NRI MSc student Kartheek Kundarapu had a unique opportunity to present his research project at the 17th Agricultural Science Congress held from 20-22 February at the GB Pant University of Science...
Human activity affects the environment in various ways. Industrialisation, urbanisation, agricultural practices and changes in land use are just a few of the ways we have negatively impacted our...
Imperial College London recently hosted an event to launch the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, a cutting-edge research initiative dedicated to advancing alternative protein sources. With over...
A recent report published on 25 March highlights the untapped potential of waste from horticultural crops to be transformed into high-value chemicals and materials. The report was released by...
Tropical countries are vital to global agriculture, supplying key commodities such as rubber, coffee, cocoa, oil palm and coconut to meet international demand. However, this demand drives widespread...
PGR Students
Diana Tixi joined the University of Greenwich in January 2019, where she is currently studying for a fulltime PhD on wild bees’ conservation, jointly supervised by the James Hutton Institute and funded by the Macaulay Development trust. Formerly she completed her studies of Biology majoring in Ecology and Management at the University of Azuay in Ecuador. Later she completed an MSc in Agriculture for Sustainable development in the Natural Resources Institute from the University of Greenwich. During her BSc, she developed a project on the structure and composition of the insect community in two areas of the scientific station El Gullán. Her MSc project investigated: Does the application of biochar reduce compaction effects on a clay soil by altering its hydraulics?
As part of her work experience, she was involved in soils department at the Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador after her MSc to generate the mapping of ‘Qhapaq ñan’ the Inca road system transect from Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador with botanical characterisation, a project developed in conjunction with the Azuay Herbarium.
Visiting Fellow
118
Dr Graham Begg, Prof Nick Birch
Dr Graham Begg, Prof Nick Birch
A ‘real-world’ approach to predicting the impact of land-use policies on pollinators
The declining population of both managed and wild bees have prompted the need to find and implement conservation measures to reduce pollinator declines. Conservation strategies aim to rebuild natural populations by restoring ecosystems through their implementation and natural resources management. There are many conservation strategies intended to help pollinators. However, we do not know how successful the strategies and management interventions for pollinators are.
Some pollinators’ physical or ecological traits confer higher robustness against habitat changes, while others have traits that render them more sensitive. Similarly, we predict that some physical or ecological traits in different species of wild bees will influence their likelihood of responding to conservation and habitat restoration. Diana is using a meta-analysis to synthesise the literature on wild bee traits and response to conservation strategies,
This will lead into a development of habitat suitability indices for different bee groups and the creation of a predictive model to understand the landscape-scale impacts of conservation measures on wild bee populations. Part of the research will be developed in Scotland within an area defined by the Balruddery Catchment. This research will intend to guide future restoration programs to consider the needs of wild bees rather than the botanically focus endpoint.
Diana Tixi joined the University of Greenwich in January 2019, where she is currently studying for a fulltime PhD on wild bees’ conservation, jointly supervised by the James Hutton Institute and funded by the Macaulay Development trust. Formerly she completed her studies of Biology majoring in Ecology and Management at the University of Azuay in Ecuador. Later she completed an MSc in Agriculture for Sustainable development in the Natural Resources Institute from the University of Greenwich. During her BSc, she developed a project on the structure and composition of the insect community in two areas of the scientific station El Gullán. Her MSc project investigated: Does the application of biochar reduce compaction effects on a clay soil by altering its hydraulics?
As part of her work experience, she was involved in soils department at the Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador after her MSc to generate the mapping of ‘Qhapaq ñan’ the Inca road system transect from Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador with botanical characterisation, a project developed in conjunction with the Azuay Herbarium.
Visiting Fellow
118
Dr Graham Begg, Prof Nick Birch
Dr Graham Begg, Prof Nick Birch
A ‘real-world’ approach to predicting the impact of land-use policies on pollinators
The declining population of both managed and wild bees have prompted the need to find and implement conservation measures to reduce pollinator declines. Conservation strategies aim to rebuild natural populations by restoring ecosystems through their implementation and natural resources management. There are many conservation strategies intended to help pollinators. However, we do not know how successful the strategies and management interventions for pollinators are.
Some pollinators’ physical or ecological traits confer higher robustness against habitat changes, while others have traits that render them more sensitive. Similarly, we predict that some physical or ecological traits in different species of wild bees will influence their likelihood of responding to conservation and habitat restoration. Diana is using a meta-analysis to synthesise the literature on wild bee traits and response to conservation strategies,
This will lead into a development of habitat suitability indices for different bee groups and the creation of a predictive model to understand the landscape-scale impacts of conservation measures on wild bee populations. Part of the research will be developed in Scotland within an area defined by the Balruddery Catchment. This research will intend to guide future restoration programs to consider the needs of wild bees rather than the botanically focus endpoint.
