Olivia Henderson, 22/23. The introduction of beavers into wetland habitats is increasing in popularity; ‘rewilding’ has become a buzzword in recent years with its appealing ideology and is increasingly synonymous with ‘naturalistic grazing’. Beavers have been at Bamff Estate, Perthshire, since 2002. I will be setting out pitfall traps near the beaver ponds in May 2023 to monitor how they may affect beetle and spider communities as indicators of habitat quality. It is quite a task with them being so small, but it will be interesting to see how the communities have changed with the beavers if there is a different set of species present in the beaver grazed areas.
Alanna Connor, 22/23. Main Supervisor: Dr Evelyn Jensen. Based in the Newcastle University Ancient DNA lab.Comparison of the genetic diversity in historical and modern individuals of the Galapagos tortoise to investigate how their genetic diversity has changed over time. The aim of the comparison is to verify the origin populations of the modern specimens, evaluate genetic erosion and identify the loss of any distinct lineages. Email: a.connor3@newcastle.ac.uk
Sarah Lewington, 22/23: Main supervisor: Prof Aileen Mill. My project is part of the LIFE WADER project, focusing on invasive species within the North Northumberland Dunes Special Area of Conservation, UK. The aim is to identify invasive species that pose a risk to vulnerable habitats and species and to investigate how their management to achieve eradication or long-term control can be prioritised, to meet conservation goals with the limited resources available. I’ve been taking advantage of some good weather to get a feel for the different sites that are in the study, as well as meeting up with the site managers to find out what their goals are, and what will be useful for them.
Beth Holdsworth, 2021/22 Beth (on the left in the green shirt) has joined PhD candidate Natasha Mannion (on the right) to understand the impacts of infrastructure projects, and in particular roads and bridges, on rainforest mammals. Beth is quantifying mortality risks of mammals associated with roads and use of road verges by mammals, in Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. The outcomes will inform recommendations for mitigation measures accompanying road expansion efforts.
Ben Kelly, 2021/22 Ben has joined PhD candidate Will Ovenden to develop indicators for crop health in sugarcane, farmed using industry and small-holder farming approaches. Ben is testing the potential of nature based solutions (biopesticides) for the control of sugarcane aphid.
Alice Whittle 2021/22 Alice is working with the North Pennines AONB on the 5-year long peatLIFE project where she is monitoring the success of peatland restoration using vegetation cover as a proxy. Alice is focusing on 3 sites and is utilising low-cost technology to identify the most suitable monitoring approach.