Ecology
Marine and terrestrial populations and communities
The School of Biological Sciences hosts a large number of ecologists and environmental scientists within the Ecology and Biological Interactions in Soils themes. The Ecology theme includes 16 academic staff, 22 post-docs and nearly 80 postgraduate students. We study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms and seek insights that contribute to the understanding, management and conservation of marine and terrestrial population and communities.
Scientific remit
- investigation of how the physical and biotic environments affect organisms individual performance, life-histories, genetic diversity and how these, in turn affect their population dynamics;
- investigation of processes that control the diversity and relative species abundance of plant and animal communities, including trophic interactions (herbivory, predation, parasitism);
- investigations of how community composition determines the ecosystem service provided by such communities.
We seek insights that apply in marine and terrestrial environments, in coastal, pelagic and deep sea, benthic environments, in tropical and temperate forests, in farmland, montane, and arctic environments, and that contribute to management and conservation of biological resources.
For further information please contact Prof Xavier Lambin (Theme leader) or visit the theme members' web pages via links in the staff list.
Membership
Prof Xavier Lambin, Prof Monty Priede, Prof Paul Racey, Prof Steve Redpath, Prof Paul Thompson, Prof Ursula Witte, Dr Phil Bagley, Dr David Burslem, Dr Andrew Cameron, Dr Alex Douglas, Dr David Lusseau, Dr Tara Marshall, Dr Graham Pierce, Dr Stuart Piertney, Dr Michelle Pinard, Dr Jane Reid, Dr Beth Scott, Dr Martin Solan, Dr Mike Swaine, Dr Justin Travis, Dr Chris Wilcock, Dr Sarah Woodin, Dr Fiona Wragg, Dr Mark Young
People
Prof Xavier Lambin. (Theme Leader) Population dynamics, trophic interactions, and life history variation in vertebrates
Dr. Phil Bagley. (Research manager Ocean lab) Underwater instrumentation; Development of lander technology
Dr David Burslem. Ecology of tropical forest communities; tropical forest biodiversity and conservation
Dr Andrew Cameron. Forest stand dynamics (regeneration and nutrient cycling), genetic and environmental control of wood properties
Dr Alex Douglas. Behavioural and population ecology of fishes
Dr Martyn Gorman. Ecology and conservation biology of wild mammals, particularly insectivores, rodents and carnivores
Dr Richard Jenkins. Relationships between bats and the deforestation
Dr Sue Lewis. (Leverhulme Research Fellow). Individual quality and patterns of parental care
Dr Iain Mackie. Population regulation, evolution, diversity and bioindicator issues in the ecology and conservation of bats
Dr Tara Marshall. Variability in reproductive potential and sustainability of commercial fish stocks
Dr Francesca Marubini (Daphne Jackson Trust Fellow). Modelling porpoise distribution
Dr Graham Pierce. Ecology and behaviour of marine mammals and cephalopods, marine trophic interactions and fisheries ecology
Dr Stuart Piertney. Development and application of molecular markers to provide novel insight into the ecology, population biology, conservation and taxonomy of a range of invertebrate and vertebrate taxa
Prof Monty Priede. Fish behaviour; Ecology and physiology of deep sea fauna
Dr Michelle Pinard. Tropical forest ecology and silviculture, forests and rural livelihoods
Dr Jane Reid. Life-history variation and dynamics of bird populations
Prof Paul Racey. Ecology and conservation biology of temperate and tropical bats
Dr Beth Scott. Marine ecosystems studies focusing on the functional linkages between oceanographic processes and predator-prey interactions
Dr Martin Solan. Marine benthic ecology and the use of imaging technology to evaluate invertebrate activity and behaviour
Dr Mike Swaine. Tropical forest ecology
Prof Paul Thompson. Behaviour, physiology and dynamics of marine mammal and seabird populations
Prof Ursula Witte. Biogeochemical cycles in the deep ocean
Dr Chris Wilcock. Plant reproductive biology
Dr Sarah Woodin. Montane and arctic ecosystem processes: vegetation responses to environmental change, pollution, herbivory and management
Dr Fiona Wragg. Facilitation in grazing assemblages
Dr Mark Young. Freshwater quality and the responses of aquatic invertebrates
Field Stations
Within the Ecology theme, the following facilities allow us to maintain a capability to conduct terrestrial and marine studies in the laboratory and the field as well as supporting deep ocean research.
Oceanlab was built in 2001, with JIF support, providing a base for a fleet of deep sea lander vehicles capable of operating down to depths of 6000m. It is situated within the Culterty Field Station, on the Ythan estuary, which has been the focus of inter-tidal studies since 1958.
Zoology Building The main Zoology building on the Old Aberdeen campus houses a marine aquarium with 120 tonnes of re-circulated sea water, capable of maintaining marine animals for experimental work.
Lighthouse Field Station Situated in Cromarty, on the Moray Firth, this field station was opened in 1990 and extended in 2002. It provides a base for research on marine mammals, seabirds and coastal zone management.
Eynhallow An outstation is maintained on this uninhabited island in Orkney, providing a seasonal base for long-term studies of fulmar and seal ecology.
Kielder house An outstation in Kielder forest is the base for fieldwork on rodent and disease dynamics. Laboratory facilities for parasitological work are available.
Linked initiatives
A number researchers in this theme work in north temperate and boreal forest ecosystems or on Scottish mountains or arctic tundra, and are members of The Northern Studies Centre. This initiative brings together ecologists, environmental scientists and social anthropologists from The University of Aberdeen, The Macaulay Institute and The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to promote interdisciplinary research into environment and people at high latitudes.
The Aberdeen Population Ecology Research Unit ( APERU ) led by Prof. X. Lambin. This unit brings together staff of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, The Fisheries Research Service, The Institute of Medical Sciences, The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and Biostatistics Scotland with the aims to develop and enhance expertise in modelling data ranging from molecular descriptions of individuals to estimates of population size of organisms ranging from microbes to large vertebrates
The UK National Population Biology Network (UKPopNet). Memembers of the ecology theme are part of this NERC funded network of scientists from six leading UK institutions (the Universities of Aberdeen, East Anglia, Leeds, Sheffield and York, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) to create a national population biology network (UKPopNet). The network includes scientists with expertise in population biology, microbiology, ecosystem science, conservation biology and socio-economics. It will fund a series of projects, described in more detail below, aimed at providing answers to two pressing and exceptionally challenging questions in which society has a stake, namely: what will be the effects of biodiversity change on the sustainability of ecosystems, landscapes, and livelihoods? and what strategies should we employ to mitigate those effects?,
The Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES). The University of Aberdeen, the Macaulay Institute and the Natural Environment Research Council's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) are working together in the ACES initiative. The ACES Integrated Science Programme aims to unify understanding of the environmental, social and economic barriers to sustainability through inter-disciplinary research involving scientists, policy makers and stakeholders.