Research Staff

Gunter Fischer
Senior Vice President Science & Conservation
Research

office phone: + 1 (314) 577-9514
email: gfischer@mobot.org

Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110
USA

Education
University of Vienna, Austria, Ph.D. in Botany: “Phylogenetic and geographical analyses of the orchid genus Bulbophyllum in Madagascar and the Mascarenes: can main speciation bursts be correlated with climatological, geological or ecological changes?” supervised by Prof. Dr. M. Kiehn (University of Vienna) and Dr. Philipp J. Cribb (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). 2007.
University of Salzburg, Austria, additional study of information technology. 2002-2005.
University of Salzburg, Austria, M.Sc. in botany with additional focus on chemistry and genetics. Master thesis: “Volatiles of the genus Bulbophyllum THOU. (Orchidaceae) – fragrance emission and analytics”, supervised by Univ.-Prof. Dr. D. Fürnkranz. 2001.

Botanic garden and nature reserve management Bridging science and conservation Forest restoration and forest dynamics Ecosystem functioning Plant species in situ/ex situ conservation Plant taxonomy Population genetics Phylogenetics Molecular ecology Wildlife forensics Systematic and evolutionary botany Horticulture Arboriculture Urban greening GIS
 

Available upon request

Zhu, H., Zhang, J., Hau, B. C. H., Shum, B. T. W., Ma, X. K. K., Lo, J. P. L., Fischer, G. A., & Gale, S. W. 2024. Tai Po Kau ForestGEO Forest Dynamics Plot: Species Composition and Community Structure. Hong Kong: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Thiers, B., Roberts, T.E., Rundell, R.J., Spellman, G.M., Fischer, G. A., Nelson, G., Bates, J., Edwards, S.V., Sessa, E.B., Zaspel, J.M. and Pandey, J.L. 2024. Duke's herbarium merits continued enhancement, not dissolution. BioScience, p.biae031. Kwok, W. H., Zhang, H., Yang, F., Gale, S. W., Fischer, G. A., & Saunders, R. M. 2024. Life history traits associated with high fecundity help offset the worst genetic impacts of targeted poaching in Aquilaria sinensis. Global Ecology and Conservation, e02814. Lee, K. W. K., Cheuk, M. L., Fischer, G. A., & Gale, S. W. 2023. Can Disparate Shared Social Values Benefit the Conservation of Biodiversity in Hong Kong’s Sacred Groves?. Human Ecology, 1-12. Johnson, K. R., Owens, I. F., Fischer, G. A., et al.. 2023. A global approach for natural history museum collections. Science, 379(6638), 1192-1194. Zhu, H., Zhang, J., Cheuk, M. L., Hau, B. C., Fischer, G. A., & Gale, S. W. 2023. Monoculture plantations impede forest recovery: Evidence from the regeneration of lowland subtropical forest in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 6, 1098666. Cardeñosa, D., Shea, S. K., Zhang, H., Fischer, G. A., Simpfendorfer, C. A., & Chapman, D. D. 2022. Two thirds of species in a global shark fin trade hub are threatened with extinction: Conservation potential of international trade regulations for coastal sharks. Conservation Letters, 15(5), e12910. Hu, A. Q., Gale, S. W., Liu, Z. J., Fischer, G. A., & Saunders, R. M. 2022. Diversification slowdown in the Cirrhopetalum alliance (Bulbophyllum, Orchidaceae): Insights from the evolutionary dynamics of crassulacean acid metabolism. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 794171. Zhang, J., & Fischer, G. A. 2021. Reconsideration of the native range of the Chinese Swamp Cypress (Glyptostrobus pensilis) based on new insights from historic, remnant and planted populations. Global Ecology and Conservation, 32, e01927. Gamisch, A., Winter, K., Fischer, G. A., & Comes, H. P. 2021. Evolution of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) as an escape from ecological niche conservatism in Malagasy Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae). New Phytologist. Liu J., Hang K., Wong C., ... G. A. Fischer 2021. Seventeen Newly Recorded Species to the Flora of Hong Kong, China. Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany 29(2): 123-131 Hermans, J., Gamisch, A., Rajaovelona, L., Fischer, G. A., Cribb, P., Sieder, A., & Andriantiana, J. 2021. New species and nomenclatural changes in Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) from Madagascar. Kew Bulletin, 76(1), 1-38. Zeng, X., & Fischer, G. A. 2021. Using multiple seedlots in restoration planting enhances genetic diversity compared to natural regeneration in fragmented tropical forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 482, 118819. Davies, S.J., … Fischer, Gunter A. … Daniel Zuleta. 2021. ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network. Biological Conservation, 253, p.108907. Cheuk, M.L. and Fischer, G. A. 2021. The impact of climate change on the distribution of Castanopsis (Fagaceae) species in south China and Indo-China region. Global Ecology and Conservation, 26, p.e01388. Abbas, S., Nichol, J., Zhang, J., Fischer, G. A., Wong, M. & Irteza, S. 2020. Spatial and environmental constraints on natural forest regeneration in the degraded landscape of Hong Kong. Science of The Total Environment. 752. 141760. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141760. Blackmore, S. & Fischer, G. A. 2020. Gardening for the Earth. Zhang, H., Ades, G., Miller, M., Yang, F., Lai, K.-W. & Fischer, G. A. 2020. Genetic identification of African pangolins and their origin in illegal trade. Global Ecology and Conservation. e01119. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01119. Fields, A., Fischer, G. A., Shea, S., Zhang, H., Feldheim, K., Chapman, D. D. 2020. DNA Zip‐coding: identifying the source populations supplying the international trade of a critically endangered coastal shark. Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12585. Kumar, P., Bouamanivong, S., Fischer, G. A., Gale, S. W. 2020. Didymoplexiella laosensis (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae: Gastrodieae), a new holomycotrophic orchid from Lao PDR. Phytotaxa 430 (1): 1-8. Phytotaxa. 430. 1-8. 10.11646/phytotaxa.430.1.1. Zhang, Z., Gale, S. W., Li, J.-H., Fischer, G. A., Ren, M.-X., Song, X.-Q. 2019. Pollen-mediated gene flow ensures connectivity among spatially discrete sub-populations of Phalaenopsis pulcherrima, a tropical food-deceptive orchid. BMC Plant Biology. 19. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-2179-y. Abbas, S., Nichol, J., Zhang, J. & Fischer, G. A. 2019. The accumulation of species and recovery of species composition along a 70 year succession in a tropical secondary forest. Ecological Indicators. 106. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105524. Hu, A.-Q., Gale, S. W., Liu, Z.-J., Suddee, S., Hsu, T.-C., Fischer, G. A. & Saunders, R. 2019. Molecular phylogenetics and floral evolution of the Cirrhopetalum alliance (Bulbophyllum, Orchidaceae): Evolutionary transitions and phylogenetic signal variation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 143. 106689. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106689. Gale, S. W., Li, J. & Fischer, G. A. 2019. Population Ecology, Conservation and Reintroduction of Phalaenopsis (Orchidaceae) in Hainan Province, China. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27598.41280. Abbas, S., Nichol, J., Fischer, G. A., Wong, M. & Irteza, S. 2019. Impact assessment of a super-typhoon on Hong Kong's secondary vegetation and recommendations for restoration of resilience in the forest succession. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 280. DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107784. Zeng, X. & Fischer, G. A. 2019. Wind pollination over 70 years reduces the negative genetic effects of severe forest fragmentation in the tropical oak Quercus bambusifolia. Heredity. 124. DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0258-3. Cardeñosa, D., Shea, K., Zhang, H., Feldheim, K., Fischer, G. A. & Chapman, D. D. 2019. Small fins, large trade: a snapshot of the species composition of low‐value shark fins in the Hong Kong markets. Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12529. Chu, C., Lutz, J. A., Král, K., Vrška, T., Yin, X., Myers, J.A., Abiem, I., Alonso, A., Bourg, N., Burslem, D. F., Cao, M., Chapman, H., Condit, R., Fang, S., Fischer, G. A., Gao, L., Hao, Z., Hau, B. C., He, Q., Hector, A., Hubbell, S. P., Jiang, M., Jin, G., Kenfack, D., Lai, J., Li, B., Li, X., Li, Y., Lian, J., Lin, L., Liu, Y., Liu, Y., Luo, Y., Ma, K., McShea, W., Memiaghe, H., Mi, X., Ni, M., O'Brien, M. J., de Oliveira, A. A., Orwig, D. A., Parker, G. G., Qiao, X., Ren, H., Reynolds, G., Sang, W., Shen, G., Su, Z., Sui, X., Sun, I., Tian, S., Wang, B., Wang, X., Wang, X., Wang, Y., Weiblen, G. D., Wen, S., Xi, N., Xiang, W., Xu, H., Xu, K., Ye, W., Zhang, B., Zhang, J., Zhang, X., Zhang, Y., Zhu, K., Zimmerman, J., Storch, D., Baltzer, J. L., Anderson‐Teixeira, K. J., Mittelbach, G. G. & He, F. 2019) Direct and indirect effects of climate on richness drive the latitudinal diversity gradient in forest trees. Ecol Lett, 22: 245-255. DOI:10.1111/ele.13175. Liu, H., Gale, S.W., Cheuk, M.L. & Fischer, G. A. 2019. Conservation impacts of commercial cultivation of endangered and overharvested plants. Conservation Biology, 33(2), pp.288-299. Zhu,H., Liu,J., Fischer,G. A., Hang, D. & Zhang, J. 2018. Ten newly recorded taxa to the flora of Hong Kong, China. Guihaia 38(9):1221-1228. Cardeñosa, D., Fields, A.T., Babcock, E.A., Zhang, H., Feldheim, K., Shea, S.K., Fischer, G. A. & Chapman, D.D. 2018. CITES‐listed sharks remain among the top species in the contemporary fin trade. Conservation Letters 11(4), p.e12457. Kumar, P., S.W. Gale, T. Phaxaysombath & Fischer G. A. 2018. Cleisostoma schoenorchaefolium (Orchidaceae: Vandeae: Aeridinae), a new species from Lao PDR. Phytotaxa 374 (2): 155–161. Fields, A. T., Fischer, G. A., Shea, S. K., Zhang, H., Abercrombie, D. L., Feldheim, K. A., Babcock, E. A. & Chapman, D. D. 2018. Species composition of the international shark fin trade assessed through a retail‐market survey in Hong Kong. Conservation Biology, 32: 376-389. Gale S. W., Fischer G. A., Cribb, P. J. & Fay, M. F. 2018. Orchid conservation: bridging the gap between science and practice, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 186(4), 425–434, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boy003. Li, J., Gale, S. W., Kumar, P., Zhang, J. & Fischer G. A. 2018. Prioritizing the orchids of a biodiversity hotspot for conservation based on phylogenetic history and extinction risk. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 186(4), 473-497. Lutz, J. A., Furniss., T.J., Johnson, D. J., Davies, S. J., Allen, D., Alonso, A., Anderson‐Teixeira, K. J., Andrade, A., Baltzer, J., Becker, K. M. L., Blomdahl, E. M., Bourg, N. A., Bunyavejchewin, S., Burslem, D. F. R. P., Cansler, C. A., Cao, K., Cao, M., Cárdenas, D., Chang, L.‐W., Chao, K.‐J., Chao, W.‐C., Chiang, J.‐M., Chu, C., Chuyong, G. B., Clay, K., Condit, R., Cordell, S., H. S. Dattaraja, Duque, A., Ewango, C. E. N., Fischer, G. A., Fletcher, C., Freund, J. A., Giardina, C., Germain, S. J., Gilbert, G. S., Hao, Z., Hart, T., Hau, B. C. H., He, F., Hector, A., Howe, R. W., Hsieh, C.‐F., Hu, Y.‐H., Hubbell, S. P., Inman‐Narahari, F. M., Itoh, A., Janík, D., Kassim, A. R., Kenfack, D., Korte, L., Král, K., Larson, A. J., Li, Y., Lin, Y., Liu, S., Lum, S., Ma, K., Makana, J.‐R., Malhi, Y., McMahon, S. M., McShea, W. J., Memiaghe, H. R., Mi, X., Morecroft, M., Musili, P. M., Myers, J. A., Novotny, V., de Oliveira, A., Ong, P., Orwig, D. A., Ostertag, R., Parker, G. G., Patankar, R., Phillips, R. P., Reynolds, G., Sack, L., Guo‐Zhang, M., Su, S. S.‐H., Sukumar, R., Sun, I‐F., Suresh, H. S., Swanson, M. E., Tan, S., Thomas, D. W., Thompson, J., Uriarte, M., Valencia, R., Vicentini, A., Vrška, T., Wang, X., Weiblen, G. D., Wolf, A., Wu, S.‐H., Xu, H., Yamakura, T., Yap, S. & Zimmerman, J. K. 2018. Global importance of large‐diameter trees. Global Ecol Biogeogr. 27: 849– 864. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12747. Kumar, P., Gale, S. W., Li, J. H., Bouamanivong, S. & Fischer G. A. 2017. Thismia nigricoronata, a new species of Burmanniaceae (Thismieae, Dioscoreales) from Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos, and a key to subgeneric classification. Phytotaxa 319 (3): 225–240. Nichol, J. E., Abbas, S., & Fischer, G. A. 2017. Spatial patterns of degraded tropical forest and biodiversity restoration over 70-years of succession. Global Ecology and Conservation, 11, 134-145. Hu, A. Q., Ye, D. P., Gale, S. W., Saunders, R. M., Fischer, G. A. & LI, J. W. 2017. Bulbophyllum jingdongense (Orchidaceae), a new species in the Cirrhopetalum alliance from South China and Laos. Phytotaxa, 307(3), 199-204. Hu, A. Q., Gale, S. W., Kumar, P., Saunders, R. M., Sun, M., & Fischer, G. A. 2017. Preponderance of clonality triggers loss of sex in Bulbophyllum bicolor, an obligately outcrossing epiphytic orchid. Molecular Ecology, 26(13), 3358-3372. Abbas, S., Nichol, J. E. & Fischer, G. A. 2017. Mapping and assessment of impacts of cold and frost on secondary forest in the marginally tropical landscape of Hong Kong. Agricultural and forest meteorology, 232, 543-549. Zhang J., Zhu H., Liu J. & Fischer, G. A. 2016. Principles behind designing herbarium specimen labels and the R package ‘herblabel’. Biodiversity Science 24(12):1345-1352. Gamisch, A., Fischer, G. A. & Comes, H. P. 2016. Frequent but asymmetric niche shifts in orchids support environmental and climatic instability in Madagascar over Quaternary time scales. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16(1), 14. Kumar, P., Gale, S. W., Schuiteman, A., Bouamanivong, S. & Fischer, G. A. 2016. Identifying orchid hotspots for biodiversity conservation in Laos: the limestone karst vegetation of Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 8(12), 9397-9417. Jaros, U., Fischer, G. A., Pailler, T., & Comes, H. P. 2016. Spatial patterns of AFLP diversity in Bulbophyllum occultum (Orchidaceae) indicate long-term refugial isolation in Madagascar and long-distance colonization effects in La Réunion. Heredity advance online publication, February 17, 2016; DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.1. Gamisch, A., Fischer, G. A., & Comes, H. P. 2016. Frequent but asymmetric niche shifts in Bulbophyllum orchids support environmental and climatic instability in Madagascar over Quaternary time scales. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16(1), 1–16. Abbas, S., Nichol, J. E., & Fischer, G. A. 2016. A 70-year perspective on tropical forest regeneration. Science of the Total Environment, 544, 544–552. Chan, H. K., Zhang, H., Yang, F., & Fischer, G. 2015. Conservation. Improve customs systems to monitor global wildlife trade. Science, 348(6232), 291–292. Gamisch, A., Fischer, G. A., & Comes, H. P. 2015. Multiple independent origins of auto-pollination in tropical orchids (Bulbophyllum) in light of the hypothesis of selfing as an evolutionary dead end. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 15(1), 192. Zhang, H., Miller, M. P., Yang, F., Chan, H. K., Gaubert, P., Ades, G., & Fischer, G. A. 2015. Molecular tracing of confiscated pangolin scales for conservation and illegal trade monitoring in Southeast Asia. Global Ecology and Conservation, 4, 414–422. Gale, S. W., Kumar, P., & Fischer, G. A. 2014. 797. Bulbophyllum ambrosia. Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 31(4), 302–313. Anderson-Teixeira, K. J., Davies, S. J., Bennett, A. C., Gonzalez-Akre, E. B., Muller-Landau, H. C., Wright, S. J., Salim, K. A., Zambrano, A. M. A., Alonso, A., Baltzer, J. L., Basset, Y., Bourg, N. A., Broadbent, E. N., Brockelman, W. Y., Bunyavejchewin, S., Burslem, D. F. R. P., Butt, N., Cao, M., Cardenas, D., Chuyong, G. B., Clay, K., Cordell, S., Dattaraja, H.S., Deng, X., Detto, M., Du, X., A. Duque, A., Erikson, D. L., Ewango, C. E.N., Fischer, G. A., Fletcher, C., Foster, R. B., Giardina, C. P., Gilbert, G. S., Gunatilleke, N., Gunatilleke, S., Hao, Z., Hargrove, W. W., Hart, T. B., Hau, B. C. H., He, F., Hoffman, F. M., Howe, R. W., Hubbell, S. P., Inman-Narahari, F. M., Jansen, P. A., Jiang, M., Johnson, D. J., Kanzaki, M., Kassim, A. R., Kenfack, D., Kibet, S., Kinnaird, M. F., Korte, L., Kral, K., Kumar, J., Larson, A. J., Li, Y., Li, X., Liu, S., Lum, S. K. Y., Lutz, J. A., Ma, K., Maddalena, D. M., Makana, J.-R., Malhi, Y., Marthews, T., Mat Serudin, R., McMahon, S.M., McShea, W. J., Memiaghe, H. R., Mi, X., Mizuno, T., Morecroft, M., Myers, J. A., Novotny, V., de Oliveira, A. A., Ong, P. S., Orwig, D. A., Ostertag, R., den Ouden, J., Parker, G. G., Phillips, R. P., Sack, L., Sainge, M. N., Sang, W., Sringernyuang, K., Sukumar, R., Sun, I.-F., Sungpalee, W., Suresh, H. S., Tan, S., Thomas, S. C., Thomas, D. W., Thompson, J., Turner, B. L., Uriarte, M., Valencia, R., Vallejo, M. I., Vicentini, A., Vrška, T., Wang, X., Wang, X., Weiblen, G., Wolf, A., Xu, H., Yap, S., Zimmerman, J. 2014. CTFS-ForestGEO: a worldwide network monitoring forests in an era of global change. Global Change Biology, 21(2), 528–549. Kumar, P., Gale, S. W., Kocyan, A., Fischer, G. A., Averyanov, L., Borosova, R., et al. 2014. Gastrochilus kadooriei (Orchidaceae), a new species from Hong Kong, with notes on allied taxa in section Microphyllae found in the region. Phytotaxa, 164(2), 91. Hu, A. Q., Gale, S. W., Kumar, P., Fischer, G., & Pang, K. S. 2014. Taxonomic notes on Didymoplexiella siamensis and Gastrodia peichatieniana, two fully mycoheterotrophic orchids new to the flora of Hong Kong. Annales Botanici Fennici, 51(3), 177–184. Gamisch, A, Fischer G. A., Comes H. P. 2014. Recurrent polymorphic mating type variation in Madagascan Bulbophyllum species exemplifies high incidence of auto-pollination in tropical orchids. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 175 (2): 242–258 Gravendeel B., Fischer, G. A., Smidt E. C. & Vermeulen, J. J. 2014. Bulbophyllinae in A.M. Pridgeon, P.J. Cribb, M.W. Chase, F.N. Rasmussen (ed.), Genera Orchidacearum, Vol. 6. Epidendroideae (Part 3). Oxford University Press, Oxford. Gamisch, A., Staedler Y. M., Schönenberger, J., Fischer, G. A., Comes, H. P. 2013. Histological and micro-CT evidence of stigmatic rostellum receptivity promoting auto-pollination in the Madagascan orchid Bulbophyllum bicoloratum. PLoS One 8(8). Smidt, E. C., Borba, E. L., Gravendeel, B., Fischer, G. A. & Van den Berg, C. 2011. Molecular phylogeny of the Neotropical sections of Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) using nuclear and plastid spacers. Taxon, 60(4), 1050–1064. Duangjai, S., Samuel, R., Munzinger, R., Forest, F., Wallnöfer, B., Barfuss, M. H. J., Fischer, G. A. & Chase M. W. 2009. A multi-locus plastid phylogenetic analysis of the pantropical genus Diospyros (Ebenaceae), with an emphasis on the radiation and biogeographic origins of the New Caledonian endemic species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52: 602-620. Fischer, G. A., Hermans, J., Andriantiana, J., Sieder, A. & Cribb, P. J. 2009. Description of four new species of Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) from Madagascar. Novon. 3 (19): 344-352. Fischer, G. A.. 2008. Book Review: Orchids of Madagascar. Kew Bulletin 63: 519-520. Fischer G. A., Sieder, A., Cribb, P. J. & Kiehn, M. 2007. Description of two new species and one new section of Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) from Madagascar. Adansonia, sér 3, 29. Fischer G. A., Gravendeel, B., Sieder, A., Andriantiana, J., Heiselmayer, P., Cribb P. J., Smidt, E. de C., Samuel, R. & Kiehn, M. 2007. Evolution of resupination in Malagasy species of Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 358-376.