Restoration ecology of UK grassland and upland habitats
DEFRA funded (£667K) collaborative project on 'diversification of grassland through the manipulation of plant-soil interactions and the identification of indicators of restorability', 2004-2009.
Yorkshire Dales funded (£93K) project on 'ecological monitoring for the Limestone Country Project', 2002-2006
English Nature funded (£16K) project on the 'restoration of calaminarian grassland on river gravels of the Rivers South Tyne and Allen'2001-2005
Various including Principal investigator for most of my projects and for the local element of large collaborative projects.
Research Council awards (total £123K)
• Agriculture and Food Research Council (AFRC), £123,000, 1989-92. The vegetation dynamics of mesotrophic (meadow) grassland: effects of fertilisers, grazing and cutting date. Principal investigator. Co-investigators: Professor J.P.Grime, Sheffield University, NERC (UCPE); Dr A. Younger, Agriculture Department, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Part of the Joint Agriculture and Environment Programme (JAEP).
Other large awards (>£5k) (total £910.2K)
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. £95,000, 1996-99. The restoration of diversity to agriculturally improved meadowland. Principal investigator. Co-investigators: Dr R.S. Shiel, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, University of Newcastle upon Tyne; Dr R. Bardgett, School of Biological Science, University of Manchester; Dr J.C. Frankland, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology.
• EU LIFE fund, £307,000, 1998-2002. The Border Mires – active blanket bog rehabilitation project. A joint project between English Nature, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumberland National Park Authority, Forest Enterprise and the University of Newcastle. £154,000 direct grant from the EU, the remainder comprises contributions, mainly costed staff time, from the participating bodies.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. £377,000, 2000-2004. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. Principal investigator. Co-investigators: Dr R.S. Shiel, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. University of Newcastle upon Tyne; Dr R. Bardgett, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lancaster; Dr J.C. Frankland & Dr H.E. Jones, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
• National Power. £5661. 1991. An ecological survey of the Blyth Power Station area. Funded by under the auspices of the Centre for Land Use and Water Resources Research. Principal investigator.
• English Nature, Contract number JW/07/01 £6,600, 2001-2002. Tyne and Allen River Gravels Special Area for Conservation: analysis and management recommendations for heavy-metal contaminated shingle sites. Co-investigator J.M. Simkin
• English Nature £18,300, 2002. Recreation of Calminarian grassland in the Tyne and Allen River Gravels cSAC. Co-investigator J.M. Simkin
• English Nature and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. £100,700 2003-06. Limestone Country Project: ecological research. Co-investigators: Drs R.A. Sanderson, S.P. Rushton, R. Payton & R.S. Shiel, University of Newcastle; Dr S. Ellis, Butterfly Conservation
• Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs £670,000 (£132,000 to Newcastle) 2004-09. Diversification of grassland through the manipulation of plant-soil interactions and the identification of indicators of restorability. A consortium project between R.D. Bardgett (Principal Investigator, Lancaster University), J. Tallowin (North Wyke, IGER), V.K.Brown & S. Mortimer (CAER, Reading University), R.S.Smith (University of Newcastle).
Small research grants (total £19.3K)
• British Ecological Society's Small Ecological Projects Grants Scheme. Six grants (from £500-£600 in each case) 1981-91 for woodland, mesotrophic grassland, heavy-metal grassland and mire survey and experimentation. Principle investigator for all projects, 25% contribution, employing graduate students as co-investigators.
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne's Small Grants Research Sub-Committee. Two grants (£300 and £680) for mesotrophic grassland experimentation. Principle investigator for all projects, 25% contribution, employing graduate students as co-investigators.
• Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Two grants (£1200 and £600) for mesotrophic grassland experimentation. Principal investigator.
• Forestry Commission. Four small grants (£300-£500) for ecological projects on the Border Mires in Kielder Forest. Principle investigator for all projects, 25% contribution, employing graduate students as co-investigators.
• English Nature (1994). NVC mapping of 34 Border Mire Sites, Northumberland. (£400). Sole investigator.
• Nature Conservancy Council and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. £1030 1988. Effect of cutting date on the vegetation of mesotrophic grassland. Sole investigator.
• Nature Conservancy Council and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. £3216 1989. Effects of cutting date on the vegetation of mesotrophic grassland. Sole investigator.
• North York Moors National Park. £672 1992. Ecological monitoring of the Farm Conservation Scheme. Sole investigator.
• College Valley Estates. £1500 1992. Bracken survey and management at Chillingham Park, Northumberland. Principal investigator. 50% involvement. Co-investigator A. Humble.
• English Nature £487 1993. Haymeadow management in Upper Teesdale. Principal investigator. 50% involvement.
• North York Moors National Park Authority £360 1994. Vegetation trends on set-aside land in the North York Moors National Park. Sole investigator.
• North York Moors National Park Authority £1500 1994. Monitoring grassland and moorland vegetation in the North York Moors: vegetation change 1991-94 under the farm management scheme. Sole investigator.
• British Ecological Society and English Nature £1300 1994. Restoration management for conservation in agriculturally improved meadows. Principal investigator. About 50% involvement.
• British Ecological Society, English Nature and Forest Enterprise, 2002 £1475. Effect of sheep grazing on the vegetation of raised and blanket mire. Principle investigator, about 50% involvement. Co-investigators D.Charman (University of Plymouth), S.P. Rushton, R.A. Sanderson, J.M. Simkin (University of Newcastle)
Large research reports for DEFRA and English Nature have been directed at advising these UK government organisations on aspects of nature conservation policy. The main ones written over the last seven years are:
1. Smith, R.S., Shiel, R.S., Millward, D. and Corkhill, P. 1998. Effects of grazing, cut date, fertilizer and seed application treatments on vegetation and yield in a split-split-split plot experiment at Colt Park, Ingleborough NNR, northern England, 1990-98. Report for Project BD 1408 (BD0322), MAFF The restoration of diversity to agriculturally improved meadow grassland. 19pp
2. Smith, R.S., Shiel, R.S., Bardgett, R.D., Millward, D., Corkhill, P., Rolph, G., Hobbs, P.J. & Sanderson, R.A. 2000 Vegetation, species populations, hay yield and soil fatty acid (PLFA) status in the Colt Park meadow trial, 2000. Report for project BD1439, Milestone 01-01, target date 30/04/01 DEFRA. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. 38pp
3. Peacock, S., Shiel, R.S. & Smith, R.S. 2001. The effects of residual soil fertility, FYM amendments and Rhinanthus minor parasitism on the biomass of key grassland plant species in a mesocosm experiment: preliminary results. Report for project BD1439, Milestone 02-02, target date 30/04/01 DEFRA. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. 21pp
4. Peacock, S., Shiel, R.S. & Smith, R.S. 2002. The effects of residual soil fertility, FYM amendments and Rhinanthus minor parasitism on the biomass of key grassland plant species in a mesocosm experiment. Report for project BD1439, Milestone 03-03, target date 30/04/02 DEFRA. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. 20pp.
5. Smith, R.S., Charman, D., Rushton, S., Sanderson, R., Simkin, J.M. and Shiel, R.S. 2002. The vegetation effects of 14-years of excluding sheep grazing at Butterburn Flow, an ombrotrophic mire in northern England. Report to English Nature and Forest Enterprise.
6. Smith, R.S., Shiel, R.S., Millward, D., Corkhill, P., Peacock, S., Sanderson, R.A. and N. Critchley 2003 The Colt Park Field Trial 2002. Report to DEFRA for project BD1439, Milestone 01-03, target date 30/4/03 DEFRA. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. School of Biology, University of Newcastle. 49 pages.
7. J.M.Simkin & R.S.Smith 2003 Research project on management methods for Calaminarian grassland. First year report to English Nature. EN contract no JW/29/02. School of Biology, University of Newcastle. 26 pages
8. J.M.Simkin & R.S.Smith 2004 Research project on management methods for Calaminarian grassland. Second year report to English Nature. EN contract no JW/29/02. School of Biology, University of Newcastle. 12 pages
9. R.S. Smith, R.A. Sanderson, S.P. Rushton, R.S.Shiel, R.W. Payton, S.Ellis, W. Grayson, D. Millward, , G. Wilmore and J.Woodward 2004. The Limestone Country Project: baseline monitoring for ecological change 2003-2006, First year (2003) report to The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and English Nature. School of Biology, University of Newcastle. 152 pages.
10. Peacock, S., Smith, R.S., Shiel, R.S. & Simkin, J.M. 2004. Effect of residual soil fertility, FYM amendments and Rhinanthus minor on the biomass of grassland plant species in a mesocosm experiment. Report to DEFRA for project BD1439, Milestone 02-04, target date 30/12/03 DEFRA. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. School of Biology, University of Newcastle. 31pages.
11. Smith, R.S., Peacock, S., Shiel, R.S., Bardgett, R.D., Simkin, J.M., Hobbs, P.J. and Quirk, H. 2005. Ecological mechanisms affecting the restoration of diversity in agriculturally improved meadow grassland. Effect of residual fertility, FYM amendments and Rhinanthus minor on the diversity and species composition of meadow vegetation, on soil microbes and VA-mycorrhizal colonisation of plant roots, and on plant nutrient content in a mesocosm experiment.Report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs. Project BD1439.
Wildlife conservation teaching is focused on duties as Degree Programme Director of the Masters Degree programme in 'Wildlife conservation and habitat management' in the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at the University of Newcastle. A successful programme with 15 students in each of the last two years (2004-06).