Dr David Burslem, Sara Woodin, Mike Swaine, Martin Solan, Ursula Witte, Rene van der Waal
We approach Biodiversity and Ecosystem Processes research in arctic, temperate and tropical biomes, using terrestrial and aquatic communities as model ecosystems and microbes, plants and animals as research subjects. Our research questions are motivated by an interest in the theoretical issues that underpin the assembly and structure of communities, their relationships to ecosystem function, and their applications to the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainability of human societies.
Tropical and temperate forest ecology
Dr David Burslem, Michelle Pinard, Mike Swaine
In tropical and temperate forest communities our research focuses on the mechanisms that structure communities and determine the distribution and relative abundance of species. We address the interactions of plants with other plants, and their herbivores, pathogens and symbionts, and the consequences of these interactions for the maintenance of biodiversity. This research extends to management and restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the role of ecosystem services in poverty alleviation.
Benthic ecology
Martin Solan, Ursula Witte, Phil Bagley, Monty Priede
Our research on bethic communities in based at the world class Oceanlab facility http://www.oceanlab.abdn.ac.uk/ and the adjacent Ythan estuary although the scope of our research is global. We address the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function in experimental mesocosms and under field conditions to predict the consequences of biodiversity loss. A distinctive feature of this research has been the application of image analysis and modelling techniques to understand how sediment bioturbation influences ecosystem processes.
Upland and arctic ecosystems
Sara Woodin, Rene van der Waal, Stephen Redpath, Sarah Dalrymple
Our research in terrestrial British upland and Arctic ecosystems addresses the drivers of change for native plant species, plant communities and ecosystem processes. These drivers include global change, herbivory, land management practices and atmospheric N deposition, often in interaction with each other. The processes studied range from the ecophysiology of individual species, through vegetation processes and inter-trophic interactions to ecosystem nutrient and carbon dynamics, and a common theme is the functional importance, and sensitivity, of bryophytes within the ecosystem. Our research in Scotland seeks to provide a scientific basis for conservation policy and management, and we work closely with land management agencies and regulatory bodies. In 2002, together with our collaborators, we started a grazing manipulation in the Scottish uplands, to examine the consequences of changing herbivory on vegetation dynamics and the cascading effects through upland ecosystems.