Ecosystem Dynamics
Our Research
The Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health aims to understand ecosystem dynamics using a variety of techniques for spatial and temporal scale reconstructions to determine global patterns, ecological response, long-term change, and ecosystem function.
Lake Aquatic Ecosystems: Climate Driven Dynamics
We are interested in understanding long-term climate driven relationships between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological data.
Lake Aquatic Ecosystems: Hydrodynamics of Large Lakes
LCWPH has used a three-dimensional thermo hydrodynamic model, Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), to model the thermal behaviour of Lake Ontario (springwarming, thermal bar formation, and summer stratification). The aim is to understand how climatic changes influence the thermal bar that directly effects the fish habitats and near shore ecosystem.
Global Vegetation Dynamics
We are using satellite derived parameters related to vegetation to detect stresses related to water and contaminants.
Fish Habitats
The extent to which environmental context mediates the bioaccumulation of biotransported contaminants by stream resident organisms is poorly understood. Our results highlight that contaminant transport by a migratory organism can have substantial consequences for recipient ecosystems. We are interested in modelling fish habitats in large lakes.
Fire Disturbance
We are interested in studying the impact of fire disturbance on ecosystem response and dynamics of on terrestrial and aquatic environments.
Floodplain Ecosystems
Riverine flood plains are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems. We are currently looking at vegetation changes over the past 30 years along the contaminated river corridors.
Key Personnel and Expertise
Dr Dilkushi de Alwis Pitts - Surface Dynamics
Dr Kristen Beck - Quaternary Scientist and Biogeographer
Dr Theresa Mercer - environmental biogeochemistry, biogeography, ecosystem services, soil science, waste management, environmental pollution, environmental policy, climate policy
Publications (with LCWPH affiliation)
| Team Members | Publications |
|---|---|
| Kristen Beck |
Beck, Kristen, Fletcher, Michael-Shawn, Gadd, Patricia, Heijnis, Henk, Saunders, Krystyna and Zawadzki, Atun (2019) The long-term impacts of climate and fire on catchment processes and aquatic ecosystem response in Tasmania, Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 221 . p. 105892. ISSN 0277-3791 Fletcher, M.-S., Bowman, D.M.J.S., Whitlock, C., Mariani, M., Beck, K.K., Stahle, L., Hopf, F., Benson, A., Hall, T., Heijnis, H., & Zawadki, A. (2021) The influence of climatic change, fire and species invasion on a southern temperate rainforest system over the past 18,000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews, 106824 Beck, K.K., Mariani, M., Fletcher, M-S., Schneider, L., Gadd, P.S., Heijnis, H., Saunders, K.M. & Zawadki, A. (2020) The impacts of intensive mining on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems: a case study from cool temperate Tasmania, Australia Environmental Pollution, 114695. DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114695 |
| Theresa Mercer | Norton BA, Bending GD, Clark R, Corstanje R, Dunnett N, Evans KL, Grafius DR, Gravestock E, Grice SM, Harris JA, Hilton S, Hoyle H, Lim E, Mercer TG, Pawlett M, Pescott OL, Richards JP, Southon GE and Warren PH. (2019). Urban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversity. Ecological Applications 29(6), pp. 1095–1115. |
| Alex Lechner |
Chen, HL, T.K. Nath, S. Chong, V. Foo, C. Gibbins, A.M. Lechner (2021) The plastic waste problem in Malaysia: management, recycling and disposal of local and global plastic waste. SN Applied Sciences. de la Torre, J.A., E.P. Wong, A.M. Lechner, N. Zulaikha, A. Zawawi, P.A. Patah, S. Saaban, B. Goossens, A. Campos-Arceiz (2020) There will be conflict – agricultural landscapes are prime, rather than marginal, habitats for Asian elephants. Animal Conservation. Lourdes, K.T., C.N. Gibbins, P. Hamel, R. Sanusi, B. Azhar, A.M. Lechner (2020) A Review of Urban Ecosystem Services Research in Southeast Asia. Land. 10(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10010040 Ern Ang, M.L., D. Arts, D. Crawford, B.V. Labatos, K.D. Ngo, J.R. Owen, C. Gibbins, A.M. Lechner (2020). Socio-environmental land cover time series analysis of mining landscapes using Google Earth Engine and web-based mapping. Remote Sens. Appl. Soc. Environ. 100458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2020.100458 Lechner, Alex, Gomes, Rachel L., Rodrigues, Lucelia, Ashfold, Matthew J., Selvam, Sivathass Bannir, Wong, Ee Phin, Raymond, Christopher M., Zieritz, Alexandra, Sing, Kong Wah, Moug, Peter, Billa, Lawal, Sagala, Saut, Cheshmehzangi, Ali, Lourdes, Karen, Azhar, Badrul, Sanusi, Ruzana, Ives, Christopher D., Tang, Yu-Ting, Tan, David T., Chan, Faith Ka Shun, Nath, Tapan Kumar, Sabarudin, Nur Aliya Binti, Metcalfe, Sarah E., Gulsrud, Natalie M., Schuerch, Mark, Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa, Macklin, Mark and Gibbins, Chris (2020) Challenges and considerations of applying nature-based solutions in low- and middle-income countries in Southeast and East Asia. Blue-Green Systems, 2 (1). pp. 331-351. McKenna, P.B., A.M. Lechner, S. Phinn, P.D. Erskine (2020) Remote sensing of mine site rehabilitation for ecological outcomes: A global systematic review. Remote Sens. 12, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12213535 Teo, H.C., A.M. Lechner, S. Sagala, A. Campos-Arceiz (2020) Environmental Impacts of Planned Capitals and Lessons for Indonesia’s New Capital. Land 9, 438. Paul A, T.K. Nath S.J. Noon, A.M. Lechner (2020) Public Open space, Green exercise and well-being in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Urban Forest and Urban Greening 55:126825. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126825 Teo, H.C., A. Campos-Arceiz, B. Li, M. Wu, A. Lechner (2020) Building a Green Belt and Road: A Systematic Review and Comparative Assessment of the Chinese and English-Language Literature. PLoS One 15. Lechner, A.M., L.N.H. Verbrugge, A. Chelliah, M. Ang, C.M. Raymond (2020) Rethinking tourism conflict potential within and between groups using participatory mapping. Landscape and Urban Planning, 203 Ng, L., A. Campos-Arceiz, S. Sloan, A.C. Hughes, D. Tiang, B. Li, A.M. Lechner (2020) The scale of biodiversity impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia. Biological Conservation. 248 Jamhuri, J., M.A. Edinoor, N. Kamarudin, A.M. Lechner, A. Ashton-Butt, B. Azhar (2020) Higher mortality rates for large- and medium-sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6827 |
Projects
| Team Member | Project |
|---|---|
| Kristen Beck |
A palaeoecological perspective on the ecological implications of seawall removal at Gibraltar Point, UK Funded by QRA Quaternary Research Fund (Awarded £1250 in 2020) Fire Impacts on Peatland Carbon Sequestration Awarded £2351.68 by SoG SEED CORN fund 2020 Disentangling Southern Hemisphere climate and environmental interactions of the late Pleistocene Funded by National Environmental Isotope Facility, Natural Environment Research Council in 2020 (NEIF # 2229.0320) |
| Alex Lechner | Nature-based Solutions for Urban Disaster Mitigation in Middle-Income Countries. The Royal Academy of Engineering £20,000 |
Contact Us
School of Geography, College of Health and Science
University of Lincoln, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7DW
Tel: +44(0)1522 835820