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For the past 6 years my colleagues and I have been studying if and how we can better join up delivery of different goals for water management, i.e. for improving water quality and quantity. During that time, Iāve often found myself thinking of the Scarlet Pimpernel ā a fictional 18 th century aristocratic hero with a secret identity ā specifically the quote ā they seek him here, they seek him there, ā¦.That demned elusive Pimpernelā. However, I realise that may be an obscure reference so let me explain! Our project was created in response to a policy-maker interest in jointly integrating the
āWe are looking forward to bringing the fascinating world of plants and plant science to the public in Duthie Park and demonstrating some of the many benefits we derive from wild plantsā A series of Fascination of Plants events across Aberdeen will highlight the impact of climate change on the natural world, including activities from plant sales to sessions demonstrating how plants can help fight climate change by taking carbon from the atmosphere and how mosses are able to store water. The programme is part of the biannual Fascination of Plants Day, which encourages people to learn more about
Research Briefing Key message: The āGood Lifeā concept is used increasingly by livestock industry stakeholders to indicate their aspiration to move towards high āpositive welfareā standards in UK animal production. However, scientifically this concept is relatively under-developed. Farmers tend to rely for guidance on well-embedded cultural farming symbols such as good feed, housing and health, but for further development of the āGood Lifeā notion an untapped source is their direct lived engagement with animals as sentient beings. Greater accreditation of this relationship could increase well
"By diversifying cropping systems at several scales there is potential to decrease reliance on inputs, provide resilience to abiotic and biotic stress, enhance plant, microbe, and animal biodiversity, and mitigate against climate change by using less fuel and storing more carbon in soils" A Hutton scientific study summarising six years of agricultural research undertaken for the Scottish Government highlights the impact of the use of ecological principles in agriculture on sustainability, resilience, and provision of ecosystem functions. The synthesis demonstrates that diversification of
Food production and agro-industrial processing generate high levels of waste and by-products (such as peels, hulls and leaves), causing a negative environmental impact and significant expenses. Our global food system is highly inefficient with losses or wastage of food amounting to between 30 and 50% of all food produced. Around 220 million tons of food is estimated to be wasted every year, the equivalent of the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa ( Food and Agriculture Organisation). Among commodity groups, this food waste varies throughout the world regions, from approximately 6
The importance of ecosystems and biodiversity to human well-being is now well established as they provide benefits such as timber, pollination and coastal protection. It is also acknowledged that the goods and services from ecosystems are best conceptualised as being co-produced through the interactions of humans and nature, and because of this, different choices in site management will impact who will benefit or disbenefit, and how. To understand how people perceive the benefits from different woodland management approaches we conducted a series of deliberative scenario workshops across
āWe must not lose sight of long-term objectives - there is a risk that current responses reinforce the current system, which results in continued vulnerability to future shocks. Instead, we need a transformation in the food system to meet multiple objectives for food security, climate change mitigation and biodiversity protectionā" Dr Mike Rivington, a senior scientist within the James Hutton Instituteās Information and Computational Sciences department, has contributed evidence to a session of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee of the Scottish Parliament on the war
āPartners will offer a variety of plant-based interactive events and activities for all, from toddlers to grandparents. Visit plantday18may.org for an updated list of events and locationsā From one little seed planted in soil, many things can arise: our food, feed, paper, medicines, chemicals, energy and an enjoyable landscape ā pretty much everything we need to survive on this planet. On Wednesday 18 th May, join scientific institutions, universities, botanical gardens, museums, schools, farmers and businesses all around the world and take part in Fascination of Plants Day. The event seeks to
Aberdeen forensic science conference explores role of animals, plants and soil in criminal inquiries
"We look forward to discussing new approaches and methods with our colleagues from across Europe and build cooperation and collaboration and sharing best practice across the world in delivering to the criminal justice system" Forensic scientists from across Europe are gathering in Aberdeen for the ninth meeting of the Animal, Plant and Soil Traces (APST) Working Group of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). Around 50 experts are expected to attend the three-day event being held at the James Hutton Instituteās Craigiebuckler site on 27-29 April. The 9 th ENFSI-APST
People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands. This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Loch Arkaig Pine Forest.