Professor
Department of Botany
Research Themes
Evolutionary biology | Plant biology | Population genetics | Species at Risk Policy
Geographical Area(s) of Research
Canada | United States
Lab Website
Top Three Research Questions on Biodiversity Solutions and Sustainable Coexistence of People and Nature
1. How is species at risk legislation being effectively implemented in Canada (especially in plants)?
2. What knowledge gaps are most common among Canada’s plant species at risk?
3. Can we fill critical knowledge gaps to help protect a Georgia Basin endemic plant species?
Bio
Jeannette Whitton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany at UBC. Jeannette is a plant evolutionary biologist with interests that span the areas of evolutionary ecology, genetics, phylogenetics and speciation. Current research focuses on the origin, establishment and spread of asexual populations within otherwise sexually reproducing plant lineages. As a past member of the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Jeannette has extensive knowledge of Canada’s process for assessing species at risk, which she has applied to assessing the effectiveness of Canada’s Species at Risk legislation.