Ecological Research & Monitoring

Our research interests focus on applied issues, such as the impacts of environmental change on bird populations and the effectiveness of habitat management. Human disturbance to birds has been the focus of much of our work. We recognise the need for objective, well planned research to underpin decision making and policy.

We maintain an extensive library, which includes long runs of most of the relevant scientific journals, many books and much grey literature, from county reports to unpublished ecological surveys. While most literature is held as paper copies, we also hold electronic copies of much material. We maintain an EndNote database which holds citations and abstract data for c.4000 references relating to applied ecological topics. Literature reviews and desk studies can be efficiently and quickly produced, with recent examples including work on deer on heathlands, disturbance to birds, access management and livestock, fires and trampling.

Much of our data collection is conducted in the field, using GPS and PDAs. We are experienced field ecologists and have worked in a variety of habitats. Detailed research can involve specialist techniques and we have experience of radio tracking, bird ringing, blood sampling, sound recording, nest monitoring, distance sampling, boat transects, vegetation monitoring, NVC surveys and fixed point photography. Threatened or rare species are often the focus of conservation effort. From work in the high Andes of Bolivia, assessing the world population of Bolivian Spinetails, to work in Dorset on habitat choice by nightingales, we can provide the information needed to underpin conservation action and policy.

We use a range of statistical, graphics and GIS software packages, allowing us to be flexible and comprehensive with our analyses and to present results in such a manner in a way that is clear and easy to interpret.