David Burslem, Xavier Lambin, Paul Racey, Sara Woodin, Rene van der Waal, Stephen Redpath, Paul Thompson, Chris Wilcock, Sarah Dalrymple, Mark Young, Stuart Piertney, Michelle Pinard
Much of our research applies and tests ecological theory to conservation issues, and directly or indirectly informs conservation issues. We are involved in applied research from the arctic to the tropics and work with a wide range of conservation agencies in performing empirical research relevant to conservation biology, management and restoration. We are also involved at a global scale advising inter-governemental agencies on the management of a variety of human activities such as harvesting, tourism development and its impact on wildlife. We are closely involved with the newly established Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability and and play an active role in UKPopNet, so as to together expertise in ecology, socio-economics and land-use to develop interdisciplinary research, focused on delivering sustainable solutions to environmental conflicts.
Species Conservation
Our studies on individuals and populations are used to inform conservation strategies for numerous species. Our work with rare plant the impact that reproductive failure caused by the current worldwide loss of pollinators and habitat fragmentation may have on the long-term survival of populations as well as the effectiveness of experimental introduction on the genetic diversity of plant species. We guided recovery plans for endangered moth species and fresh water pearl mussels. We provide key information on the status and ecosystem engineer role of frugivorous bats. We collaborate closely involved with farmers, statutory agencies and other users of wildlife resources in the efforts to manage rare chough populations and mitigate the deleterious impact of the invasion of American mink by water voles, while simultaneously testing hypothesis of life history tactics and predator-prey interactions. Our application of molecular genetics tools to species of conservation concerns has also provided a rigorous basis for identifying evolutionary significant units (ESU) with common and Scottish crossbills, capercaillies and water voles.
The management of large predators in the natural environment continues to be a controversial and emotive subject. One of the most contentious conflicts in UK conservation has been over the management of Hen Harriers on grouse moors. We have worked on this problem since 1986, quantifying the impact of harriers on their prey through long-term studies and exploring mitigation strategies. The work is currently continuing in two ways. Firstly, we are building static and dynamic spatial models to predict harrier distributions across the UK, highlighting conflict areas and testing alternative management strategies. Second, we are involved in the ongoing stakeholder dialogue, run by the Environment Council with the aim of exploring ways forward to resolve the conflict.
Community Development and Conservation
Conservation initiatives are likely to be more sustainable where local communities are empowered to engage in decisions about the management of natural resources and to pursue development options that are compatible with conservation. However, experience suggests that there are many barriers that constrain effective community participation. Furthermore, the conservation values of anthropogenic landscapes are often poorly understood. Our research examines both social and ecological aspects of these challenges. Much of this work is funded by the Darwin initiative and some of it involves the Aberdeen Centre for Environmental sustainability.
We are examining the constraints to forest regeneration in degraded grasslands in the Knuckles Forest Reserve in Sri Lanka and are developing models for community development that convert degraded grasslands into productive agroforestry systems. There as elsewhere, we are building partnerships with local organizations and supporting local farmers to prioritize and plan development interventions. In Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, we are supporting the Park staff and other local agencies to devise and implement a biodiversity monitoring programme that includes training of para-ecologists drawn from the local community. These efforts feed into the implementation of the phase of a new management plan for Bale, which is home to many endangered and endemic organisms, in particular the Bale Monkey and the Ethiopia Wolf. In Madagascar, we are studying the role of megachiropterans in pollination and seed dispersal and the factors affecting microchiropteran biodiversity and contribute to capacity-building.
Together with Simon Thirgood (Macaulay Institute & ACES - links) and collaborators in eight European and African countries, we are assessing the social, cultural, economic and ecological functions and impacts of hunting across a range of contexts in Europe and Africa. We seek to understand what influences attitudes to hunting, how these attitudes influence and determine individual and societal behaviour in relation to hunting, and finally, how hunting behaviour influences biodiversity. Throughout we will use hunting as a "lens" through which to examine the wider issue of how people interact with biodiversity.