Conservation of biodiversity
Conservation of biodiversity
There are significant pressures on the world’s biodiversity, such that species declines are at levels not seen before. Habitats are being lost and fragmented at unprecedented rates.
We develop new conceptual and analytical approaches using a range of data, including earth observation data and data compiled in two large researcher networks (LAI project, Biofrag project).
We aim to understand these patterns and answer questions that flow, directly or indirectly, from global biodiversity policy agreements.
We have extensive field experience in species dynamics, landscape ecology, and human: wildlife interactions and how they relate to conservation in Asia, Africa and the UK.
We have strong research collaborations in many countries throughout the world underpinning this research.
Beaver reintroduction
This Scottish National Heritage-funded project looked at the potential for the colonisation of Eurasian beaver in Scotland following a proposed reintroduction.
It used data from the literature to simulate the outcome of the Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale, and then extrapolated these results into the future and in other locations such as Tayside.
The data from the Scottish Beaver Trial fell within the prediction envelope of the simulation model.
People
Teaching
This research helps inform postgraduate modules BIO8064: Wildlife Conflicts and Management and NES8008: Data Analysis and Modelling.
Biodiversity in fragmented landscapes
We are modelling, mapping and predicting biodiversity in fragmented landscapes.
Previous analyses of fragmentation-biodiversity relationships have been using a range of different fragmentation metrics (e.g. generated by FRAGSTAT) on different spatial scales and with different objectives, including testing for:
- habitat edge effects (as distance to the nearest edge) on dynamics of populations of single species or on species community composition or on abundance within functional groups (Laurance et al. 2007. PLOS One; Ewers & Didham 2008. PNAS)
- effects of patch size and/or patch shape on species performance (Watling & Donnelly 2006. Conservation Biology)
We have started the BIOFRAG project to develop a consistent method that can quanitfy the impact of habitat fragmentation on abundance of species and species turnover.
We focus on edge effects and patch-matrix contrast and quanitfy two metrics:
- fragmentation impact
- edge sensitivity
People
Teaching
This research informs our undergraduate module BIO8072: Dynamics of Coupled Human-Natural Systems.
Carnivore sociality
The project looks at how and why animals form groups and the relationships between different factors that are thought to influence sociality in carnivores.
The research has a particular focus on behaviours relating to:
- food acquisition
- territorial defence
- predator defence
It investigates the evolutionary consequences of sociality. The project examines these relationships by using a range of modelling approaches.
This is in order to understand how and why animals form groups so we can better understand how to conserve and protect threatened carnivore species.
People
- Jess Ward
- Steve Rushton
- Aileen Mill
- Pete Robertson
Teaching
The research informs undergraduate module BIO3003: Ecological Modelling.
Climate change and land use: towards the understanding of anthropogenic and warming effects on the Pantanal biodiversity
We are involved with this large-scale international co-operation research project. It aims to understand impacts of climate and land use changes on the biodiversity and functions of the Pantanal in Brazil.
The project is funded by the Brazilian Government.
People
Conservation of Galliformes in the Greater Himalayas
With 25% of their species threatened, Galliformes are under major pressure from human disturbance.
Relatively well studied in China and the Indian subcontinent, basic data is still lacking on most of the species/genera inhabiting southeast Asia. This impedes the effectiveness of conservation management efforts.
Important conservation questions include:
- distribution status
- population trends
- hot-spot areas for species protection
Collaboration with King Mongkut's
We work in collaboration with the Conservation Ecology Program at King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi, on conservation ecology of a range of Galliformes species. The Greater Himalaya is home to many sacred landscapes and source of eight largest rivers of Asia and has three of the world’s 35 global biodiversity hotspots.
The region has been identified as having high number of threatened species, which makes the Himalayas as an area of high conservation concern. There are 24 species of Galliformes that are either endemic or near- endemic to the Greater Himalayas and are well recognised for their ecological, socio-cultural and economic values.
Despite their ecological and conservation prominence, the group remains poorly known, making conservation decision-making difficult. We carry out research to explore the availability and use of data in understanding and planning for the conservation of Himalayan Galliformes.
People
- Garima Gupta
- Phil McGowan
- Roy Sanderson
- Jon Dunn
- Matt Grainger
Teaching
This research informs the undergraduate module BIO3010: Conservation Research in Tropical Forest.
Forest Restoration and Climate Experiment (FoRCE)
FoRCE is a pantropical experiment, with permanent field plots in Tanzania and Australia.
We aim to measure and understand long-term tropical forest dynamics and interactions with climate, human disturbance and experimental management.
We are using a combination of permanent sampling plots, hemispherical photographs, experimental vine removal and remote sensing.
This project is funded by the Australian Research Council and runs in collaboration with Dr Andrew Marshall (University of Sunshine Coast, Australia).
People
Teaching
This research informs undergraduate modules BIO3039: Biodiversity Science and Management and BIO2028: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation.
Interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Agenda for Sustainable Development 2015 – 2030 encompasses 17 Sustainable Development Goals that aim to tackle social, economic and environmental challenges globally.
We work on a range of projects on the policy coherence of the Sustainable Development Goals. Our research addresses links between the different goals.
This is in order to find synergies and trade-offs between them that can help identify strategic approaches to tackling sustainable development.
We use graph theory and evidence synthesis methods to assess how different goals, or targets within goals, are linked, to inform where future research would make the most difference.
We work closely with Newcastle’s Institute for Sustainability and Global Challenges Academy.
Our work also contributed to a position paper, which was prepared by the Science and Technology Major Group and submitted to the 2018 UN High Level Political Forum, on “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”.
People
International species conservation policy
Globally, species are showing population declines and species extinctions continue to occur. We aim to inform the international policy response to this biodiversity crisis through scientific analysis and engagement with policy makers.
In 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Strategic Plan 2011-2020, which included 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. 196 Parties (195 countries and the EU) signed up to achieving these targets by 2020. Target 12 deals specifically with species, and states:
"By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained."
Globally, we are not on track to achieve this target, instead, we are moving away from it. Moreover, the targets will be renegotiated in 2020, and so this is a critical time to make advances in species conservation in order to inform the next set of international biodiversity targets.
Our research aims to understand:
- why progress towards Target 12 has been limited
- what can be done to improve progress in species conservation
We aim to provide the scientific evidence required to inform the next international species conservation target.
Building scientific evidence
We work to synthesise existing evidence to inform species conservation policy. We also collaborate with colleagues across the scientific community to develop strategic approaches to species conservation.
We have an extensive network of collaborators at IUCN, BirdLife and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Our aim is to use scientific methods to scale-up species conservation in order to achieve greater progress towards species conservation targets.
Engaging with policy makers
We actively engage with international policy makers to communicate our science.
Dr Philip McGowan is chair of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission Post-2020 Biodiversity Targets Task Force, which is supported by Dr Rike Bolam.
The task force works at the science-policy interface, bringing the latest scientific evidence to policy makers.
In collaboration with other members of the task force and colleagues at IUCN, Dr McGowan, Dr Bolam and Dr Mair engage with policy makers by producing information documents and hosting side events at CBD meetings.
People
Knowledge Transfer Partnership decision support tools for deer management
This is a collaboration led by Alastair Ward of the University of Hull and The Deer Initiative to develop decision support tools for wild deer management in Great Britian.
People
Microclimate variation in forest-agricultural landscapes
We are upscaling habitat traits that matter for biodiversity in human-modified tropical landscapes.
The main goal of this pilot project is to map, understand and predict changes in forest and crop quality along climate and disturbance gradients.
We use a range of different sensors to measure in the field and from above vegetation canopies. The research will test different sensors focusing on African landscapes.
We define quality of forest and crops through measures of vegetation canopy stress and canopy structure, the latter regulating essential ecosystem functions (i.e. microclimate, productivity).
This research is a step towards understanding crop quality and productivity in the context of a forest-agricultural landscape in the tropics.
Ultimately, we aim to be able to predict the capacity of natural tree cover (e.g. forest patches, tree lines) to act as a key element of ecosystem-based adaptation strategies that buffer agricultural community livelihoods and food security from environmental shocks.
This project is funded by a Royal Society Research Grant and runs in collaboration with:
- Dr Pieter Olivier (MAP Scientific Services)
- Mr Mike Boyle (Imperial College London)
People
Teaching
This research informs our postgraduate module BIO8014: GIS and Remote Sensing.
Red Squirrels United
Red Squirrels United is a collaboration between academics and conservation partners to develop invasive species management for the protection of red squirrels.
Red Squirrels United is receiving €1.6 million of funding from EU LIFE and The Heritage Lottery Fund.
It unites more than 30 different organisations and is supported by UK Government nature conservation agencies.
Newcastle University are modelling the impact of the project and evaluating the local community-based conservation actions across the project to develop, share and promote best practise for invasive species management.
People
- Aileen Mill
- Zelda van der Waal
- Simone Caruso
Teaching
This research helps inform undergraduate module BIO3039: Biodiversity Science and Management and postgraduate module BIO8063: Invasive Species.
Remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring and mapping
We're maximising the potential of earth observation for biodiversity modelling and mapping.
This research aims to integrate emerging conceptual changes in landscape ecology with recent advances in:
- biodiversity monitoring and mapping (BIOFRAG project)
- ecosytem function monitoring and mapping (Terrestrial LIDAR, Global LAI project)
This will help us identify suitable metrics that could be used as Essential Biodiversity Variables.
People
Teaching
This research informs postgraduate module BIO8014: GIS and Remote Sensing.
Roads through rainforests: measuring biodiversity impacts in Brunei
We currently lack the capacity to predict which species and ecosystem functions are sensitive to increasing road pressure in fragmented forested landscapes.
We also need to be able to model and map road effects on biodiversity at landscape scales to achieve the integration of biodiversity values into national and local development strategies and planning processes.
In this research, we measure, model, predict and map responses of mammals and herpetofauna to forest fragmentation caused by road construction. We account for confounding factors, including species traits and anthropogenic hunting.
The project is focused on forests in Brunei Darussalam, which still cover vast tracts of Brunei’s land surfaces (unlike neighbouring countries in Borneo) but are likely to become the target of ongoing road expansion.
Biodiversity in these forests is also affected by not yet quantified hunting pressures.
The project is funded by Newcastle University Research Excellence Academy in collaboration with Prof Ferry Slik and Prof Ulmar Grafe at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
People
- Marion Pfeifer
- Laura Braunholtz
- Phil McGowan
Room to roam and hotspots of conservation conflicts - lions, ungulates and people in the matrix
This research aims to determine the viability of the landscape matrix for free-roaming lions in East Africa. Anthropogenic pressures, primarily loss of habitat and prey, as well as conflict with humans, have led to precipitous declines in lion numbers and range over the past century.
Although protected areas are key to lion survival, much of their range lies outside these areas in community land where they must co-exist with pastoralist communities and their livestock.
This project assesses current and future viability of the landscape for lions using remote sensing data on habitat and land use. In addition, the project will map hotspots of human-lion conflict and their likely outcomes through collaboration with partners in East Africa, including the Ruaha Carnivore Project.
Working in Tanzania, the impact of various mitigation schemes on conflict levels and community attitudes will be examined. The findings of this study will have implications for management and policy aimed at reversing lion declines.
This project is funded through a NERC IAPETUS DTP and runs in collaboration with:
- Dr Amy Dickman (Oxford University & Ruaha Carnivore Conservation Project)
- Prof Nils Bunnefeld (University of Stirling)
- Mr Nicolas Deere (University of Kent)
- Dr Phil Platts (University of York)
- Dr Oliver Wearn (ZSL)
People
Teaching
This research informs undergraduate module BIO3039: Biodiversity Science and Management.
Socio-ecological indicators for marine management
Widespread exploitation of sharks has resulted in substantial declines in shark populations. 30% of shark species are globally at risk of extinction.
About 50% of shark species are data deficient and subsequently the precautionary approach has resulted in vast shark sanctuaries instigated in 17 countries.
However, evaluating the effectiveness of sanctuaries in supporting sustainable fisheries has been impeded by:
- a lack of robust socio-ecological data
- access to alternative livelihoods for fishers
- supportive participatory governance mechanisms fit for policy use
This interdisciplinary project aims to advance the UK’s contribution to the global need for improving and maintaining marine biodiversity (SDG 14).
We aim to disentangle complex relationships between sharks and marine ecosystems and assess stakeholder perceptions of shark sanctuaries to forecast user compliance.
The findings of this study will identify socio-ecological indicators for fishery policy and science advisors worldwide to determine the effectiveness of shark sanctuaries to sustain marine biodiversity and avoid unintended consequences leading to poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2).
People
- Selina Stead
- Andrew Close
- Danielle Robinson
Tropical biodiversity and human wellbeing
We're identifying win-win solutions for conservation and development.
This research is exploring new frameworks and new tools to measure and model trade-offs between human wellbeing indicators and biodiversity indicators in human-modified tropical landscapes of Tanzania.
The work is funded by NERC White Rose DTP and runs in collaboration with:
- Andrew Marshall, University of Sunshine Coast Australia
- Professor Susannah Sallu, University of Leeds
People
- Marion Pfeifer
- Robin Loveridge
Teaching
The research informs undergraduate modules:
Tropical canopy dynamics
We are modelling, mapping and predicting dynamics of tropical canopies.
This project compiles and analyses canopy structure data estimated using hemispherical photography in natural and man-made biomes of the tropics.
Our aim is to understand climate and disturbance dependencies of tropical canopy structure, including:
- leaf area (LAI)
- fractional vegetation cover (FCover)
- fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR)