG, Madeira BG, Menino GCDO, Nunes YRF, Santos RM, Tng DYP (2016) Tree succession across a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and forest-savanna ecotone in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Journal of Plant Ecology 10, 859-868. doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtw091

Vegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia

Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Campbell MJ, Cox CJ, Crayn DM, Ishida FY, Laidlaw MJ, Liddell MJ, Seager M, Laurance SGW (2016) Vegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia. Biodiversity Data Journal 4, e7599. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e7599

Characteristics of the Psidium cattleianum invasion of secondary rainforests

Tng DYP, Goosem MW, Paz CP, Preece ND, Goosem S, Fensham RJ, Laurance SGW (2016) Characteristics of the Psidium cattleianum invasion of secondary rainforests. Austral Ecology 41, 344-354. DOI: 10.1111/aec.12319

Global dry forests: a prologue

Sunderland T, Apgaua D, Baldauf C, Blackie R, Colfer C, Cunningham AB, Dexter K, Djoudi H, Gautier D, Gumbo D, Ickowitz A, Kassa H, Parthasarathy N, Pennington RT, Paumgarten F, Pulla S, Sola P, Tng D, Waeber P, Wilmé L (2015) Global dry forests: a prologue. International Forestry Review, 17 (Supplement 2), 1-9.(12). doi: 10.1505/146554815815834813

Floristic variation in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) in the Caatinga Biogeographic Domain, Brazil, and its conservation implications

Apgaua DMG, Pereira DGS, Santos RMD, Menino GCDO, Pires GG, Fontes MAL, Tng DYP (2015) Floristic variation in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) in the Caatinga Biogeographic Domain, Brazil, and its conservation implications. International Forestry Review 17 (Supplement 2), 33-44. doi: 10.1505/146554815815834840

Functional traits and water transport strategies in lowland tropical rainforest trees

Apgaua DMG, Ishida FY, Tng DYP, Laidlaw MJ, Santos RM, Rumman R, Eamus D, Holtum JAM, Laurance SGW (2015) Functional traits and water transport strategies in lowland tropical rainforest trees. PLoS ONE 10, e0130799. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130799

Phylogeny and Systematics of Sassafras (Lauraceae), an Interesting Genus with Disjunct Distributions in Eastern North America and East Asia. PlantsZhang Y, Zhou J, Tng DYP, et al. (2023) 12:1419.

Zhang Y, Zhou J, Tng DYP, et al. (2023) 12:1419.

A general hypothesis of forest invasions by woody plants based on whole‐plant carbon economics.

Fridley JD, …, Tng D (2023) Journal of Ecology 111, 4-22.

Growth form and functional traits influence the shoot flammability of tropical rainforest species.

Potts E, Tng D, et al. (2022) Forest Ecology and Management 522, 120485.

Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates.

Zanne AE, …, Tng DYP, et al. (2022) Science 377, 1440-1444.

Tropical wet and dry forest tree species exhibit contrasting hydraulic architecture.

Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, Laurance SGW (2022) Flora 291, 152072.

Expanding the wood anatomy economics spectrum: the correlates of vessel element lengths and pit apertures sizes in tropical forest trees.

Silva MDS, …, Tng DYP (2022) Plant Ecology and Diversity, doi: 10.1080/17550874.2022.2053600

Cultural consensus and intracultural diversity in ethnotaxonomy: lessons from a fishing community in Northeast Brazil.

Renck V, Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, et al. (2022) Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 18, 25.

Presentations

Responses of tropical lowland rainforest trees to drought

Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Ishida FY, Mencuccini M, Lloyd J, Laurance WF, Laurance SGW (2018) Responses of tropical lowland rainforest trees to drought. Oral presentation, 55th Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation Conference, July 2018, Kuching – Sarawak.

Experimental drought changes wood anatomy of tropical trees

Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, Ishida FYI, Laurance SGW (2017) Experimental drought changes wood anatomy of tropical trees. Oral presentation. 9th Pacific Regional Wood Anatomy Conference, Bali, Indonesia.

Impacts of experimental drought on tree saplings and shrubs in a lowland rainforest understorey

Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Dempsey R, Liddell MJ, Cernusak LA, Laurance SGW (2016) Impacts of experimental drought on tree saplings and shrubs in a lowland rainforest understorey. Poster presentation for the II Simposio de Ecofisiologia Sistemica (SES 2016), 26-28 October 2016. Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras – Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Intrinsic water-use efficiency of lowland tropical rainforest plants and their biophysical correlates

Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, Cernusak LA, Cheesman AW, Santos RM, Edwards WJ, Laurance SGW (2016) Intrinsic water-use efficiency of lowland tropical rainforest plants and their biophysical correlates. Poster presentation for the II Simposio de Ecofisiologia Sistemica (SES 2016), 26-28 October 2016. Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras – Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Leaf and wood functional traits demonstrate contrasting ecological groups among Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest trees

Coelho PA, Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Santos RM (2016) Leaf and wood functional traits demonstrate contrasting ecological groups among Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest trees. Oral presentation at the Symposium on Biological Invasion and II Jornada Botânica, July 2016, Viçosa – Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Letting Giants Be. An ecological framework for managing Australia’s tropical giant trees

Tng DYP, Jordan GJ, Bowman DMJS (2014) Letting Giants Be. An ecological framework for managing Australia’s tropical giant trees. Oral presentation at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, July 2014, Cairns – Queensland, Australia.

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: the forgotten biome – Structure, diversity and future directions

Apgaua DMG, Tng DYP, Santos RM (2014) Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: the forgotten biome – Structure, diversity and future directions. Oral presentation at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, July 2014, Cairns – Queensland, Australia.

Linking large phylogenies and large biological datasets to advance research and teaching

Crayn D, Costion C, Miller J, Jolley-Rogers G, Zich F, Tng D, Thornhill A (2014) Linking large phylogenies and large biological datasets to advance research and teaching. Oral presentation at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, July 2014, Cairns – Queensland, Australia.