Lova Marline Explained

Lova Marline
Other Names:Lovanomenjanahary Marline
Alma Mater:University of Cape Town
Thesis Title:Diversity and biogeography of Madagascan bryophytes with an analysis of taxic and functional diversity along an elevational gradient in Marojejy National Park
Thesis Url:https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/29263
Thesis Year:2018
Doctoral Advisors:Terry A.J. Hedderson, Claudine Ah-Peng
Known For:bryophytes of Madagascar
Author Abbrev Bot:Marline
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Lova Marline is a tropical ecologist, especially of taxonomy and ecology of tropical bryophytes in Madagascar. She compiled the first check-list of bryophytes in Madagasgar.

Early life and education

Lova Marline (also known as Lovanomenjanahary Marline) was born in Madagascar. She studied at University of Antananarivo for her B.Sc. and master's degrees, specialising in botany and ecology. In 2018 she completed her doctorate at University of Cape Town on the bryophytes of Madagascar.[1] [2]

Career

In 2014 she was a Green Talent awardee of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.[3] Following short post-doctoral fellowships in South Africa and Germany, Marline joined the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre[4] at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She compiled the first check-list of the bryophytes of Madagascar that is now being used to test for changes in their diversity or distribution and for planning conservation.[5]

She is involved in an international collaboration to monitor and manage air pollution in Madagascar.[6] As part of this she is attached to Association Vahatra in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar while based at the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre on Madagascar.

Publications

Her scientific publications include:

Alexandre Antonelli et al. (74 authors) 2022. Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Evolution, distribution, and use. Science 378, eabf0869

Marline L., Ah-Peng C. & Hedderson T. 2020. Bryophyte diversity and range distributions along an elevational gradient in Marojejy, Madagascar. Biotropica 00: 1–12.

Ah-Peng C., Flores O., Wilding N., Bardat J., Marline L., Hedderson T. & Strasberg D. 2014. Functional diversity of subalpine bryophyte communities in an oceanic island (La Réunion). Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 46(4):841-851.

Lovanomenjanahary Marline, Roger Lala Andriamiarisoa, Jacques Bardat, Min Chuah-Petiot, Terry A.J. Hedderson, Catherine Reeb, Dominique Strasberg, Nicholas Wilding, Claudine Ah-Peng. 2012. Checklist of the Bryophytes of Madagascar Cryptogamie, Bryologie 33(3), 199-255

Honours and awards

In 2023 Marline was awarded the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer research grant for early-career scientists working on to African challenges.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Working Group Climate change Biodiversity Ecosystems Forest: Dr Lova Marline . German Academic Exchange Service - Green Talent Awards. DAAD . 18 April 2023.
  2. Web site: Women in the wild: Six Kew projects you didn't know about . Royal Botanic Garden Kew . 18 April 2023.
  3. Web site: UCT's 'green visionaries' . University of Capetown . 18 April 2023.
  4. Web site: Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre . Royal Botanic Garden Kew . 22 October 2023.
  5. Marline . Lovanomenjanahary . Lala Andriamiarisoa . Roger . Bardat . Jacques . Chuah-Petiot . Min . Hedderson . Terry A J . Reeb . Catherine . Strasberg . Dominique . Wilding . Nicholas . Ah-Peng . Claudine . Checklist of the Bryophytes of Madagascar . Cryptogamie, Bryologie . 2012 . 33 . 3 . 199–255 . 18 April 2023.
  6. Web site: Air quality experts raise awareness, recruit citizen scientists . US Embassy in Madagascar . 18 April 2023.
  7. Web site: Madagascar-based scientist awarded prestigious Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer research grant for groundbreaking bryophyte study. . Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant Awards . 21 October 2023.