• KY16 9AL

    United Kingdom

Accepting Postgraduate Research Students

PhD projects

Exploring the role of Rwanda’s peatlands in its sustainable future.
Investigating the relationship between carbon and biodiversity dynamics in peatlands under restoration, in the Scottish Highlands.
Exploring ways of funding peatland restoration, which are ecologically sound, socially just, and economically feasible.
And interested in almost any themes related to peatlands!

Personal profile

Research overview

I am a conservation ecologist with a keen interest in how tropical ecosystems can be managed sustainably in the face of agricultural expansion and the other pervasive impacts of globalisation. I am particularly interested in peat-scapes, and how they can be responsibly managed through an understanding of their unique hydrological requirements. Past projects of mine, involving time in both academia and industry, have included: creating a mapping and monitoring system for peatlands in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia; reconstructing past vegetation change and assessing future prospects for the coastal peatlands of Malaysian Borneo; exploring the dynamics of human-wildlife interaction in northeast India; and training Government, research and NGO partners in Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia on the use of a decision support tool for restoring connectivity in landscapes for biodiversity under climate change.

 

I'm currently working on a range of research projects with various (fantastic!) interdisciplinary teams, which have a unifying focus on exploring human-environment interactions at different scales:

  • An exploration of the local value of intact tropical peatlands in the lowland Peruvian Amazon, led by Dr Katy Roucoux (Geography & SD)
  • An examination of local perceptions of peatland restoration in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, co-led with Dr Cornelia Helmcke (Geography & SD)
  • An interdisciplinary exploration of the value and parameters of volumetric literacy for natural resource and environmental management, led by Dr Ariadne Collins (International Relations)
  • A pilot project to understand the local to regional implications of peat-fired power generation in Rwanda, under development with Professor Hans Joosten (Greifswald Mire Centre)

 

In my teaching, I explore the following themes:

  • Environmental management, introducing students to topics including ecological science, social-ecological systems approaches, local ecological knowledge, multistakeholder engagement, ecological literacy
  • Environmental Geography
  • Interdisciplinary approaches
  • Sustainable development in relation to environment
  • Research methods (including field data collection & working with secondary data) in Physical and Environmental Geography
  • Data literacy for social and environmental justice (new digital Masters course, to go live in January 2024)

 

In order to engage with the next, and multiple generation(s), with industry and with the wider scientific community, I am engaged in the following roles:

Profile Keywords

Peatlands; Forests; Environmental Geography; Ecosystem management; Carbon management; Interdisciplinary studies; Science communication

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

External positions

Chair of Conservation Ecology Special Interest Group, British Ecological Society

Coordinator of Expert Group, Peatlands and Biodiversity, International Peatland Society

Keywords

  • GE Environmental Sciences
  • Peatlands
  • Forests
  • Environmental Geography
  • Ecosystem management
  • Interdisciplinary studies

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