Our research focuses on how we measure biodiversity and our impacts upon it. The world is too complex for us to comprehend the broad state of things by experience alone, meaning we rely on data to shape the narratives we tell. How is biodiversity changing? Which strategies work best to protect it? The answers to these questions are affected by the way data is collected, summarised in metrics, analysed, and interpreted. These in turn affect the decisions of policy makers, business leaders and managers. We work to ensure the stories data tell are as representative of the real world as possible. For example, key projects include:
- Improving the accuracy of indicators used to track biodiversity change for national and international policy targets (especially data on population trends)
- Interrogating the strengths and weaknesses of metrics used to represent biodiversity for business and finance
- Improving methods to understand the impact of interventions (such as protecting or restoring habitat, or emerging nature markets) on biodiversity
- Testing approaches to assess how climate change and invasive species affect species distributions and abundances.
Where we work
Hannah is a Lecturer in Ecology & Conservation at the University of Edinburgh, and most of the team are also based here. In terms of the focus of our work, much uses large data sets at broad scales, and/or develops general methodologies which could be applicable across contexts. Some projects also involve location specific work, in particular in polar systems, for example:
- Improving data representativeness of Antarctic ecosystems, and using this data to assess protected area representativeness
- Understanding climate change impacts to Arctic breeding shorebirds, and snowshoe hares
- Evaluating the impacts of restoration and/or invasive species on habitats in Scotland, Ghana and French Polynesia
- Determining which protected area management strategies work best in the UK and Ireland
Who we work with
The work of this group aims to be as real-world relevant as possible, and we have collaborated with many government and non-government organisations, including The Scottish Government, the Zoological Society of London, WWF, Wetlands International, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), The Swiss Ornithological Institute, Tree Aid, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Norwegian Polar Institute and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and the Australian Antarctic Division.
We also collaborate with a wide range of academic institutions.