Thomas COUVREUR

IRD

Research Director (Class 2) at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

Thomas L.P. Couvreur is a researcher and botanist at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD). His main interest lies in understanding the evolution, resilience, and diversity of tropical biodiversity, and tropical forests in particular, which are among the most complex and diverse ecosystems on the planet.

 

Rainforests play a key role in regulating the global climate and provide livelihoods such as food and shelter to millions of people in the tropics. Thomas COUVREUR conducts research in taxonomy, conservation, molecular phylogenetics, and phylogeography, using DNA sequence data, morphological evolution, and species distribution modelling across different time scales. He also carries out research on economically important species (including socio-economic and documentary studies). His work focuses on two remarkable plant families from tropical rainforests: palms and the custard apple family (Annonaceae). His research contributes to the conservation of tropical biodiversity and provides essential data for assessing the impacts of ongoing climate change on tropical rainforest ecosystems.