Lecturer in Physical Geography Contact details Email: Jess.Rickenback@ed.ac.uk Web: Edinburgh Research Explorer About Jess Jess teaches plant biogeography at the University of Edinburgh alongside being a Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Her research focuses on the understudied components of tropical savanna ecosystems, particularly on the grass and forb layer and charismatic forms such as underground trees. Jess works across functional traits and phylogenetics to unpick trait and biome evolution. This article was published on Monday 15 December 2025