Staff profile

Qualifications

Susan Hoebee completed her BSc (Hons) at The Australian National University in 1996, studying " The Ecological and evolutionary aspects of a Daviesia (Fabaceae) hybrid zone.
In 2002 she gained her PhD (Australian National University) working on "Conservation genetics of the endangered shrub Grevillea iaspicula McGill. (Proteaceae).
From 2002 to 2005 she worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Swiss Federal Research Institute / Section of Ecological Genetics, working on the conservation and utilisation of forest genetic resources.
From 2006 to 2008 Susan was a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Botany at The University of Melbourne, where she worked on the molecular control of reproduction in Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild Radish).

Teaching areas

• BOT2AES - Australian Ecology and Systematics
• BOT3ESE - Ecology, systematics and evolution

Research interests

I work at the interface of ecology, molecular biology and population genetics, in an attempt to build a better understanding of how plant populations change over time and how increasing degrees of population fragmentation can affect the long-term survival of a species.

My research spans two interlocking themes:
• The significance of gene flow as an evolutionary force

• Applied population biology.
  Gene flow remains a largely neglected, but important, factor in evolution with direct application to issues of conservation, weed control, urban and restoration ecology, climate change, forestry and risk assessment associated with the introduction of genetically modified crops.

 

Recent publications and presentations

• Hoebee, S.E., P.H. Thrall & A.G. Young. 2008. Integrating population demography, genetics and self-incompatibility in a viability assessment of the Wee Jasper Grevillea (Grevillea iaspicula McGill., Proteaceae). Conservation Genetics 9(3), 515-529.
• Holderegger, R., R. Haener, D. Csencsics, S. Angelone & S.E. Hoebee. 2008. S-allele diversity suggests no mate limitation in small populations of a self-incompatible plant. Evolution 62 (11), 2922-2928.
• Angelone, S., K. Hilfiker, R. Holderegger, A. Bergamini & S.E. Hoebee. 2007. Regional population dynamics define the local genetic structure in Sorbus torminalis. Molecular Ecology 16 (6), 1291-1301.
• Hoebee, S.E., U. Arnold, C. Dueggelin, F. Gugerli, S. Brodbeck, P. Rotach & R. Holderegger. 2007. Mating patterns and contemporary gene flow by pollen in a large continuous and a small isolated population of the scattered forest tree Sorbus torminalis. Heredity 99 (1), 47-55.
• Hoebee, S.E., C. Menn, P. Rotach, R. Finkeldey & R. Holderegger. 2006. Spatial genetic structure of Sorbus torminalis: the extent of clonal reproduction in natural stands of a rare tree species with a scattered distribution. Forest Ecology and Management 226 (1-3), 1-8.
• Newbigin, E., S. Hoebee, S. Swain, M. Groszmann & A. Young. 2006. Molecular control of reproduction in wild radish. Proceedings of the Wild Radish and other Cruciferous Weeds Symposium. Pp. 66-72. Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.
• Holderegger, R., S. Angelone, S. Brodbeck, D. Csencsics, F. Gugerli, S.E. Hoebee & R. Finkeldey. 2005. Application of genetic markers to the discrimination of European Black Poplar (Populus nigra) from American Black Poplar (P. deltoides) and Hybrid Poplars (P. x euramericana) in Switzerland. Trees 19 (6), 743-748.
• Wagner, H., S. Werth, R. Holderegger, F. Gugerli, S.E. Hoebee & C. Scheidegger. 2005. Variogram analysis of the spatial genetic structure of continuous populations using multi-locus microsatellite data. Genetics 169 (3), 1739-1752.
• Walser, J.-C., R. Holderegger, F. Gugerli, S.E. Hoebee & C. Scheidegger. 2005. Microsatellites reveal regional population differentiation and isolation in Lobaria pulmonaria, an epiphytic lichen. Molecular Ecology 14 (2), 457-467.
• Hoebee, S.E. & A.G. Young. 2001. Low neighbourhood size and high interpopulation differentiation in the endangered shrub Grevillea iaspicula McGill. (Proteaceae). Heredity 86 (4), 489-496.
• Haener, R., S.E. Hoebee & R. Holderegger. 2006. Peuplements de poiriers sauvages : petits mais precieux? La Foret 3, 12-14.
• Haener, R., S.E. Hoebee & R. Holderegger. 2005. Wildbirnenbestaende - klein aber fein? Wald und Holz 5, 29-32.
• Wirth, L.R., S. Angelone, S.E. Hoebee, U. Arnold, C. Dueggelin, K. Hilfiker, S. Brodbeck, F. Gugerli & R. Holderegger. 2005. Die Elsbeere (Sorbus torminalis) - Fruchtbarkeit trotz Einsamkeit. Wald und Holz 86 (2), 33-35.
• Holderegger, R., U. Arnold, P. Bonfils, A. Dounavi, R. Finkeldey, F. Gugerli, K. Hilfiker, S. Hoebee, P. Rotach, S. Studhalter & M. Ulber. 2002. WSL-Forschungsprojekte zu seltenen Baumarten in der Abteilung Genetische Oekologie, insbesondere der Elsbeere. Corminaria 17, 11.
• Olivan, M., H. Dove, R.W. Mayes & S.E. Hoebee. 1999. Recent developments in the use of alkanes and other plant wax components to estimate intake and diet composition in herbivores. Revista Portuguesa de Zootecnia 6 (1), 1-26.
• Hoebee, S.E. 1999. Survey Report: Gentiana wingecarribiensis and suitable habitat. Prepared for the N.S.W. National Parks and Wildlife Service and The Wingecarribee Threatened Species Task Force.
• Hoebee, S. 1998. New Research Project: Population genetics, ecology and conservation of the rare and endangered species Grevillea iaspicula McGillivray and Gentiana wingecarribiensis L. Adams. Danthonia 6 (4), 12.
• Hoebee, S.E., H. Dove & D.I. Officer. 1998. Using plant wax alkanes to estimate the species composition of sub-tropical grass mixtures. Animal Production in Australia 22, 364.