Policy and practice

We conduct applied research that is designed to support policy development and implementation, and the effective conservation and management of biodiversity, at scales ranging from local, through national to global.

We undertake a broad range of policy-relevant research within the fields of conservation management and restoration, protected area conservation, sustainable resource use and environmental risk assessment. Specific details of our research projects are given below.

• Evaluating the benefits provided by landscape-scale conservation
• Evaluation of the restoration of priority open habitats on the Forestry Commission estate in Dorset
• The Transactional Environmental Support System
• Conserving Eden - participatory forest management in the Tien Shan region
• Invasive Species
• Individual-based ecology
• Restoration of forest landscapes for biodiversity conservation and rural development in the drylands of Latin America (ReForLan)
• Biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use in fragmented forest landscapes (BIOCORES)
• Environmental impacts of alien species in aquaculture (IMPASSE, EUFP6)
• Assessing Large scale Risk for biodiversity with tested Methods (ALARM, FP6)
• Effect of non-native freshwater fishes on fish community structure and their role introducing non-native fish diseases (Defra)
• Lakes of the Rift Valley (Earthwatch Institute)
• Hartland heathland restoration project, Dorset
• Green winged orchid population translocation and restoration at Alderney Water Works, Dorset
• Red squirrels
• Rewilding
• Impacts of grazing on heathlands and grasslands
• Risk identification and assessment of non-native freshwater fishes: concepts and perspectives on protocols for the UK (Defra)
• Commercialisation of non-timber forest products: factors influencing success (CEPFOR)
• Towards cost-effective indicators to maintain Natura 2000 sites in a favourable conservation status