Explaining niche separation in tropical forests: feedbacks between root-fungal symbioses and soil phosphorus partitioning
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Aberdeen
Department Name: Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
Abstract
High diversity is a striking feature of almost all tropical forests, which provide numerous important ecosystem functions, and contribute to the resilience of communities in response to global change. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the origin and maintenance of tropical forest diversity, recent theoretical work suggest that resource partitioning for soil phosphorus (P) is likely to be one of the main contributors to tropical plant diversity and coexistence. However, we currently lack vital experimental evidence to test this hypothesis, which requires understanding the relationships among mycorrhizal plant and fungal diversity, and soil P fractions in these systems, and how these associations relate to P utilisation. In this proposal, we will therefore determine the network of interactions among plants and mycorrhizal fungi in the field, and show using manipulation experiments whether this is related to edaphic factors, and in particular the composition and structure of the soil P pool. This aim requires coupling a comprehensive and unique dataset of spatial analyses of plant diversity with new analyses of mycorrhizal fungal diversity and soil nutrient pools in pristine tropical forest, and novel manipulation experiments. This project will show whether, despite overall nutrient limitation, the diversity of a mineral fraction in the soil is a driver of plant hyperdiversity. This will make a step-change in our understanding of the role of soil biodiversity in niche separation.
The project will provide mechanistic insight into the maintenance of hyper-diverse plant communities and make a step-change in our understanding of the role of soil biodiversity in niche separation within tropical tree communities. It targets NERC priority areas in biodiversity, and will aid stakeholders who are charged with managing plant and soil biodiversity and the goods and services provided by tropical ecosystems (see Pathways to Impact).
The project will provide mechanistic insight into the maintenance of hyper-diverse plant communities and make a step-change in our understanding of the role of soil biodiversity in niche separation within tropical tree communities. It targets NERC priority areas in biodiversity, and will aid stakeholders who are charged with managing plant and soil biodiversity and the goods and services provided by tropical ecosystems (see Pathways to Impact).
Planned Impact
Our project will help understand the mechanisms that maintain the remarkable richness of tree species found in pristine SE Asian tropical forests. It will also highlight the importance of above-below ground interactions and encourage conservation organisations to have broad perspectives on how to conserve these keystone ecosystems. Because it impacts on several aspects of tropical forest ecology and sustainability it will be of interest to a broad range of end-users and stakeholders.
1. Politicians in Malaysia and the UK who seek to find a balance between timber production and forest sustainability
Examples: The Sabah State Government is committed to sustainable forest management through it current forestry policy and will benefit from evidence-based understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that determine biogeochemical cycling and maintenance of forest biodiversity. We will seek to inform and influence these policies through on-going interactions with the Sabah Forestry Department and contributions to local media. Similarly the UK and devolved governments have policies to limit procurement of tropical timber to well-managed forests and will benefit from blue-skies research that provides the evidence base for an understanding of the determinants of tropical forest sustainability.
2. Private sector companies who seek to exploit lowland tropical forests for commercial reasons
Examples: Sustainable timber production from forests is dependent on maintenance of functioning biogeochemical cycles that are themselves heavily reliant on plant-microbial interactions. Although the role and importance of mycorrhizal interactions will not be well-known to timber producers, they will be understood by technical staff in forest nurseries who generate seedlings for re-planting programmes. To reach this audience we will target training in mycorrhizal inoculation techniques for staff of the nurseries that supply seedlings for large-scale rehabilitation of degraded logged forests adjacent to the Danum Valley Conservation Area.
3. National and international organisations who have remits for conservation of tropical diversity, e.g. WWF, International Mycological Association, International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Examples: We are already active in the IUCN's Species Survival Commission, and our research will therefore inform the development of conservation assesments and advice that feeds into the international conservation policy agenda. Data on the identity, role and conservation status of tropical fungi are currently very limited, therefore the new data from our project will achieve a high profile in discussions around conservation policy for tropical fungi. Indirectly, our work will also be relevant to the needs of those with interests in understanding the causes and importance of plant diversity more generally, including the UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group (UK BRAG) who highlight the urgent need to understand the link between plant and microbial functional diversity.
4. The Sabah Tourism Board and the Sabah Foundation
Examples: Tourism policy in Sabah is heavily based on its remaining patches of primary tropical forest such as the DVCA. We will generate display and education materials for the Borneo Rainforest Lodge and the Rainforest Discovery Centre summarising research findings in a manner accessible to local and foreign tourists.
5. The general public through educational activities associated with the project (see Pathways to Impact)
Examples: The future of tropical rainforests is of concern to the general public in the UK and Malaysia and publicity for forest destruction can elicit negative responses, while support for NGOs and organisations supporting conservation and restoration of tropical forest remains strong. We will access these groups using our website, contributions to media, popular articles, talks and interactive sessions and events targeting public engagement with science.
1. Politicians in Malaysia and the UK who seek to find a balance between timber production and forest sustainability
Examples: The Sabah State Government is committed to sustainable forest management through it current forestry policy and will benefit from evidence-based understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that determine biogeochemical cycling and maintenance of forest biodiversity. We will seek to inform and influence these policies through on-going interactions with the Sabah Forestry Department and contributions to local media. Similarly the UK and devolved governments have policies to limit procurement of tropical timber to well-managed forests and will benefit from blue-skies research that provides the evidence base for an understanding of the determinants of tropical forest sustainability.
2. Private sector companies who seek to exploit lowland tropical forests for commercial reasons
Examples: Sustainable timber production from forests is dependent on maintenance of functioning biogeochemical cycles that are themselves heavily reliant on plant-microbial interactions. Although the role and importance of mycorrhizal interactions will not be well-known to timber producers, they will be understood by technical staff in forest nurseries who generate seedlings for re-planting programmes. To reach this audience we will target training in mycorrhizal inoculation techniques for staff of the nurseries that supply seedlings for large-scale rehabilitation of degraded logged forests adjacent to the Danum Valley Conservation Area.
3. National and international organisations who have remits for conservation of tropical diversity, e.g. WWF, International Mycological Association, International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Examples: We are already active in the IUCN's Species Survival Commission, and our research will therefore inform the development of conservation assesments and advice that feeds into the international conservation policy agenda. Data on the identity, role and conservation status of tropical fungi are currently very limited, therefore the new data from our project will achieve a high profile in discussions around conservation policy for tropical fungi. Indirectly, our work will also be relevant to the needs of those with interests in understanding the causes and importance of plant diversity more generally, including the UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group (UK BRAG) who highlight the urgent need to understand the link between plant and microbial functional diversity.
4. The Sabah Tourism Board and the Sabah Foundation
Examples: Tourism policy in Sabah is heavily based on its remaining patches of primary tropical forest such as the DVCA. We will generate display and education materials for the Borneo Rainforest Lodge and the Rainforest Discovery Centre summarising research findings in a manner accessible to local and foreign tourists.
5. The general public through educational activities associated with the project (see Pathways to Impact)
Examples: The future of tropical rainforests is of concern to the general public in the UK and Malaysia and publicity for forest destruction can elicit negative responses, while support for NGOs and organisations supporting conservation and restoration of tropical forest remains strong. We will access these groups using our website, contributions to media, popular articles, talks and interactive sessions and events targeting public engagement with science.
Organisations
- University of Aberdeen (Lead Research Organisation)
- Smithsonian Institution (Collaboration)
- Forest Research Centre (Collaboration)
- Sun Yat-sen University (Collaboration)
- SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (Collaboration)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Project Partner)
- University of Tartu (Project Partner)
Publications
Medina-Vega JA
(2024)
Tropical tree ectomycorrhiza are distributed independently of soil nutrients.
in Nature ecology & evolution
Jucker T
(2018)
Topography shapes the structure, composition and function of tropical forest landscapes
in Ecology Letters
Shenkin A
(2019)
The World's Tallest Tropical Tree in Three Dimensions
in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Brearley F
(2017)
Testing the importance of a common ectomycorrhizal network for dipterocarp seedling growth and survival in tropical forests of Borneo
in Plant Ecology & Diversity
Johnson D
(2023)
Symbiotic control of canopy dominance in subtropical and tropical forests.
in Trends in plant science
Liang M
(2021)
Soil fungal networks moderate density-dependent survival and growth of seedlings.
in The New phytologist
Liang M
(2020)
Soil fungal networks maintain local dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees
in Nature Communications
Bongalov Boris
(2019)
Reconciling the contribution of environmental and stochastic structuring of tropical forest diversity through the lens of imaging spectroscopy
in ECOLOGY LETTERS
Johnson D
(2023)
Phosphorus acquisition and canopy dominance in tropical and subtropical forests: response to Brearley et al.
in Trends in Plant Science
Liu X
(2018)
Partitioning of soil phosphorus among arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal trees in tropical and subtropical forests.
in Ecology letters
Description | We have discovered that different tropical tree species access different chemical forms of the key limiting plant nutrient in tropical forests from soils. This difference among tree species is related to the major group of fungi that colonize their roots, termed mycorrhizas. Fungi of the ectomycorrhizal type are able to access complex organic sources of P, while those of the arbuscular mycorrhizal type can only access inorganic forms of P in soil. This difference may help to explain the dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees in Southeast Asian rain forests. Our new results (published 2020 and 2021) have demonstrated that trees with the ectomycorrhizal fungal type are better able to protect themselves against the fungal pathogens that build up in the soils around their mother trees than trees with the arbuscular mycorrhizal type. This has two consequences; firstly, fungal pathogens that specialise on ectomycorrhizal trees are much less abundant on the roots of seedlings that establish beneath the canopy of mother ectomycorrhizal trees than the specialist pathogens of arbuscular mycorrhizal trees, and, secondly, the protection provided by ectomycorrhizas results in a positive feedback that helps explain the localised dominance of these trees in many forests. Examples of forests where ectomycorrhizal trees dominate, which includes pine, oak and beech, occur in boreal, temperate and tropical environments. |
Exploitation Route | This information will be useful to ecologists and foresters concerned with rehabilitation of degraded tropical forest soils, which may have lost their organic matter and therefore their stocks of organic P able to support regeneration of ectomycorrhizal trees. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Energy Environment |
Description | The results of this research have been used as raw material for training research assistants in Malaysia. This has enhanced their capacity to implement research in association with local agencies such as the Sabah Forestry Department, and the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, thus contributing to overseas development in a LMIC. Policy makers in the forestry sector in Sabah, Malaysia, attended my presentation at the Heart of Borneo conference 2017, which contributed to an emerging consensus that an additional 400,000 ha of forest in Sabah should be set aside as protected area. Two Malaysian postgraduate students who were funded to attend the Tropical Biology Association field course at Danum Valley Field Centre in October 2018 have increased capacity for research in tropical forest ecology and management. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
Description | Development of new protected areas in Sabah |
Geographic Reach | Asia |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Combining long-term field data and remote sensing to test how tree diversity influences aboveground biomass recovery in logged tropical forests |
Amount | £650,416 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/X000281/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2023 |
End | 12/2026 |
Description | Newton Advanced Fellowship |
Amount | £74,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NAF\R1\201192 |
Organisation | Newton Fund |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2020 |
End | 09/2023 |
Description | Rainforest Trust |
Amount | £750,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Rainforest Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United States |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 09/2021 |
Description | Spatio-TEmporal Dynamics of Forest Response to ENSO Drought (STEED) |
Amount | £255,076 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/P004806/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2016 |
End | 05/2018 |
Description | UNDP-GEF |
Amount | $532,522 (USD) |
Organisation | United Nations (UN) |
Department | United Nations Development Programme |
Sector | Public |
Country | United States |
Start | 06/2016 |
End | 05/2018 |
Title | Archived data |
Description | Data-sets generated by the project are being archived during the publication process. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | None yet. |
Title | In situ seedling growth and survival of ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular trees in a subtropical forest in China |
Description | This dataset reports results on seedling growth and survival for two hyphal exclusion experiments in a subtropical forest. The data include survival status, height, total biomass and the biomass of component plant parts, percentage root colonisation by mycorrhizas, for tree seedlings of ten common species including five ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and five arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) species, which were transplanted in the in-growth cores with windows covering different sizes of nylon meshes (35 vs. 0.5 µm). The dataset provides raw data on growth and survival metrics for each seedling, plus identifying codes for the dominant sites where the experiments were conducted, as well as experimental block, mesh treatment, botanical names for the tree species, and mycorrhizal type. The data were entered into Excel spreadsheets and exported as comma separated value files (csv). Study area - the Heishiding Nature Reserve (111°53'E, 23°27'N, 150-927 m a.s.l.) in Guangdong Province of south China. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The data-set archives the results presented in this paper: Liang, M., Johnson, D., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Yu, S., Fang, M., Taylor, J.D., Taylor, A.F.S., Helgason, T. & Liu, X. (2020) Soil fungal networks maintain local dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees. Nature Communications 11: 2636. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16507-y |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/f1d17e61-bb6c-47a9-a648-062c63ea7f16 |
Description | Forest Research Centre Sepilok |
Organisation | Forest Research Centre |
Country | Malaysia |
Sector | Learned Society |
PI Contribution | We have engaged with the Forest Research Centre, which is part of the Sabah Forestry Department, for work on soil chemistry and collaboration on pot experiments involving tropical tree seedlings. Members of our research team have visited the centre, conducted training and implemented experiments in collaboration with local scientists. |
Collaborator Contribution | Staff at the Forest Research Centre have provided access to nursery space, laboratory infrastructure and advice on species and sites for research. |
Impact | 1. Data-sets on plant and soil chemistry. 2. Experiments on responses of tree seedlings to experimental P addition.3. Publications. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute |
Organisation | Smithsonian Institution |
Department | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute |
Country | Panama |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Addition of a site to a global network of plots where soils are being sampled and analysed in a consistent manner. |
Collaborator Contribution | Chemical analysis of soil |
Impact | No outputs yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership |
Organisation | SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Designing and implementing research projects, including data collection, analysis and preparation of manuscripts. |
Collaborator Contribution | Logistics and support in Malaysia, including assistance with permit applications, site access and provisions of local infrastructure and personnel. |
Impact | Multiple presentations, presentations, policy documents and funding applications, as detailed elsewhere in the ResearchFish archive. |
Description | Sun Yat-sen University, China |
Organisation | Sun Yat-Sen University |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have maintained an on-going collaboration following the return to China of the postdoctoral research fellow on the NERC grant, Dr Xubing Liu, who is now on the faculty of Sun Yat-sen University. We have contributed advice and editorial assistance to Dr Liu in relation to grant proposals and papers, and training to members of his research team. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Liu and his team have collaborated with us on a Newton Advanced Fellowship project by establishing plots and experiments in China. He has implemented these using his research group with our active participation, including joint authorship of papers and exchange visits for training. |
Impact | Liang, M., Shi, L., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Johnson, D., Fang, M., Zhang, X. & Yu, S. (2021) Soil fungal networks moderate density-dependent survival and growth of seedlings. New Phytologist, 230, 2061-2071. doi.org/10.1111/nph.17237. Liang, M., Johnson, D., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Yu, S., Fang, M., Taylor, J.D., Taylor, A.F.S., Helgason, T. & Liu, X. (2020) Soil fungal networks maintain local dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees. Nature Communications 11: 2636. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16507-y. Liu, X., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Taylor, J.D., Taylor, A.F.S., Khoo, E., Majalap-Lee, N., Helgason, Y. & Johnson, D. (2018) Partitioning of soil phosphorus among arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal trees in tropical and subtropical forests. Ecology Letters, 21, 713-723 doi.org/10.1111/ele.12939. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Sun Yat-sen University, China |
Organisation | Sun Yat-Sen University |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have maintained an on-going collaboration following the return to China of the postdoctoral research fellow on the NERC grant, Dr Xubing Liu, who is now on the faculty of Sun Yat-sen University. We have contributed advice and editorial assistance to Dr Liu in relation to grant proposals and papers, and training to members of his research team. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Liu and his team have collaborated with us on a Newton Advanced Fellowship project by establishing plots and experiments in China. He has implemented these using his research group with our active participation, including joint authorship of papers and exchange visits for training. |
Impact | Liang, M., Shi, L., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Johnson, D., Fang, M., Zhang, X. & Yu, S. (2021) Soil fungal networks moderate density-dependent survival and growth of seedlings. New Phytologist, 230, 2061-2071. doi.org/10.1111/nph.17237. Liang, M., Johnson, D., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Yu, S., Fang, M., Taylor, J.D., Taylor, A.F.S., Helgason, T. & Liu, X. (2020) Soil fungal networks maintain local dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees. Nature Communications 11: 2636. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16507-y. Liu, X., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Taylor, J.D., Taylor, A.F.S., Khoo, E., Majalap-Lee, N., Helgason, Y. & Johnson, D. (2018) Partitioning of soil phosphorus among arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal trees in tropical and subtropical forests. Ecology Letters, 21, 713-723 doi.org/10.1111/ele.12939. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Consultancy report on inventory methods for estimating carbon storage in High Carbon stock forests |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Contribution to an evaluation and summary of methodologies for estimating carbon storage in High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry-led body seeking to improve the environmental and social sustainability of oil palm production. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.simedarby.com/sustainability/clients/simedarby_sustainability/assets/contentMS/img/templa... |
Description | Discussion with Food Scotland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Discussion with the Science Unit at Food Scotland regarding the results of research on the multi-elemental concentrations in tea, influenced by NERC research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Discussion with Sabah NGOs |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Discussion with Sabah NGOs BCI and PACOS on approaches for communicating prioritisation analyses for new protected areas to local communities |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Doors Open Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The annual Doors Open Day is an engagement event for the general public show-casing University research. A stand based on our NERC-funded research attracted a lot of attention and question from children and adults, many of whom reported never having stepped inside a University building before. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
Description | Dundee Root Medal Lecture, International Society of Root Research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited presentation to the International Society of Root Research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Food Crime Unit discussion |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dialogue with the Food Crime Unit within Food Scotland regarding the evidence for misrepresentation of products labelled as Scottish tea, influenced by results of NERC-funded research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | General talk to a public audience (Friends of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Supporters |
Results and Impact | Invitation to present a talk in the seminar series of the Friends of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden, which stimulated debate among members in relation to horticultural implications of my research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | International Year of Soils (seminar in Aberdeen) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation to about 50 trainee school teachers on the subject of soils and my research, connected the International Year of Soils |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | International webinar on Forest Conservation in Malaysia. Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Malaysia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited presentation and discussion on the topic of forest conservation in Malaysia |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Keynote presentation at Efforts Symposium, Bali |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Keynote presentation at a symposium organised to mark the end of phase funding by DFG to researchers at Gottingen University and their collaborators in various Indonesian universities. The event provided a useful opportunity for networking with Indonesian and German scientists and to engage in discussions around future research priorities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Meeting with UNDF GEF Small Grants Programme National Coordinator for Malaysia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Meeting with UNDF GEF Small Grants Programme National Coordinator for Malaysia on the identification of "other effective area based conservation measures" (OECMs), and their potential interest to co-fund future work. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | NESBREC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I participate in the Northeast Scotland Biological Recording Centre Advisory Group, which supports the work of biological records in Northeast Scotland. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
Description | Presentation at the Scottish Tea Factory |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation to a group of Scottish Tea Industry growers and retailers on the results of a Tea Authentication study influenced by NERC funded research. The event at the Scottish Tea Factory was attended by media representatives and others who have subsequently highlighted the study in local media and websites. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://issuu.com/theperthshiremagazine/docs/feb_issue |
Description | Presentation to Sabah stakeholders at the Danau Girang Field Centre's Science Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation on NERC-funded research to Sabah stakeholders at the Danau Girang Field Centre's Science Seminar (part of a two-day event) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation to Tea Gardens of Scotland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation to a group of Scottish Tea Growers on the results of research influenced by NERC funding, which contributed to discussion about the development of an authentication method for Scottish grown tea. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | REDD+ workshop Sabah Forestry Department |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A day-long workshop was held with the Sabah State REDD+ Project group to introduce members of that team to results from NERC-funded research on carbon and biodiversity accounting in Sabah. This involved a training component and an information dissemination component, and an assessment of future needs for capacity building and future research opportunities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SNH Sharing Good Practice event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I participated in a Sharing Good Practice event organised by Scottish Natural Heritage on the subject of woodland restoration, which included a presentation by me to an audience of professional conservation practitioners and from the public, private and third sectors. The day-long event involved plenary presentations and a series of workshops designed to share good practice in woodland restoration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Seminar on interim outputs on Prioritization with DFOs |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A seminar was held to brief District Forest Officers of the Sabah Forestry Department on the interim outputs of a prioritization exercise for selecting new protected areas in Sabah, influenced by NERC-funded research on the distribution of functional diversity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Seminar to brief District Officers (i.e. local government) in Sabah |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar to brief District Officers (i.e. local government) in Sabah on the second iteration outputs of prioritisation analyses for new protected areas. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Seminar to brief Sabah Forestry Department on the results of prioritisation analysis for new protected areas |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar to brief Sabah Forestry Department on the results of prioritisation analysis for new protected areas in Sabah, influenced by NERC-funded research on the distribution of functional diversity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Seminar to brief officials in Sabah Parks on prioritisation analysis |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar to brief officials from Sabah Parks (State government department) on prioritisation analyses for new protected areas. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Smithsonian Institution ForestGEO seminar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Webinar to international network of tropical forest researchers |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | TBA attendance at Danum |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Presentation to attendees on a month-long field course at Danum Valley in Sabah, Malaysia, regrading NERC-funded research at the field station. Attendees on TBA courses are an equal proportion of European and Southeast Asian students, and most of the Southeast Asian are postgraduate students who will continue as academics or conservation managers in their home countries. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Talk to Westhill Gardening Club |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I presented a talk to a local gardening club, which was informed by my on-going NERC-funded research. This sparked questions and debate afterwards, reflecting the horticultural implications of some of my research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Training workshop on R |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A 2-day training workshop in the use of R was held for government departments, NGOs and Universiti of Malaysia Sabah postgraduate students. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | UNDP Project Dissemination workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A workshop was held for forestry and land management professionals to disseminate the results of biodiversity monitoring research in Sabah. The workshop comprised a series of presentations and demonstrations by project team members, with follow-up discussion in break-out groups. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Webinar on Frontiers in Tropical Marine and Terrestrial Microbial Ecology. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited presentation and panel member for an international webinar on microbial ecology |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |