Ecology and Evolution

To understand the past, present and future of biological diversity, we work at scales ranging from genome organisation to global change biology.

Our research is addressing current and future issues around environmental change. We achieve this by combining theoretical research with laboratory studies and fieldwork.

Impact

Our ecology and evolution research delivers positive benefits for the planet and its inhabitants.

We focus on research that addresses three global challenges:

Research highlights

Spotting protective microclimates

Assessing farming sustainability

Examining marine diversity change

People

Name	Expertise
Colin Beale	Spatial ecology Conservation biology Savannah ecology
Kanchon Dasmahapatra	Speciation genomics Genetic basis of adaptive traits Molecular ecology
Calvin Dytham	Evolutionary ecology Spatial pattern and dispersal Agent-based models
Julia Ferrari	Insect-microbe-symbiosis Evolutionary ecology of plant-insect-natural enemy interactions Ecological genetics of species interactions
Alastair Fitter CBE, FRS	Plant and ecosystem ecology Mycorrhizas Conservation
Paul Fogg	Viruses of microbes Antibiotic resistance Bacterial evolution
Daniel Franks	Social behaviour and social networks Life-history evolution Behavioural ecology
Jane Hill	Ecological impacts of climate change Landscape connectivity Sustainable palm oil
Angela Hodge	Plant-soil-microbial interactions Arbuscular mycorrhiza Nutrient cycling
Phil Ineson	Global change biology Monitoring land-based carbon dioxide emissions Soil biology
Daniel Jeffares	Genome and molecular evolution Microbial population genomics and quantitative genetics UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in leishmaniasis
Richard Law	Marine ecosystem dynamics Spatial processes in ecology Adaptive evolution
Benjamin Lichman	Plant natural product biosynthesis Evolution of plant specialised metabolism Mechanism and applications of enzymes from plant specialised metabolism
Peter Mayhew	Evolutionary ecology Insect ecology Evolution in deep time
Geoff Oxford	Species limits and hybridisation in large house spiders Evolutionary significance of colour polymorphisms in spiders Conservation ecology of the endangered Tansy beetle
Jon Pitchford	Dynamical systems and stochastic processes Marine ecosystems and fisheries dynamics Mathematical ecology
Kelly Redeker	Land use change and ecosystem function Plant/microbe defense and signalling through release of volatile compounds Polar science
Elva Robinson	Behavioural ecology Collective behaviour Ecological impacts of social insects
Chris Thomas FRS	Climate change impacts Conservation biology Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity
Mark Williamson	Biological invasions Macroecology and species abundance relationships Population dynamics and cycles
Jamie Wood	Mathematical and computational methods Systems biology Microbial ecology and metabolism
J Peter W Young	Population genomics of bacteria Genome-based bacterial taxonomy Diversity of rhizobia