School of Geography and the Environment

• Current Projects
• Recent Projects (since 2006)

Current Projects

Decomposition of deadwood debris left over from tropical rainforest logging operations Prof Yadvinder Malhi, NERC; 2017-2020.

Managing the High Seas Dr Richard Bailey with Math, Oxford Martin School, led by Zoology. Oxford Martin School; 2016-2020.

Biomes of Brazil - resilience, recovery and diversity Prof Yadvinder Malhi. NERC; 2016-2019.

EKN Tool Assessor: Facilitating the application of Innovative tools for assessing natural capital Dr Rob Dunford and Alison Smith, NERC; 2016-2017.

Governance for ecosystem services and poverty alleviation (GESPA) Dr Connie McDermott with multiple research partners, NERC; 2016-2017.

Grazing systems report Dr Tara Garnett. CSIRO, 2016-2017.

Nature's value in policy and practice: Evaluating trade-offs between forest and freshwater ecosystems Dr Rob Dunford, Fell Fund; 2016-2017.

Opportunities to develop an online PGIS tool for stakeholders in Essex Dr Pam Berry, ESRC IAA; 2016-2017.

Socio-ecological response and resilience to El Niño shocks: the case of coffee and cocoa agroforestry landscapes in Africa Prof Yadvinder Malhi. NERC; 2016-2017.

Tools for planning and evaluating urban green infrastructure - Bicester and beyond Dr Pam Berry. NERC Green Infrastructure; 2016-2017.

Human-modified Tropical Forest Programme Management Prof Yadvinder Malhi. NERC; 2015-2019.

Political animals: rethinking Indian modernity Dr Maan Barua. British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship; 2014-2017.

GEM-TRAIT: The global ecosystems monitoring and trait study Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the European Research Council (ERC); 2013-2018.

IMPRESSIONS: Impacts and risks from higher-end scenarios: strategies for innovative solutions Dr Paula Harrison with multiple research partners. Financial support from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme; 2013-2018.

OPENNESS: Operationalisation of natural capital and ecosystem services: from concepts to real-world applications Dr Paula Harrison and multiple research partners. Financial support from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme; 2013-2018.

ECOFOR: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in degraded and recovering Amazonian and Atlantic forests Prof. Yadvinder Malhi with multiple research partners. Financial support from NERC; 2013-2017.

Recent Projects (since 2006)

Global Systems Monitoring Network TV Prof Yadvinder Malhi. Fell Fund; 2015.

Megafauna and ecosystem functions: measuring impacts of animals on nutrient dispersal Dr Chris Doughty. Fell Fund; 2015.

Can sugars be extracted from intact tropical forests to provide green liquid biofuel? Dr Chris Doughty. Financial support from the John Fell Fund, University of Oxford; 2014-2015.

reptilr.org - A worldwide resource for reptile biogeography Dr Richard Grenyer. Financial support from the John Fell Fund, University of Oxford; 2014-2015.

Bali - Biodiversity and Land-Use Impacts on Tropical Ecosystem Function Prof. Yadvinder Malhi together with Plant Sciences, Oxford Financial support from the NERC; 2013-2015.

Current policies and future scenarios for Asian elephant conservation Maan Barua. Financial support from the Elephant Family; 2013-2015.

INTEGRAL: Future-oriented integrated management of European forest landscapes Dr Connie McDermott in collaboration with several partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2011-2015.

BESAFE: Biodiversity and ecosystem services: arguments for our future environment Dr Paula Harrison and Dr Pam Berry. Financial support from the European Commission; 2011-2015.

GEOCARBON: An operational integrated global carbon observation and analysis system Professor Yadvinder Malhi in collaboration with multiple partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2011-2014.

Does shifting carbon use efficiency determine the growth rates of intact and disturbed tropical forests? Gathering new evidence from African forests Professor Yadvinder Malhi in collaboration with multiple partners. Financial support from NERC; 2011-2014.

Carbon monitoring through the SAFE project (Malaysia) Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from Rainforest Research SDN BHD; 2010-2015.

BioFresh: Biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems: status, trends, pressures and conversation priorities Dr Paul Jepson in collaboration with multiple partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2009-2014.

AMAZONICA: Amazon integrated carbon analysis Professor Yadvinder Malhi in collaboration with multiple partners. Financial support from NERC; 2008-2014.

Qualifying carbon - building trust and credibility in REDD+ through reflexive, multi-level governance Dr Thomas Thornton and Dr Connie McDermott. Financial support from the John Fell Fund, University of Oxford; 2012-2013.

Variation of carbon allocation with rainfall, temperature and elevation Prof. Yadvinder Malhi and Dr Toby Marthews. Financial support from the John Fell Fund, University of Oxford; 2012-2013.

Large area effects of dry season and drought on the structure, composition and function of forests in the Western Amazon Basin Professor Yadvinder Malhi in collaboration with the University of Leeds. Financial support from the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation; 2011-2012.

Climate change, deforestation and the future of African rainforests Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Waterloo Foundation; 2011.

Development of canopy observatory at Wytham Woods to monitor climate and understand long-term carbon balance of ancient semi-natural woodland Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from Natural England; 2011.

Pre-cursor to the Virtual Observatory Initiative Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from CEH Oxford; 2011.

UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) - England Synthesis Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with multiple research partners. Financial support from Countryside Council for Wales, Defra, ESRC, NERC; Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government; 2011.

Understanding the implications of climate change for woodland biodiversity and community functioning Dr Pam Berry. Financial support from the Forestry Commission, 2011.

Biological controls on soil respiration and its climatic response across a large tropical elevation gradient Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2010-2013.

CLIMSAVE: Climate change integrated assessment methodology for cross-sectoral adaptation and vulnerability in Europe Dr Paula Harrison with multiple research partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2010-2013.

CLIMATEGOV: Managing interactions between international agreements: dealing with diversity in global climate governance Dr Heike Schroeder. Financial support from the European Commission; 2010-2011.

EMBEDS: Embedding biodiversity adaptation principles Dr Pam Berry. Financial support from Defra; 2010-2011.

Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation - West Africa Professor Yadvinder Malhi, Dr Constance McDermott and Dr Lauren Coad with multiple research partners. Financial support from NERC; 2010-2011.

Human adaptation to biodiversity change: building and testing concepts, methods, and tools for understanding and supporting autonomous adaptation Dr Tom Thornton in collaboration with the University of Kent. Financial support from DFID, NERC and ESRC; 2010-2011.

Valuing, implementing and evaluating payments for ecosystems services in rural West Africa Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2010-2011.

RECCE: The resilience of ecosystems to environmental change Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with the University of Nottingham. Financial support from Defra; 2010.

The dynamics and carbon implications of fires in the Andes Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2009-2012.

Diagnosis and decision-making criteria to attenuate the effect of global change on biodiversity in the Congo Basin forests Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from NERC; 2009-2012.

Andes carbon stocks Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Blue Moon Fund, Inc.; 2009-2010.

Carbon sticks and flux in the Congo basin Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; 2009-2010.

Development of a methodology to quantify UV-B flux through time using UV-B absorbing compounds contained in fossil Pinus spp. sporopollenin Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from NERC and John Fell Fund; 2009-2010.

Impacts of climate change on Burham Beeches Dr Pam Berry. Financial support from the City of London; 2009-2010.

Understanding the factors influencing the practical application of the UKCP09 to land management for environmental benefit Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with HR Wallingford and Cranfield University. Financial support from Defra; 2009-2010.

RAINFOR: Understanding of the carbon balance of Amazon forests Professor Yadvinder Malhi with multiple research partners. Financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; 2008-2012.

Quantifying carbon cycling research at Wytham Woods Professor Yadvinder Malhi and Terhi Riutta in collaboration with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Financial support from the Smithsonian Institution and HSBC Climate Partnership; 2008-2012.

Environmental policy challenges for the 21st Century - centre for tropical forest science and policy Professor Diana Liverman and Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Oxford Martin School / James Martin Institute; 2008-2011.

Indigenous-State relations in Alaska and beyond: sustainable livelihoods, biocultural diversity and health since the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Dr Tom Thornton. Financial support from the National Science Foundation; 2008-2011.

Interactions between climate, forests and land use in the Amazon basin Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; 2008-2011.

Quantifying the variation of woodland carbon dynamics and plant ecology in the upper Thames area Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the Earthwatch Institute (Europe); 2008-2011.

A study on the potential role of soil organic carbon in the value of site and national REDD projects Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from Conservation International Foundation; 2008-2009.

North east climate change biodiversity study Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with AEA and KBA. Financial support from AEA Technology Plc; 2008-2009.

Mapping and quantifying post-fire carbon budget in Amazonia Dr Luiz Aragao. Financial support from NERC; 2008-2009.

Separating soil respiration into autotrophic and hetertropic components in Peruvian montane rain forest Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2008-2009.

Reconnaisance trip - Biomass and carbon stocks in the tropical forests of Gabon Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the World Wildlife Fund UK; 2008.

Burning for biodiversity Dr Kate Parr in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, Charles Darwin University and South African National Parks. Financial support from the Trapnell Fund, Rufford Small Grants Foundation, John Fell Fund and National Geographic Society; 2007-2010.

Landscape in Western Ghats Professor Kathy Willis and Dr Shonil Bhagwat. Financial support from the Leverhulme Trust; 2007-2010.

Climate and ecosystem dynamics in an Andean to Amazon transect Professor Yadvinder Malhi and Professor Mark New in collaboration with the Universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, San Antonio Abad and Wake Forest University. Financial support from NERC, Moore Foundation, Microsoft Research and the John Fell Fund; 2007-2009.

ESA - Biomass Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the European Space Agency; 2007-2009.

SPAR Professor Rob Whittaker. Financial support from the European Commission; 2007-2008.

TROBIT: Tropical biomes in transition Professor Yadvinder Malhi and Professor Mark New with multiple research partners. Financial support from NERC; 2006-2011.

Restoring native biological diversity in the Galapagos Islands Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from NERC; 2005-2011.

A detailed assessment of ecosystem carbon dynamics along an elevation transect Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2006-2009.

QUERCC: Quantifying and understanding ecosystems role in the carbon cycle Professor Yadvinder Malhi in collaboration with multiple research partners. Financial support from NERC; 2006-2009.

Quest LGM to present Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from the NERC; 2006-2009.

RUBICODE: Rationalising biodiversity conservation in dynamic ecosystems Dr Paula Harrison in collaboration with multiple research partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2006-2009.

Forest conservation Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from the European Commission; 2006-2008.

Land degradation in Tanzania Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from the AHRC, 2006-2008.

MACIS: Minimisation of and adaptation to climate change impacts on biodiversity Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with multiple partners. Financial support from the European Commission; 2006-2008.

Assessing the impacts of the recent Amazonian drought Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2006.

A market-led response to domestic bird trade in Indonesia Dr Paul Jepson and Dr Richard Ladle in collaboration with Burung Indonesia, Indonesian Bird Association and Nielsen Indonesia. Financial support from Darwin Initiative and the Dept. of Environment, Transport and the Regions; 2005-2008.

Long-term ecology of sacred groves in the Western Ghats of India Professor Kathy Willis and Dr Shonil Bhagwat. Financial support from the British Ecological Society; 2005-2006.

Target monitoring of atmospheric pollution and climate change impacts on biodiversity Dr Pam Berry. Financial support from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; 2005-2006.

Vegetation history and reconstruction of prehistoric landscapes in north China Professor Kathy Willis. Financial support from the Royal Society; 2005-2006.

Accelerated tree growth in Amazonia: ecological changes and environmental drivers Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2004-2008.

Why do different Amazonian forests grow at different rates? Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from NERC; 2004-2008.

BRANCH: Biodiversity requires adaptations in north west Europe under a changing climate Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with English Heritage and others. Financial support from the European Commission; 2004-2007.

PAN-AMAZONIA: Project for the advancement of networked science in Amazonia Professor Yadvinder Malhi. Financial support from the European Commission; 2004-2007.

Wittenham Clumps heritage landscape project: future landscape scenarios Dr Pam Berry in collaboration with the Northmoor Trust and Stockholm Environment Institute. Financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund; 2004-2006.

Prehistoric human impact on the African rainforest Professor Kathy Willis, Dr Terry Brncic and Dr Elinor Breman. Financial support from the Leverhulme Trust, Percy Sladen Memorial Fund, Clarendon Fund, CoForChange and British Ecological Society; 2003-2006.

MONARCH: Modelling natural resource responses to climate change Dr Pam Berry and Dr Paula Harrison in collaboration with ADAS (Phase 1 only), British Trust for Ornithology (Phase 1 only), and CABI Bioscience (Phase 2 and 3). Financial support from English Nature and others; 1999-2006.