I am an ecologist discovering how 'we rely on nature, and nature relies on us'. My research helps to inform us of the value of biodiversity and the interdependence of animals and plants in 'our web of life'.
My aim is to show why and how we should conserve biodiversity. This is critical given the increasing pressure on our environment with threats to biodiversity such as habitat destruction, increased urbanisation, agricultural intensification and global climate change.
Species in communities in landscapes. The current focus of my research is to understand:
- the vulnerability of species to environmental change, and
- the impact that species' vulnerability has on community structure.
Species are a basic building block of biodiversity. However all species species interact with and depend upon other species, and so they form communities. All species and communities exist in landscapes, and so what happens in the landscape affects the species and communities. I therefore conduct most of my research in real landscapes, in which species live and through which they move.
In my work I study many different types of plants and animals, including small mammals, birds, and insects, such as bees, moths and hoverflies.
more detail about my research »
I am keen to communicate about the importance of biodiversity, and I do this through projects to engage with the public, through teaching, and through talks and publications for other scientists.
Photo header: The view from Milk Hill, near Pewsey, Wiltshire. This was one of 18 sites at which I studied the effect of the loss of natural habitat on pollinations.