Ecologists and environmental scientists link up to investigate biodiversity
Posted on 1 April 2004
The programme will also look at the sustainability of ecosystems, landscapes and livelihoods.
This joint venture, between the Natural Environment Research Council (£1.5m) and English Nature (£300K), will carry out seven major projects each year and provide a forum for scientists, policy-makers and practitioners to work out new solutions to major environmental problems.
The programme director, Professor Alastair Fitter says, ‘The breadth of this new network will let us link population biology to ecosystem science and economics.’
‘Our environment is in the throes of major change. When you set aside a protected area in a fragmented landscape such as Britain, is that sufficient to protect the genetic diversity of its flora and fauna against future change, or are they doomed to extinction in the longer term anyway? We want to find answers to questions like this.’
Five universities - Aberdeen, East Anglia, Leeds, Sheffield and York – will be joined by the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to make up the new network that will go under the name UKPopNet.
The group will link population biologists with those tackling socio-economic questions. An important issue is conflict resolution, for example the need to preserve biodiversity set against other pressures on the land and the environment.
Professor Fitter, from the Department of Biology at the University of York, is delighted that English Nature is also supporting the programme.
‘It is hugely important to us that they are a partner. They will be one of the end users of our work so this is a valuable sign that what we doing is useful and important.’
The Head of Science at English Nature, Dr Kevin Charman said: ‘The major challenge facing nature conservation, both on the land and in the sea, is how wildlife populations, communities and habitats will respond to future environmental changes.”
‘English Nature is extremely excited by the prospect of working with NERC and addressing some of these long-term issues. The launch of UKPopNet represents a new and unique partnership bringing together a practitioner and some of the top researchers in the country in order to understand some of the processes underlying population biology.’
Notes to editors:
- More information can be found at www.ukpopnet.org/
- For further information contact the NERC press office pressoffice@nerc.ac.uk or Owen Gaffney tel: 01793 442629.
- The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is one of the UK's seven Research Councils. It uses a budget of about £300 million a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.
- UKPopNet funds seven inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional projects, which will commence in summer 2004, and a series of working groups and workshops, for which proposals are now solicited. Scientists from any institution are encouraged to become involved with the UKPopNet programme through workshops or by linking to existing projects; bids for funds should be from UK scientists.
- Scientists from the Department of Biology and the Environment Department at the University of York are participating in the project.
- The Department of Biology at York has more than 400 scientific and support staff and 400 undergraduates currently has one of the highest research ratings in the UK. www.york.ac.uk/biology
- The Environment Department at York runs an interdisciplinary programme of research and training in environmental economics and environmental management. www.york.ac.uk/environment