Connor Lovell
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity
Holistic measures of biodiversity
Biography
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate with LCAB, where I research holistic approaches to biodiversity monitoring; including for anthropogenic ecosystems. Previously, I worked with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and DEFRA, focusing on ecosystem-based approaches to biodiversity assessment. I earned my PhD in Ecology from King’s College London and with ZSL, investigating the dynamics and impacts of ungulates involved in Scottish rewilding projects. I hold an MRes from Imperial College London, where I researched bumblebee thermoregulation and the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban badgers and foxes, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge.
Research
My research at LCAB will focus on ecosystem-level approaches to biodiversity monitoring. Contrasting with more traditional species- or habitat-based monitoring, ecosystem-level approaches aim to assess the condition, functioning, or collapse risk of whole ecosystems. Current approaches were developed in a conservation science field and, as a result, are poorly applied to modified, anthropogenic, or novel ecosystems. Given the complexity of anthropogenic social-ecological systems and the need to prepare for a future where ecosystems are not characterised by historic reference states, novel approaches which assess the functioning of ecosystems with respect to both their biodiversity and their contributions to people’s livelihoods are needed.
My research will aim to develop novel metrics and methods for undertaking ecosystem-level biodiversity assessments of these social-ecological systems: integrating local ecological knowledge whilst focussing on processes, functions, and contributions to people’s livelihoods alongside the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity.
Publication Highlights
Lovell, C., Williams, J., Mondoloni, S., & Pettorelli, N. (2026). Individual-based models allow accurate prediction of introduced large herbivore populations in rewilded landscapes. Journal of Applied Ecology, 63, e70264.
Lovell, C., Dawson, T. P., & Pettorelli, N. (2025). Impacts of an omnivorous ungulate on plant communities and soil organic carbon. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 6:e70079.
Lovell, C., T. P. Dawson, and J. G. Polhill. (2025). Projecting population dynamics and range expansion of reintroduced wild boar in Scotland using agent-based modelling. Ecological Informatics 90:103261.
Lovell, C., Pettorelli, N., & Dawson, T. P. (2024). Land cover preferences and spatiotemporal associations of ungulates within a Scottish mammal community. Ecology and Evolution, 14:e11015.
Lovell, C., S. Li, J. Turner, and C. Carbone. (2022). The effect of habitat and human disturbance on the spatiotemporal activity of two urban carnivores: The results of an intensive camera trap study. Ecology and Evolution 12:e8746.