Laura Braunholtz, Newcastle University. ‘Measuring and mapping biodiversity response to planned road development in primary rainforest of Brunei Darussalam’. Funded through Newcastle University Research Excellence Academy Funding. Main Supervisor: Dr Marion Pfeifer, Co-Supervisors: Dr Phil McGowan (Newcastle University), Prof Ferry Slik and Prof Ulmar Grafe (Universiti Brunei Darussalam). Timeline: October 2017 – March 2022. Twitter is @LDBraunholtz.
Alex Elsy, University of Stirling. ‘The impact of liana proliferation on recovery of biomass in secondary tropical forests‘. Funded through NERC DTP IAPETUS. Main supervisor: Dr Daisy Dent , Co-Supervisor: Dr Marion Pfeifer. Timeline: October 2018 – March 2022. Contact: a.d.elsy@stir.ac.uk. Twitter is @_AlexElsy
Alain Senghor K Ngute, University of Sunshine Coast Australia. ‘Investigating the relationship between liana abundance and tropical forest recovery’. Focus on Tanzanian forests. Funded through Australian Research Council. Main supervisor: Dr Andrew Marshall, Co-Supervisor: Dr Marion Pfeifer. Timeline: March 2019 – February 2022. Contact: kamdoum.senghor@gmail.com.
Emma Macintosh, University of Sunshine Coast Australia. ‘Investigating the relationship between liana abundance and tropical forest recovery’. Focus on Australia’s forests. Funded through Australian Research Council. Main supervisor: Dr Andrew Marshall, Co-Supervisor: Dr Marion Pfeifer.
Robin Loveridge, University of York. ‘Investigating wins, loss and trade-offs for biodiversity and human well-being across protected area networks’. Funded through ESRC White Rose Doctoral Training Centre. Main supervisor: Dr Andy Marshall, Co-Supervisors: Dr Susannah Sallu , Dr Marion Pfeifer. He successfully defended his thesis in 2021. Twitter is @robin_loveridge.
Dr Sergio Guerreiro Milheiras, Newcastle University. ‘Agrisys Tanzania project’. Sergio joined the lab from 2019 to 2021 as part of the Agrisys Tanzania project. He has been coordinating the fieldwork teams since collecting socio-economic and ecological data and developing key papers on the project. For project details, see: https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/agrisystanzania/
Rebecca Sargent, Newcastle University.’ Room to roam and hotspots of conservation conflicts – Lions, ungulates and people in the matrix’. Funded through NERC DTP IAPETUS. Main supervisor: Dr Marion Pfeifer, Co-Supervisors: Dr Nils Bunnefeld (University of Stirling), Dr Amy Dickman (University of Oxford). PDF for full project description. Successfully defended her thesis in February 2022. Twitter is @RK_Sargent.
Daniel Da Silva (main supervisor: Prof Alexander Vibrans, co-supervisor: Marion). ‘Climate and land use dependencies of tropical forest canopies.’ Successfully defended his thesis in March 2022. Daniel has been analysing data from his field sites in Brazil (Santa Catarina). He is now working with the data from the Global LAI project’ using system models to understand mechanisms determining forest canopy structure and remote sensing to map forest canopy structure’.
Julian Willmer (main supervisor: Dr Jayme Prevedello, co-supervisor: Marion (hosting for visiting researcher). ‘Geometry versus edge effects – mammals in rainforests.’ Successfully defended his thesis in March 2024. Julian has been analysing data from his field site in Brazil and from the Biofrag database. Marion visited his research group in March 2023.
Dr Deo Shirima, PhD Norwegian University of Life Sciences, External supervisor on subproject: ‘Interactions between canopy structure and herbaceous biomass along environmental gradients in moist and dry woodlands of Tanzania.’ Published in 2015. Shirima et al. 2015 Plos One. pdf
MSc/MRes
Ben Kelly. MRes Ecology. ‘Sugarcane and sugarcane aphid. Biological control mechanisms and crop health under stress’.
Beth Holdsworth. MRes Ecology. ‘Mammals and roads: roadkill versus road use, Temburong, Brunei’.
Sheena Davis: ‘Birds and their habitat dependencies in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Part of the Agrisys Tanzania project.
Lauren Barnes: ‘Mapping hotspots of elephant:crop damage in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania’. Collaboration with Southern Tanzania Elephant Programme. This project is linked to the Agrisys Tanzania project. The work is currently written up for publication. Lauren has started her 1 year employment on the CORRESTOR (Wildlife corridor restoration processes) project that runs from April 2021 – December 2022 funded by SNAPP>
Jennifer MacFarlane: ‘Jaguars and livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities in Manu NP, Peru.’
Chloe Coole: ‘Habitat use of mammals in the human-modified Kilombero Valley landscape, Tanzania’ (Linked to the Agrisys Tanzania project).
Martina Dorigo: ‘Yield and yield gaps in Tanzania’.
Benj Sieves: ‘Trade-offs and synergies in policies related to natural resource use in Tanzania. Ecological Consultancy Project.
Abigail Willis, MRes, York University. Forest restoration in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Tree species choice and economic feasibility.
Francesca Anne Ridley, MSc Global Wildlife Science and Policy, Newcastle University. ‘The Influence of Telecoupled Demand Pathways For Commercial Crops On Deforestation In Africa’.
Grace McBride, MSc Wildlife Management, Newcastle University. ‘Did habitat quality change for insects in long-term study sites in Northern England?’.
Kylie Warner, MSc Wildlife Management, Newcastle University. ‘Are bats a useful key indicator group for measuring impacts of forest fragmentation in tropical landscapes’.
Isolde Shaw, MSc Imperial College London, Co-Supervisor: ‘Evaluating an experimental method for studying twig-dwelling ant communities’ (completed September 2016)
Ellie Bowler, MSc Imperial College London, Co-Supervisor: ‘Optimisation of Sampling Designs for Habitat Fragmentation Studies’ (completed September 2016). Ellie was awarded a 1st for her thesis.
Sinnikka Robinson, MRes Imperial College London, Supervisor: ‘The Edge Factor – Response of Lepidoptera to the forest edge’ (completed 2014)
Ilhan Baratli, MRes Imperial College London, Supervisor: ‘The Edge Factor – Response of mammals to the forest edge’ (completed 2014)
Stephanie Harris, MRes Imperial College London, Supervisor: ‘Bird Responses to Forest Edges: a Trait Mediated Response?’ Stephanie was awarded a 1st and is now studying for a PhD at Liverpool University. (completed 2014)
Laure Schneider-Maunory, MSc Ecole Normale Superieure Paris, Supervisor: ‘Analysis of ecological patterns in response to forest fragmentation’. Laure was awarded a 1st and is now studying for a PhD. She led our paper published 2016 in Biological Conservation. (completed 2014) pdf
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Previous BSc
2021/2022
Molly Watson: Bats and swarming, UK. Research Project.
Alex Hearne Potton: Carbon pools and land management, UK. Research Project.
Eleanor Norton and Jodie Brown: Mammals in forest – agricultural landscapes, UK. Research Project.
Charlotte Rowland: Indicator mammals species, Agrisys Tanzania landscape. Research Project.
2020/2021
Harriet Mackay: Agro-ecology practices in the UK. Information Project. This work resulted in leaflets that are being used in capacity training for small-holder farmers in Tanzania.
Ana-Maria Reina-Morris: Microclimate variation in agroforestry landscapes. Research Project.
Scarlett McDevitt & Alex Swainston: Natural capital in tropical agro-forestry landscapes. Review Projects.
Kate Pellow & Sophie Warbrick: Birds in fragmented tropical landscapes. Research Projects.
2019/2020
Eleanor Evans: Assessing the direct and indirect causes of mammal decline in Southeast Asia, facilitated by road construction.
Jennifer MacFarlane: Jaguars, prey and interactions in Manu NP, Peru. Jennifer is currently doing some small scale research assistant tasks before heading off to Peru in winter 2021.
Lydia Crabtree: Fig trees in Manu NP, Peru.
2018/2019
Rachel Browne (SNES, NU): ‘The impact of Loxodonta Africana on vegetation in Kariega game reserve’. Courtney Glenwright (SNES, NU): ‘Assessing the response of mammals to logging in Borneo’. Isabelle Ollard (SNES, NU): ‘Pollinators in forest-agricultural landscapes – review’. Annie Wilson (SES, NU): ‘Forest degradation and microclimate – review’.
2017/18
Alexander Liddington (SNES, NU): ‘Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infection prevalence in neotropical habitat types’. Melissa Anderson (SNES, NU): ‘Effects of habitat fragmentation on avian communities in coastal forests of KwaZulu Natal’. Ciar Noble (SNES, NU): ‘The conservation value of alternative agricultural practices for matrix amphibian communities in the neotropics: Cacao versus Eucalyptus’. Sally Eardley (SNES, NU): ‘The drivers of human-lion conflict, its effects on the lion population, and the potential conservation tools to prevent it’. Rebecca Savage (SNES, NU): ‘Managing tropical landscapes for human-elephant conflict’. Calum Percy (SNES, NU): ‘Exploring the main drivers of, and patterns in, human-lion conflict across fragmented African landscapes whilst evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation strategies’.
2016/17
Megan Harvey/Bethany Wildash (School of Biology, University of Newcastle): Literature Review Project. ‘Managing tropical landscapes for human-carnivore conflict’. Matthew Holmes (School of Biology, University of Newcastle): Information Project. ‘A visual key to major vegetation types in Tanzania’. Rhianna Irwin (School of Biology, University of Newcastle): Research Project. ‘Are threatened species more sensitive to habitat fragmentation?’. Sophie Metcalfe (School of Biology, University of Newcastle): Information Project. ‘Develop conservation actions for forests in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania’
Laura Kor, BSc Imperial College London: ‘Can forest degradation impacts be monitored from space?’ Laura was awarded a 1st and has been awarded a fellowship to study for a MSc in Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. (Completed 2014)
Marianne Teoh, BSc Imperial College London: ‘Quantifying and evaluating the impact of anthropogenic degradation on mangrove carbon stocks in NW Madagascar‘. Marianne Teoh was awarded a 1st (hons.), won the Imperial College London Convener’s prize for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology and the Governor’s Prize for final year student of greatest merit. She also presented her research project at international and local conferences. (Completed 2014)