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Animal surveys at Gair Wood

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by Alana Thornton (@Ecologicalana | LinkedIn) This Summer I joined the University of Leeds woodland creation project, researching the diversity of animals currently found in the grassland habitat that is destined to become Gair Wood. The University are working in partnership with the United Bank of Carbon (UBoC) to plant ~60,000 trees on 37 hectares...

Baseline Data and Research Placement at Gair Wood

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by Ben Hodgson (@EcologieBen) I have just completed a six-week Research Experience Placement (REP) on the Gair Wood Project. Alongside helping to collect baseline ecological data by completing invertebrate and bird surveys on-site, I had the opportunity to complete my own small research project. I decided to investigate which environmental factors affected the species diversity and...

Tropical soil microbes are threatened by global warming

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Global warming is likely to cause a decline in the number of species of microbes that live in tropical soils, which could threaten the biodiversity of rainforests and increase carbon emissions. A recent paper, published in Nature Microbiology, gives evidence that tropical soils are “highly sensitive” to increased in temperatures. Dr Andrew Nottingham, from the...

Tropical forests recycle rain – can all climate models predict this?

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Researchers at the University of Leeds have found that a vital rainforest process, known as rainfall recycling, is predicted less reliably by scientific models in the Amazon than the Congo. The study was published recently in Geophysical Research Letters and is freely available online. Rainfall recycling is an important process in tropical regions and may...

Help create a forest! - Paid undergraduate opportunity to help develop climate resilient woodland in Leeds.

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Pay: £9.72/hr Duration: 6 weeks full time in July/August/September Eligibility: UK citizens and people with a pre-existing right to work in the UK, undertaking their first degree (undergraduate or integrated masters) at any UK university. Accessibility: Three additional placements are made available for applicants from under-represented groups. All placements are paid above the national living...

Forests in different regions have different effects on cloud cover

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A recent study shows that cloud cover is increased over most temperate and boreal forests in comparison to non-forest landscapes. However, over the Amazon, Central Africa, and the Southeast US, cloud cover is reduced over forests. The study was led by Ru Xu and Yan Li, at Beijing Normal University, and involved collaboration with Dominick...

Opportunities to research landscape scale restoration in the UK’s uplands

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Three new PhD opportunities to research landscape scale upland restoration are being advertised at the University of Leeds (deadline: 11/04/22). Restoration of degraded landscapes is needed to help address the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis. In England, landscape recovery is now a core component of future farming policy and a new scheme supports landowners...

Why do trees die? - New findings from the Amazon Rain Forest.

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A team of Brazilian and British scientists have discovered that extreme wind and water-deficiency are the main causes of tree death in the southern Amazon. Their study is available with free online access via the Journal of Ecology.   This new research reveals that more than 70% of all trees dying at the edge of...

Thousands more trees to discover!

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There are 14% more tree species in the world than we previously thought, according to a new study, authored by an international group of 146 scientists. Amongst these were Simon Lewis and Oliver Phillips, who are based at the University of Leeds. Using the largest forest database yet assembled, the team suggest that there are...

Upland woodlands reduce downstream flooding

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A recently published paper has shown that upland woodlands are able to reduce flooding downstream, compared to other common upland land uses. In today’s guest blog, the authors share and discuss their findings. Felicity Monger is a PhD researcher studying woodlands and flooding, Robin Hayward is the LEAF Communication and Engagement Officer, Prof. Dominick Spracklen...