Biodiversity and Ecosystems

My research focuses on understanding the interaction between wildlife populations, and management practices and land use. My current research includes work on mountain hares, capercaillie, and upland waders. I use large scale experiments, correlational, and modelling approaches to assess how management and land use affect individual species and communities, and how wildlife can sustainably co-exist in human dominated landscapes.

My specific interests relate to the ecology and ecosystem functions of microbiota in peatland ecosystems. My research has widened its scope to include peatland restoration as well as studying the effects of climate change and increased nitrogen deposition on carbon cycling in peatlands and other organic soils, such as upland heathlands.

My research concerns assessing the consequences of land use change and climate change on ecosystem services and species distributions, to improve spatial planning. 

Active projects are on multiple landscape benefits and trade-offs, mapping of key ecosystem services, and the development of interactive tools that facilitate decision and participation by experts and non-experts.

I am also a member of the scientific steering  committee of the Ecosystem Services Partnership.

My research is mainly on the ecology of herbivorous mammals, their impacts on plants and how plants defend themselves against herbivores and diseases.  He has experience of work with a broad range of animal species (hares and rabbits, African buffalo, deer, moose and domestic ruminants and invertebrates species) in a range of ecosystems including the Arctic, Boreal forests, moorland, African savanna and agricultural environments.

My research interests relate to interactions between plants and their environment. This has included work in alpine and arctic environments, and trying to understand the factors that regulate biodiversity and the response of these systems to climate change. Visit my profile to find about more.