Understanding the impact of future development schemes on the natural environment

The South East of the UK is one of the densely-populated areas of Europe. The demands on infrastructure, water needs and urban development place particular pressures on greenspace and natural environment. What is still missing are a set of tools which can assess the impact of these planned developments on the natural environment and which will allow decision makers evaluate the possible benefits as well as impacts of particular development schemes (e.g. greenspaces, eco developments, better water infrastructure). This PhD will seek to develop these tools, describing the changes in ecosystem goods and services as various development schemes or infrastructure plans are assessed. For these tools to be practical and useful to industry, they need be both reflective of the underlying natural processes but also easy and time efficient in their use. Interacting closely with our Industrial partners, the PhD will apply these tools to current development schemes in the South East, ensuring that the research is exciting, current and immediately applicable to contemporary societal needs.