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Due to COVID-19 measures, SEFARI are moving all activities to the virtual environment for the forseeable future. Our intention is to continue exisiting projects and exploring future opportunities as much as feasible during the challenging times ahead. We are actively developing alternative ways to fully support all our knowledge exchange projects and partnerships through remote working options and/or extending timelines. We are also launching new opportunities for remote partnership working with expertise across the Scottish Government-funded research portfolio. We are monitoring the situation
"It is fundamental and vital that soil health is appropriately funded and supported if we are to tackle the global challenges that our planet faces" “Soil is life. We breathe the air, we drink the water and we eat the crops, we live on the soil. Soil stores twice as much carbon globally as the vegetation above ground and is a universe of microbial life working with plants to balance the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen levels in the air. It is fundamental and vital that soil health is appropriately funded and supported if we are to tackle the global challenges that our planet faces.” More
"'Social tipping’ describes the rapidly accelerating process of societal transformation that must replace existing incremental approaches if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided" Countries around the world must induce ‘social tipping’ dynamics by introducing far-reaching social and technological changes if they are to successfully decarbonise and prevent the devastating consequences of climate change, an international research consortium including the James Hutton Institute argues. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, James Hutton Institute, Tel: +44 (0
“We hope this research will realise the value of crop residues and result in better air quality, reduced degradation of soils, improved crop production and additional income to farmers” An international research team featuring scientists from the James Hutton Institute is exploring the potential of biochar - a carbon-rich type of charcoal - to address air pollution, climate change, food security and farmers’ incomes in India. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or +44 (0)7791 193918 (mobile)
"This event provides a valuable learning experience for Hutton students in communicating their work to the wider scientific community and promotes a collegiate atmosphere" The annual Hutton Postgraduate Student Event, which showcases the excellent science being undertaken by postgraduate students at the James Hutton Institute, took place at the Birnam Arts and Conference Centre, Birnam, on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th March 2020. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, James Hutton Institute,Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or
“The weather in 2019 was very dry and unfavourable for late blight development in some regions but very conducive for blight in other regions like Denmark and Northern Britain” An international consortium including the James Hutton Institute which tracks the European spatial distribution of Phytophthora infestans, the plant pathogen responsible for potato late blight, has updated the distribution of the pathogen by adding new data that visualises the distribution and diversity of dominant clones in the 2019 crop. Related content Cell and Molecular Sciences David Cooke More information from
The Scottish Government is currently responding to a multitude of grand and complex environmental challenges, such as biodiversity loss and climate change. But how do we know if these responses, or the money spent on delivering them, are having the desired effect? Having a robust suite of environmental quantitative measures, or indicators, is vital when trying to deliver key policy targets. Our work has focussed in particular on two sets of indicators, Ecosystem Health Indicators and the Natural Capital Asset Index. For the former, we have used bryophytes (i.e. mosses and liverworts) to
"To achieve the overall objectives of the Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development, the required specifications should be designed to be flexible throughout the application process, and community bodies offered professional support where appropriate" The definition of ‘sustainable development’ and ‘community’, as described in the draft Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development (Eligible Land, Specified Types of Area and Restrictions on Transfers, Assignations and Dealing) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, were discussed during a session of the Environment, Climate Change and
The opportunities for woodland creation within one of Scotland’s two national parks will be explored as part of a new fellowship. The Scottish Government-funded fellowship will independently examine the opportunities and constraints for expanding woodland in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park in order to meet climate and biodiversity priorities. Despite a clear emphasis on woodland expansion from the Scottish and UK Governments, and planting opportunities and incentives being on offer within the National Park, uptake of these by land managers has been limited. Fellow Rob McMorran, from
Dr Silvia Gratz from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute will be swapping a lab coat for legislation this week when she visits Ms Elizabeth Downes at the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall for a week in Westminster.