Drivers of Biodiversity Change

Why?

Changes in land-use, pollution and climate threaten the
sustainability of key Scottish habitats & species. Protecting &
managing biodiversity in a changing environment requires:

• Knowledge of past and present impacts of different drivers on a range of key habitats
• Understanding how these drivers affect ecosystem dynamics
• Prediction of potential future impacts to inform management & mitigation measures

We use experimental and modelling approaches at a range of scales, from small experimental plots to analysis of UK (& world)-wide biodiversity patterns, to provide information to underpin conservation policy responses to natural & human- induced changes in our environment.

Outcomes

• Understanding how different drivers affect the biodiversity and functioning of Scottish woodlands, moorlands and montane habitats
• Quantification of how key Scottish habitats have responded to human and environmental impacts in the recent past, informing predictions of future change
• Understanding of the sensitivity of different ecosystems to predicted future environmental changes

Our approach is to combine long-term studies with experiments and spatial modelling to examine impacts of a range of drivers on Scotland’s biodiversity.

Contacts

• Dr Andrea Britton