Category: SciencePage 5 of 32
Latest science blog posts from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The thalloid liverwort Aneura pinguis (L.) Dumort. (basionym Jungermannia pinguis L.) has been reported from a bewildering range of climates and habitats, from neotropical cloud forests to Scottish…
by Michael T. Tracy Housed in the archives of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is the collection of John Hutton Balfour papers which include numerous correspondences of…
At the Natural History Museum I’ve recently catalogued a collection of 314 botanical watercolours made at the Saharunpur Botanic Garden in northern India between 1843 and 1866 for…
This week saw the conclusion of arguably the most significant meeting for biodiversity since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Read our take on COP15 in Montreal, what…
As COP15 comes to an end, so does our series profiling just a few of the many innovative and impactful scientists working in Scotland to conserve biodiversity at…
Molecular approaches to support forest resilience “Early influences have a profound effect on how our later lives develop,” says Dr Joan Cottrell. “Born to Scottish parents, I was…
Research underpinning the conservation and restoration of Scotland’s montane woodlands. “I am a plant ecologist and early career researcher undertaking a part-time PhD at the University of Stirling,…
Defining the fundamental units of bryophyte conservation. “As a phylogenetic taxonomist working on bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts), I feel I have a responsibility to be a tireless…
Using fundamental ecosystem understanding to inform land management. Dr Tom Parker’s research focuses on the role of plant roots and associated fungi in ecosystem processes such as carbon…
Sharing the data needed for nature’s recovery. As CEO of the National Biodiversity Network Trust (NBN Trust), Lisa Chilton is devoted to the charity’s mission of ‘making data…
Fusing ecology and evolution with animal health. “Academia was never the intended plan,” says Professor Dan Haydon, but after becoming obsessively interested in ecological stability and its relationship…
Exploiting plant symbioses is the key to sustainable agriculture. Euan James is a plant and microbial scientist specialising in root-nodulating symbiotic interactions between (mainly) legumes and soil bacteria…
Untangling the motivations for conservation. “The idea of the Anthropocene reminds us how profoundly we are now altering the earth system,” says Dr Janet Fisher. She describes herself…
A team effort for waders. From UK wetlands to global grasslands “Species conservation has been at the heart of my whole career,” says Professor Jennifer Smart. My research…
Making biodiversity data accessible and discoverable. With a background in taxonomy, phylogenetics, and biodiversity informatics, Professor Rod Page’s current work focuses on making biodiversity information accessible and discoverable….
Bringing history to bear on contemporary problems. Dr Deborah Long makes connections between specialists and policy makers, prehistoric landscapes and today’s policy. “I bring the long eye of…
Developing the evidence base for nature conservation. “I have spent over 30 years as a conservation scientist, studying the relationships between land-use change and biodiversity, and focusing mainly…
Sharing a love of lichens. “As a biodiversity scientist, I think there are three main themes that must be a part of my focus: diversity, conservation and people….
Ensuring the long-term survival of highly threatened species, in Scotland and around the globe. “What gets me out of bed in the morning is the feeling that I…
Using evidence-based conservation to inform policy. Nature is everywhere While many think of Scotland as a land of mountains, glens and lochs, in fact most of us live…