Ecosystems Science
The Ecosystem Sciences theme, EcoSci, concerns
understanding the interactions between land-use and biodiversity, and the wider
context within which these interactions occur.
Land-use through the
exploitation of natural resources, agricultural production and urbanisation has
an impact at various levels of biological organisation. It affects the
expression of genes within individuals, the movement of individual organisms
and propagules, the dynamics of populations and the structure of communities.
Biodiversity also impacts on land-use and human populations dependent on the
way land is used via ecosystem services it provides such as pollination,
natural pest control and soil health. Understanding and managing these linkages
is the key challenge for the ecological sciences. We also need to be
able to understand how social, economic, political and technological factors
shape the way land is used, and how land-use may change in the future in
response to climate change. The role of EcoSci is to bring together
multi- and inter-disciplinary teams of researchers to meet these challenges.
Further information about our research related to this theme
and the individuals involved can be obtained by visiting our website (currently
under development) or by contacting the theme leaders, Professor Ken Norris (k.norris@rdg.ac.uk) and Dr Mike Wilkinson
(m.j.wilkinson@rdg.ac.uk).
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