Dr Samuel Pironon
Lecturer in Conservation Biology
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
macroecology, global change, plant diversity and distribution, species uses, food diversification, computational ecology
Interests
How many species inhabit the Earth? Where are they concentrated? How do they contribute to humanity's subsistence and well-being? Are they threatened by ongoing anthropogenic pressures? Which mechanisms can be developed to guarantee their protection on the long-term?Sam Pironon's research focuses on understanding the diversity, distribution, traits and conservation status of species and their contributions to people globally. Sam and his group analyse large datasets using interdisciplinary approaches to address fundamental macroecological questions and to look for solutions to major global challenges such as biodiversity loss, food insecurity, climate change and diseases. While Sam's interests are not limited taxonomically, geographically, or conceptually, his recent work has largely centered on the diversity of terrestrial vascular plants, especially those documented to be used by people, including for food and medicine.
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainability2024
Antonelli A, Teisher JK, Smith RJ, Ainsworth AM, Furci G, Gaya E, Gonçalves SC, Hawksworth DL, Larridon I, Sessa EB, Simões ARG, Suz LM, Acedo C, Aghayeva DN, Agorini AA, Al Harthy LS, Bacon KL, Chávez‐Hernández MG, Colli‐Silva M, Crosier J, et al. (2024). The 2030 Declaration on Scientific Plant and Fungal Collecting. Plants People Planet, Wiley vol. 7 (1), 11-22. 30-09-2024
Jago S, Elliott KFVA, Tovar C, Soto Gomez M, Starnes T, Abebe W, Alexander C, Antonelli A, Baldaszti L, Cerullo G, Cockel C, Collison D, Cowell C, Delgado R, Demissew S, Devenish A, Dhanjal-Adams K, Diazgranados M, Drucker AG, Dulloo ME, et al. (2024). Adapting wild biodiversity conservation approaches to conserve agrobiodiversity. Nature Sustainability, Springer Nature vol. 7 (11), 1385-1394. 19-09-2024
Ondo I, Dhanjal‐Adams KL, Pironon S, Silvestro D, Colli‐Silva M, Deklerck V, Grace OM, Monro AK, Nicolson N, Walker B and Antonelli A (2024). Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities. New Phytologist, Wiley vol. 244 (2), 719-733. 16-08-2024
Pironon S, Ondo I, Diazgranados M, Allkin R, Baquero AC, Cámara-Leret R, Canteiro C, Dennehy-Carr Z, Govaerts R, Hargreaves S, Hudson AJ, Lemmens R, Milliken W, Nesbitt M, Patmore K, Schmelzer G, Turner RM, van Andel TR, Ulian T, Antonelli A, et al. (2024). Safeguard stewards of biodiversity knowledge—Response. Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) vol. 385 (6708), 506-506. 01-08-2024
Gomez MS, Brown MJM, Pironon S, Bureš P, Arregoitia LDV, Veselý P, Elliott TL, Zedek F, Pellicer J, Forest F, Lughadha EN and Leitch IJ (2024). Genome size is positively correlated with extinction risk in herbaceous angiosperms. New Phytologist, Wiley vol. 243 (6), 2470-2485. 30-07-2024
Bureš P, Elliott TL, Veselý P, Šmarda P, Forest F, Leitch IJ, Lughadha EN, Gomez MS, Pironon S, Brown MJM, Šmerda J and Zedek F (2024). The global distribution of angiosperm genome size is shaped by climate. New Phytologist, Wiley vol. 242 (2), 744-759. 24-01-2024
Pironon S, Ondo I, Diazgranados M, Allkin R, Baquero AC, Cámara-Leret R, Canteiro C, Dennehy-Carr Z, Govaerts R, Hargreaves S, Hudson AJ, Lemmens R, Milliken W, Nesbitt M, Patmore K, Schmelzer G, Turner RM, van Andel TR, Ulian T, Antonelli A, et al. (2024). The global distribution of plants used by humans. Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) vol. 383 (6680), 293-297. 18-01-2024
2023
Rampersad C, Geto T, Samuel T, Abebe M, Gomez MS, Pironon S, Büchi L, Haggar J, Stocks J, Ryan P, Buggs RJA, Demissew S, Wilkin P, Abebe WM and Borrell JS (2023). Indigenous crop diversity maintained despite the introduction of major global crops in an African centre of agrobiodiversity. Plants People Planet, Wiley vol. 5 (6), 985-996. 19-07-2023
Richard-Bollans A, Aitken C, Antonelli A, Bitencourt C, Goyder D, Lucas E, Ondo I, Pérez-Escobar OA, Pironon S, Richardson JE, Russell D, Silvestro D, Wright CW and Howes M-JR (2023). Machine learning enhances prediction of plants as potential sources of antimalarials. Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers vol. 14 25-05-2023
Whittaker C, Hamlet A, Sherrard-Smith E, Winskill P, Cuomo-Dannenburg G, Walker PGT, Sinka M, Pironon S, Kumar A, Ghani A, Bhatt S and Churcher TS (2023). Seasonal dynamics of Anopheles stephensi and its implications for mosquito detection and emergent malaria control in the Horn of Africa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 120 (8) 15-02-2023
2022
Pironon S, Cantwell-Jones A, Forest F, Ball J, Diazgranados M, Douglas R, Hawkins J, Howes M-JR, Ulian T, Vaitla B and Collar D (2022). Towards an action plan for characterizing food plant diversity. Nature Plants, Springer Nature vol. 9 (1), 34-35. 21-12-2022
Antonelli A, Smith RJ, Perrigo AL, Crottini A, Hackel J, Testo W, Farooq H, Torres Jiménez MF, Andela N, Andermann T, Andriamanohera AM, Andriambololonera S, Bachman SP, Bacon CD, Baker WJ, Belluardo F, Birkinshaw C, Borrell JS, Cable S, Canales NA, et al. (2022). Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Evolution, distribution, and use. Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science vol. 378 (6623) 02-12-2022
Ralimanana H, Perrigo AL, Smith RJ, Borrell JS, Faurby S, Rajaonah MT, Randriamboavonjy T, Vorontsova MS, Cooke RSC, Phelps LN, Sayol F, Andela N, Andermann T, Andriamanohera AM, Andriambololonera S, Bachman SP, Bacon CD, Baker WJ, Belluardo F, Birkinshaw C, et al. (2022). Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Threats and opportunities. Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science vol. 378 (6623) 02-12-2022
Mahaut L, Pironon S, Barnagaud J-Y, Bretagnolle F, Khoury CK, Mehrabi Z, Milla R, Phillips C, Rieseberg LH, Violle C and Renard D (2022). Matches and mismatches between the global distribution of major food crops and climate suitability. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, The Royal Society vol. 289 (1983) 28-09-2022
Bellot S, Lu Y, Antonelli A, Baker WJ, Dransfield J, Forest F, Kissling WD, Leitch IJ, Nic Lughadha E, Ondo I, Pironon S, Walker BE, Cámara-Leret R and Bachman SP (2022). The likely extinction of hundreds of palm species threatens their contributions to people and ecosystems. Nature Ecology & Evolution, Springer Nature vol. 6 (11), 1710-1722. 26-09-2022
Whittaker C, Winskill P, Sinka M, Pironon S, Massey C, Weiss DJ, Nguyen M, Gething PW, Kumar A, Ghani A and Bhatt S (2022). A novel statistical framework for exploring the population dynamics and seasonality of mosquito populations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, The Royal Society vol. 289 (1972) 13-04-2022
Pironon S, Gómez D, Font X and García MB (2022). Living at the limit in the Pyrenees: Peripheral and endemic plants are rare but underrepresented in protection lists. Diversity and Distributions, Wiley vol. 28 (5), 930-942. 10-03-2022
Cantwell-Jones A, Ball J, Collar D, Diazgranados M, Douglas R, Forest F, Hawkins J, Howes M-JR, Ulian T, Vaitla B and Pironon S (2022). Global plant diversity as a reservoir of micronutrients for humanity. Nature Plants, Springer Nature vol. 8 (3), 225-232. 24-02-2022
Gutaker RM, Chater CCC, Brinton J, Castillo-Lorenzo E, Breman E and Pironon S (2022). Scaling up neodomestication for climate-ready crops. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Elsevier vol. 66 19-01-2022
Fumia N, Pironon S, Rubinoff D, Khoury CK, Gore MA and Kantar MB (2022). Wild relatives of potato may bolster its adaptation to new niches under future climate scenarios. Food and Energy Security, Wiley vol. 11 (2) 07-01-2022
Fumia N, Rubinoff D, Zenil-Ferguson R, Khoury CK, Pironon S, Gore MA and Kantar MB (2022). Interactions between breeding system and ploidy affect niche breadth in Solanum. Royal Society Open Science, The Royal Society vol. 9 (1) 01-01-2022
2021
Koch O, Mengesha WA, Pironon S, Pagella T, Ondo I, Rosa I, Wilkin P and Borrell JS (2021). Modelling potential range expansion of an underutilised food security crop in Sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Research Letters, IOP Publishing vol. 17 (1) 30-12-2021
Lee‐Yaw JA, McCune JL, Pironon S and Sheth SN (2021). Species distribution models rarely predict the biology of real populations. Ecography, Wiley vol. 2022 (6) 21-12-2021
Satori D, Tovar C, Faruk A, Hunt EH, Muller G, Cockel C, Kühn N, Leitch IJ, Lulekal E, Pereira L, Ryan P, Willis KJ and Pironon S (2021). Prioritising crop wild relatives to enhance agricultural resilience in sub‐Saharan Africa under climate change. Plants People Planet, Wiley vol. 4 (3), 269-282. 30-11-2021
Breman E, Ballesteros D, Castillo-Lorenzo E, Cockel C, Dickie J, Faruk A, O’Donnell K, Offord CA, Pironon S, Sharrock S and Ulian T (2021). Plant Diversity Conservation Challenges and Prospects—The Perspective of Botanic Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank. Plants, MDPI vol. 10 (11) 03-11-2021
Gonzalez O, Tovar C and Pironon S (2021). DISTRIBUTION OF THE TUMBES TYRANT (TUMBEZIA SALVINI) WITH COMMENTS ON MARGINAL RECORDS. Ornitología Neotropical, Neotropical Ornithological Society vol. 32 (2), 131-140. 13-10-2021
Jung M, Arnell A, de Lamo X, García-Rangel S, Lewis M, Mark J, Merow C, Miles L, Ondo I, Pironon S, Ravilious C, Rivers M, Schepaschenko D, Tallowin O, van Soesbergen A, Govaerts R, Boyle BL, Enquist BJ, Feng X, Gallagher R, et al. (2021). Author Correction: Areas of global importance for conserving terrestrial biodiversity, carbon and water. Nature Ecology & Evolution, Springer Nature vol. 5 (11), 1557-1557. 23-09-2021
Jung M, Arnell A, de Lamo X, García-Rangel S, Lewis M, Mark J, Merow C, Miles L, Ondo I, Pironon S, Ravilious C, Rivers M, Schepaschenko D, Tallowin O, van Soesbergen A, Govaerts R, Boyle BL, Enquist BJ, Feng X, Gallagher R, et al. (2021). Areas of global importance for conserving terrestrial biodiversity, carbon and water. Nature Ecology & Evolution, Springer Nature vol. 5 (11), 1499-1509. 23-08-2021
Zu P, Koch H, Schwery O, Pironon S, Phillips C, Ondo I, Farrell IW, Nes WD, Moore E, Wright GA, Farman DI and Stevenson PC (2021). Pollen sterols are associated with phylogeny and environment but not with pollinator guilds. New Phytologist, Wiley vol. 230 (3), 1169-1184. 15-02-2021
2020
Pironon S and Soto Gomez M (2020). Plant agrodiversity to the rescue. Nature Climate Change, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1), 6-8. 05-10-2020
Sinka ME, Pironon S, Massey NC, Longbottom J, Hemingway J, Moyes CL and Willis KJ (2020). A new malaria vector in Africa: Predicting the expansion range of Anopheles stephensi and identifying the urban populations at risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 117 (40), 24900-24908. 14-09-2020
Grace OM, Lovett JC, Gore CJN, Moat J, Ondo I, Pironon S, Langat MK, Pérez‐Escobar OA, Ross A, Abbo MS, Shrestha KK, Gowda B, Farrar K, Adams J, Cámara‐Leret R, Diazgranados M, Ulian T, Sagala S, Rianawati E, Hazra A, et al. (2020). Plant Power: Opportunities and challenges for meeting sustainable energy needs from the plant and fungal kingdoms. Plants People Planet, Wiley vol. 2 (5), 446-462. 01-09-2020
Ulian T, Diazgranados M, Pironon S, Padulosi S, Liu U, Davies L, Howes MR, Borrell JS, Ondo I, Pérez‐Escobar OA, Sharrock S, Ryan P, Hunter D, Lee MA, Barstow C, Łuczaj Ł, Pieroni A, Cámara‐Leret R, Noorani A, Mba C, et al. (2020). Unlocking plant resources to support food security and promote sustainable agriculture. Plants People Planet, Wiley vol. 2 (5), 421-445. 01-09-2020
Pironon S, Borrell JS, Ondo I, Douglas R, Phillips C, Khoury CK, Kantar MB, Fumia N, Gomez MS, Viruel J, Govaerts R, Forest F and Antonelli A (2020). Toward Unifying Global Hotspots of Wild and Domesticated Biodiversity. Plants, MDPI vol. 9 (9) 31-08-2020
Borrell JS, Dodsworth S, Forest F, Pérez-Escobar OA, Lee MA, Mattana E, Stevenson PC, Howes M-JR, Pritchard HW, Ballesteros D, Kusumoto B, Ondo I, Moat J, Milliken W, Ryan P, Ulian T and Pironon S (2020). The climatic challenge: Which plants will people use in the next century? Environmental and Experimental Botany, Elsevier vol. 170 01-02-2020
2019
Chardon NI, Pironon S, Peterson ML and Doak DF (2019). Incorporating intraspecific variation into species distribution models improves distribution predictions, but cannot predict species traits for a wide‐spread plant species. Ecography, Wiley vol. 43 (1), 60-74. 05-11-2019
Viruel J, Le Galliot N, Pironon S, Feliner GN, Suc J, Lakhal‐Mirleau F, Juin M, Selva M, Kharrat MBD, Ouahmane L, La Malfa S, Diadema K, Sanguin H, Médail F and Baumel A (2019). A strong east–west Mediterranean divergence supports a new phylogeographic history of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua, Leguminosae) and multiple domestications from native populations. Journal of Biogeography, Wiley vol. 47 (2), 460-471. 01-10-2019
Pironon S, Etherington TR, Borrell JS, Kühn N, Macias-Fauria M, Ondo I, Tovar C, Wilkin P and Willis KJ (2019). Potential adaptive strategies for 29 sub-Saharan crops under future climate change. Nature Climate Change, Springer Nature vol. 9 (10), 758-763. 25-09-2019
Bascompte J, García MB, Ortega R, Rezende EL and Pironon S (2019). Mutualistic interactions reshuffle the effects of climate change on plants across the tree of life. Science Advances, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) vol. 5 (5) 03-05-2019
Gargiulo R, Pironon S, Zheleznaya E, Sanchez MD, Balázs ZR, Podar D, Wilkinson T, Jäkäläniemi A, Kull T, Väre H and Fay MF (2019). Phylogeography and post‐glacial dynamics in the clonal‐sexual orchid Cypripedium calceolus L. Journal of Biogeography, Wiley vol. 46 (3), 526-538. 13-02-2019
Mehrabi Z, Pironon S, Kantar M, Ramankutty N and Rieseberg L (2019). Shifts in the abiotic and biotic environment of cultivated sunflower under future climate change☆. OCL - Oilseeds and fats, Crops and Lipids, EDP Sciences vol. 26 01-01-2019
2018
Santini L, Pironon S, Maiorano L and Thuiller W (2018). Addressing common pitfalls does not provide more support to geographical and ecological abundant‐centre hypotheses. Ecography, Wiley vol. 42 (4), 696-705. 16-10-2018
Sangüesa‐Barreda G, Camarero JJ, Pironon S, Gazol A, Peguero‐Pina JJ and Gil‐Pelegrín E (2018). Delineating limits: Confronting predicted climatic suitability to field performance in mistletoe populations. Journal of Ecology, Wiley vol. 106 (6), 2218-2229. 10-04-2018
2017
Pironon S, Villellas J, Thuiller W, Eckhart VM, Geber MA, Moeller DA and García MB (2017). The ‘Hutchinsonian niche’ as an assemblage of demographic niches: implications for species geographic ranges. Ecography, Wiley vol. 41 (7), 1103-1113. 01-11-2017
2016
Pironon S, Papuga G, Villellas J, Angert AL, García MB and Thompson JD (2016). Geographic variation in genetic and demographic performance: new insights from an old biogeographical paradigm. Biological Reviews, Wiley vol. 92 (4), 1877-1909. 27-11-2016
2015
Papuga G, Gauthier P, Ramos J, Pons V, Pironon S, Farris E and Thompson JD (2015). Range-Wide Variation in the Ecological Niche and Floral Polymorphism of the Western Mediterranean Geophyte Narcissus dubius Gouan. International Journal of Plant Sciences, University of Chicago Press vol. 176 (8), 724-738. 01-10-2015
2014
Pironon S, Villellas J, Morris WF, Doak DF and García MB (2014). Do geographic, climatic or historical ranges differentiate the performance of central versus peripheral populations? Global Ecology and Biogeography, Wiley vol. 24 (6), 611-620. 22-12-2014
Meller L, Thuiller W, Pironon S, Barbet-Massin M, Hof A and Cabeza M (2014). Balance between climate change mitigation benefits and land use impacts of bioenergy: conservation implications for European birds. GCB Bioenergy, Wiley vol. 7 (4), 741-751. 29-04-2014
Thuiller W, Pironon S, Psomas A, Barbet-Massin M, Jiguet F, Lavergne S, Pearman PB, Renaud J, Zupan L and Zimmermann NE (2014). The European functional tree of bird life in the face of global change. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 5 (1) 01-01-2014
2013
Meller L, Cabeza M, Pironon S, Barbet-Massin M, Maiorano L, Georges D and Thuiller W (2013). Ensemble distribution models in conservation prioritization: from consensus predictions to consensus reserve networks. Diversity and Distributions, Wiley vol. 20 (3), 309-321. 16-12-2013
Pardo I, Aranbarri J, Barreiro F, Bravo PA, Chaparro HA, Comín F, Corriá R, Español C, Felipe-Lucía M, Frugone M, García-García M, García-Prieto E, Gil-Romera G, Gimeno I, Lasheras L, Moreno A, Palacio S, Pérez-Sanz A, Pironon S, Pueyo Y, et al. (2013). Primeras jornadas Iperinas: presentación de nuevas líneas de investigación del Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC). Pirineos, Editorial CSIC vol. 168, 139-154. 31-05-2013
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Biodiversity and SustainabilityAccelerated diversification for climate resilient agricultureSamuel Pironon
£24,088 Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) (05-08-2024 - 05-04-2027)