Advancing Tropical Terrestrial Ecology at ATBC 2026 in Xishuangbanna
Researchers and students from the Department of Biological Sciences recently represented the Department at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), held in Xishuangbanna, China, from 28 June to 3 July 2026. The conference brought together approximately 900 participants from around the world and is widely regarded as the premier annual international gathering of tropical biologists and conservation scientists.
As a leading platform for researchers, educators, conservation practitioners, and students, the ATBC Annual Meeting showcases the latest advances in tropical biology and conservation science. This year’s theme, “Achieving a Shared Ecological Civilization for Long-Term Resilience“, underscored the importance of strengthening the resilience of tropical ecosystems amid accelerating environmental change.
The Department’s research was prominently featured through presentations by researchers and students from the groups of Professor Ryan Chisholm, Associate Professor Lim Jun Ying and Dr Chua Siew Chin. Their work highlighted a range of topics in tropical ecology and conservation, including forest dynamics, biodiversity, and ecosystem responses to environmental stressors. Notably, the impacts of drought and climate change on tropical forests emerged as key themes throughout the conference, reinforcing the relevance and timeliness of the Department’s research on forest resilience and long-term ecological change.
Beyond sharing their research, our students took full advantage of the opportunity to engage with scientists and conservation practitioners from across the globe, exchanging ideas, building professional networks, and exploring potential avenues for future collaboration. Their participation reflects the Department’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers and contributing to global efforts in tropical conservation and sustainability.
Research Highlights and Student Successes
Prof Ryan Chisholm’s lab presented a diverse portfolio of research spanning forest ecology, conservation biology, biodiversity monitoring, and ecological modelling. PhD students Sankar Ananthanarayanan, Ho Ning, and Zhu Mingyi shared studies on tokay gecko population dynamics, green sea turtle recovery in Southeast Asia, and biodiversity responses to habitat fragmentation, respectively. Their presentations highlighted the breadth of quantitative and applied ecological research within the lab and demonstrated how data-driven approaches can inform conservation planning and management.
Dr Lim Jun Ying’s lab contributed research on tropical forest ecology, biodiversity conservation, seed dispersal, and ecosystem resilience. Dr Charles Marsh presented findings on the global consequences of frugivorous bird extinctions, highlighting how the loss of threatened seed dispersers could hinder forest recovery and restoration efforts. PhD Candidate Liang Hanci explored the complementary roles of birds and mammals in seed dispersal across Asia, demonstrating the importance of maintaining diverse frugivore communities to support forest regeneration.
The group’s achievements were further accentuated by PhD candidate Alicia Ong, whose research on the long-term drivers of tree mortality in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve earned the New Phytologist Prize for Plant Biology (Best Poster Award). Drawing on more than 25 years of forest monitoring data, her work provides important insights into how tropical forests may respond to increasing climate-related stress and was recognised by a panel of senior researchers for its scientific excellence and significance.
Dr Chua Siew Chin’s group presented research examining how tropical forests recover from disturbance and respond to environmental change. Through studies led by Annanya Joshi and Ng Jing Cheng, the group explored how historical land-use legacies, environmental conditions, and restoration interventions influence forest regeneration, biodiversity recovery, and ecosystem function. Complementing these efforts, Dr Chua together with Dr Lim, shared ongoing research on the impacts of climate change on Singapore’s forests, contributing to conference-wide discussions on drought and tropical forest resilience. Together, the group’s work emphasise the value of long-term ecological research in guiding forest restoration and conservation strategies in a changing climate.
Want to know what our researchers and students presented during ATBC 2026? Check out the list of all presentations from the Department listed below.
Oral Presentations:
Whole rainforest genomics reveal deep and shallow-time population changes of Southeast Asian plants
Jun Ying Lim
The global impact of extinctions of threatened frugivorous birds on seed-dispersal and forest restoration potential
Charles Marsh (Research Fellow), Jun Ying Lim
Anchoring species conservation in natural climate solutions
Aakash Lamba (Research Fellow), Yiwen Zeng, Sreekar Rachakonda, Anushka Rege, Hoong Chen Teo, Lian Pin Koh
Effects of sustainable substrates on the establishment and growth of Cymodocea rotundata in coastal Singapore
En Qi Chee (Research Assistant), Shuang Song, Xueqin Gao, Ryan Chong Chen Chia, Annie Ann Nee Chew, Peter Todd
Frugivorous birds and mammals play complementary roles for tropical plant diversity and succession in Asia
Hanci Liang (PhD Candidate), Jun Ying Lim, Kim McConkey
Evaluating green sea turtle population recovery using capture-mark-recapture and population viability analysis
Ning Ho (PhD Candidate), Shafiqah Othman, Seh-Ling Long, Daniel Quitler, Zuriana Sulaiman, Melisa Bee Ling Chan, Ryan Chisholm
Too big to fail: Growth and survival in a population of tokay geckos (Gekko gecko)
Sankar Ananthanarayanan (PhD Candidate), Ryan Chisholm
Land use history, tree richness and frugivore functional composition shape tropical forest recovery
Tze Kwan Fung (PhD Candidate), Kwek Yan Chong, Lian Pin Koh
Poster Presentations:
Understanding the multi-scale impact of climate change on Singapore’s remaining forests
Siew Chin Chua, Jun Ying Lim, Alicia Ong
Dynamics of naturally regenerating and actively restored forests in Singapore
Jing Cheng Ng (Research Assistant), Siew Chin Chua, Kang Min Ngo, Shawn Lum, Carl Bartels
The Influence of Extreme Weather Events on a Lowland Southeast Asian Tropical Forest in Singapore
Alicia Ong (PhD Candidate), Jun Ying Lim, Siew Chin Chua
Abiotic environment shapes regenerating tropical forest communities across a succession gradient through functional traits selection
Ananya Joshi (MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainability graduate), Siew Chin Chua, Jing Cheng Ng
Effective connectivity curve predicts optimal solutions to the SLOSS problem in species-rich community
Mingyi Zhu (PhD Candidate), Ryan Chisholm
*Photo credits are given to the respective presenters.